On a warm July night, groups of Long Islanders wrapped around the glass exterior of Yogurt & Such Greenvale, past the store’s end, waiting for their frozen yogurt fix.
The spike in customers didn’t come from the Roslyn Road eatery’s team but rather from several TikTok videos posted by customers with thousands to millions of views. Three of the most viewed videos are short clips of the yogurt being rolled in toppings over music, posted by TikTok user @li_loveatfirstbite.
The clips have over 14 million views in total. There are also videos of people trying Yogurt & Such for the first time (inspired by the highly viewed TikTok posts) and videos of Long Islanders complaining about the spike in popularity.
In other words, Yogurt & Such Greenvale went viral.
While some business owners would pay thousands for this kind of attention, Yogurt & Such got it for free. Kandarp and Nirali Mehta, who have owned Yogurt & Such Greenvale since 2013, had no idea the videos were even being posted.
“I was on cloud nine, because I don’t use TikTok and Instagram myself,” Nirali Mehta said. “I was just thanking God and our customers for supporting us and helping us, even in the digital times.”
But some regulars are not happy about the lines.
Yogurt & Such regular Zach Olson, an executive assistant, posted a TikTok video complaining about a “line out the door and down the block” in July.
“I hate when local things are now all over TikTok so now everyone’s obsessed with it,” Olson said in the video, which has over 7,500 likes.
Olson said he used to be able to get “in and out” of the store in just a minute or two. Now the long lines make him “not want to go,” though he’s glad the business is gaining recognition.
“Whether it’s my credit card swiping or not, I’m happy that it’s clearly not going anywhere,” he said. “Hopefully the hecticness settles down eventually.”
Julia Wertheim, a social worker, has been going to Yogurt & Such since around 2010, when she was in elementary school. Over the past few months, though, Wertheim has opted to stay away when the line is too long.
“There’s not the same service of just being able to grab your yogurt and sit down,” Wertheim said. “It really begs the question: Is it worth it to wait for yogurt for 45 minutes?”
Yogurt & Such Greenvale is taking steps to accommodate the influx of customers, including hiring more employees for evenings when the lines are longest.
The Mehtas are also working on improving their website, creating a mobile application and launching social media accounts to harness their online attention.
“The foremost importance that we put on is the customer,” Kandarp Mehta said. “How we can make the customer’s life easier, how we can make their experience better?”
Loyal customers are the basis of Yogurt & Such Greenvale’s success, and though the newfound internet fame has given them a boost, the Mehtas enjoy seeing regulars come back over the years.
“We have a strong following of our regular customers that have been coming to us [for] years and years,” Nirali Mehta said. “They were kids, and then they got married, and their kids have been coming. It’s really good to see so many generations coming and supporting us.”
What is it about this local yogurt spot that merits decades-long regulars, social media virality and lines down the block?
It may have to do with the location, considering there is a Yogurt & Such storefront in Plainview (not owned by the Mehtas) that hasn’t garnered the same online attention.
Both serve creamy, not-super-sweet swirls with toppings pushed on rather than sprinkled.
Nevertheless, many customers think it’s the product that keeps them coming back for more.
“It [has] its own unique taste,” said Elise Benatar, a retired attorney who goes to Yogurt & Such twice a week (during the day).
The shop is also expanding into the adjacent storefronts, but the Mehtas have been working on this for a year and a half–-long before the shop gained internet notoriety. They’re in the process of getting permits for the expansion, and they hope to use the space for more customer seating and additional dessert options.
“Once this expansion comes along, we just want to see everybody’s reactions.” Nirali Mehta said. “We hope we meet everyone’s expectations.”
