New Fro-Yo Shop Planning Ridgewood Opening This Month

Ridgewood is set to add yet another frozen dessert franchise, but the owner of Planet Swirl is confident that his new yogurt shop will be able to keep up with the local competition.

Ammar Malik will be opening his yogurt shop on Franklin Avenue, in close proximity to both Ben & Jerry’s and Red Mango, which opened on East Ridgewood Avenue last year. But he’s confident that the product, as well as some special plans at the location, make Ridgewood the right choice.

“Health conscious people generally prefer yogurt to ice cream,” Malik said. “The product itself is much better than the competition. People can see and taste the difference.”

The store, which will seat up to 60 people, will offer a back room party space, which can be closed off for private rentals. Planet Swirl will offer 21 flavors of yogurt and 80 toppings, Malik said, as well as coffee and some light café accompaniments.

Planet Swirl is a relatively new franchise, opening its first location in Ramsey in 2012. Ridgewood will be only its third location, in addition to a store in Connecticut.

Malik, an Upper Saddle River resident, said he scoped out the Ridgewood location while strolling the downtown after dinners and movies with his wife.

“We have been in Ridgewood a couple of times,” he said. “We like the area – that’s what drove us here.”

After starting on the project to remodel the location in July, contractors have been “working day and night” to rush the shop towards an opening this month, Malik said, and he is shooting for a grand opening as early as Saturday, Sept. 28.