DLA sat down with Pat Winterstein, store manager of Red Mango, to find out more about the fro-yo shop that moved downtown earlier this year. The Red Mango downtown is the only location in Lincoln, but is one of over 100 stores across the United States. The first Red Mango opened in Los Angeles near UCLA in 2007. The yogurt and smoothie company is known to open a majority of their stores on or near college campuses, as the advocacy for health awareness is often higher in those areas.     

● When exactly did Red Mango move into its new downtown location, and where is your restaurant located?

Pat: Red Mango had its grand opening on Friday, the 21st of January, 2011, and we are on the corner of 14th and P streets between Noodles and Co. and Chipotle.

● What are you enjoying most about being located downtown so far?

Pat: We are really enjoying the great business atmosphere, the amazing nightlife and of course the UNL campus.

● How long have you been with the company, and what would you say has made it so successful?

Pat: I have been with Red Mango since December 2010, and our simple, honest-to-goodness frozen yogurt, made the way it is supposed to be has people coming back for this healthy treat so they can treat themselves well.

● For those who have never been to Red Mango, describe the types of items you offer and the positioning of the frozen yogurt shop in general.

We offer a variety of fresh fruit smoothies, iced teas, lemonades, parfaits and over 40 flavors of frozen yogurt that we rotate between.

● What are some of the most popular must-get items on the menu?

Pat: Our Frozen Yogurt is definitely the most popular item by far, but our smoothies are becoming a local favorite such as our Strawberry Banana, Mixed Berry and Pomegranate smoothies. We also have our new Spoonable and Mealworthy smoothies, made with peanut butter or orange juice, that keep our guests coming back for more.

● Any popular themed/discount/student nights you have there during the year?

Pat: In April, we joined with the Chi Omega Sorority for our benefit night for Teammates called Chi-O Fro-yo. With this event we raised a lot of money for the group and really raised awareness for this great philanthropy. We also have our Sorority/ Fraternity competition in which we donate 20% of every participating guest’s receipt to the Philanthropy of their choice.

● Red Mango seems like a fun place to work, what do you love most about the employees that work there and how they interact with the customers?

Pat: I love that all our team members are extremely willing to serve our guests in the best way possible. We do our best to greet every guest and will walk anyone through our system and show all that we have to offer. We all understand how important customer service is and will do anything to make sure our guests have a smile on their face when they walk out our door.

● Anything else you want to let people know about Red Mango?

Pat: Our yogurt is gluten-free, packed with probiotics like Ganeden BC30 (which has been shown to boost immunity and digestion health) certified Kosher, and around 30 calories an ounce. It is 45 cents an ounce and that includes any toppings you would like to add onto your yogurt including our fresh fruit cut every day. For more information and the flavors of the day, check us out on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/RedMangoLincoln.