(Photo by: Jenna Marotta)
Despite appearances, Von Dohlens — opening next week on Bedford Avenue, one block from The Bean — is not a new Williamsburg biergarten. It’s an organic, self-serve frozen-yogurt shop with a full espresso bar and Brussels-style waffles.
Most new frozen-yogurt places resemble the cramped cabins of a lo-tech spaceship. Instead, Von Dohlens recalls the past, with a tin ceiling, black-and-white floor tiling, and walls of exposed brick and raw wood paneling. Colorful, vertical-striped wallpaper ensconces the soft-serve machines, which will dispense 14 rotating flavors. There’s a stained-glass light fixture, chalkboard menu, 15 seats made with curlicued metal, and a cash register perched on a two-tiered counter that resembles a red and blue wedding cake.
The name Von Dohlens is an homage to the 60s ice cream parlor Van Dolans, which was located near the intersection of Bedford and Manhattan Avenues in Greenpoint.
Besides frozen yogurt and waffles, Von Dohlens will have drinks made with Brooklyn Roasting Company coffee, plus bottles of Spindrift natural sodas, Boxed Water, and Brooklyn Kombucha on tap.
All of the fro-yo (actually, the owner strongly prefers “frozen yogurt”) will be non-fat, and customers will have the choice of 30 toppings and six homemade glazes and ganaches. Toppings include candied sesame seeds, chocolate-covered espresso beans, yogurt-covered pretzels, fresh fruit and three types of granola.
118 Bedford Ave. b/t N. 10th and N. 11th Sts.; Sunday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
