The Man Behind Red Mango

Inspired by the fro-yo craze?

Where or when did your fondness for frozen yogurt develop?
I lived in Hawaii for nine years where there was this small, local frozen yogurt shop I would visit often. I’m a very health-conscious person. I don’t like ice cream, but I really love frozen yogurt because it’s very low in fat. Plus, you can add a lot of good, vitamin-rich fruits.

How did you come up with the Red Mango idea?
When I returned to Korea, I worked for an investment bank for five years and was getting tired of the repetitive work. I wanted to introduce something creative in the market. Then I remembered what I enjoyed in the past and I decided to do frozen yogurt in Korea. Koreans are very health-conscious. There was no such thing like it there then so I thought it was the right time to start this healthy trend.

So you were the first to introduce fro-yo to the Korean market.
Yes, about six years ago. I’m really proud that Red Mango made a lot of people around the world realize that frozen yogurt can be really good for them, and can take off in their own local markets as well. Now it’s everywhere—US, Asia, even Europe. So far, we have 140 stores around the world and we are planning to open more stores this year. We are proud to be the ones to inspire growing the market everywhere. Of course before us, there were already some brands in the US also selling frozen yogurt, but theirs was more like ice cream—very sweet and with none of the strong, tart yogurt flavors.

What was the initial response?
Not many people knew about frozen yogurt so we had a difficult time in the beginning. We gave samples out to educate them, to let them know what frozen yogurts are. We couldn’t just tell them that our product is good. They have to find out for themselves. It took us about six months, sample after sample, to penetrate the market in Korea.

What should first-timers try with their cup of yogurt?
Fresh strawberries are best. But if you’re having it after a heavy meal, I would recommend plain yogurt. Our frozen yogurt is nonfat, and has live active cultures that help digestion.

• Valerie Julio Oct 05 2010 @ 09:50pm Report Abuse

     

  Hi! I've read this article The Man Behind Red Mango but I can't seem to find his name. I'd really appreciate if you can provide me data. It's for a school requirement. Thanks.
• joan Apr 14 2010 @ 08:32am Report Abuse

     

  i love yogurt! sana mai red mango dito sa cebu. yo-gu and frizzberry lang kasi ang nandito. i wanna check how red mango yogurt taste.
• Ella B. Apr 14 2010 @ 03:57am Report Abuse

     

  Oh my gosh, I love Red Mango! Strawberries, yum, yum..