Customize your treat at Berry Fresh Frozen Yogurt

It's a good summer to be in the frozen yogurt business especially, as always in a retail venture, if you're in a good location.

That's what James Guobao is experiencing as the new owner of Berry Fresh Frozen Yogurt, located a half block down Murray Avenue from Forbes Avenue in Squirrel Hill. It's a busy area, with the shop's heaviest business occurring in late afternoon and evening.

Fresh is the operative word for Guobao: He cuts fruit every day for toppings. He adds new yogurt flavors every week, including novel ones that draw on his Chinese heritage.

Guobao, 54, emigrated from his native Shanghai, where he was a history teacher, to the United States seven years ago to join a friend in business. He spent his first two years in New York City, where he learned a new professional skill, cooking, as well as English. After he obtained permanent resident status, his wife came over, too. They've been married for 27 years, with an adult son making his life in China. He's looking forward to applying for citizenship in 2018.

Guobao is much happier living in Pittsburgh than in the Big Apple.

“New York City is just like Shanghai — too much traffic, too many people, crowded all the time,” he says. “When I came here for the first time, I fell in love with this city. The people are very kind and friendly.”

Guobao tasted frozen yogurt for the first time in Pittsburgh, working at the shop he now owns, and was surprised to find it really delicious.

Berry Fresh follows the business model where customers serve themselves, choosing from among the 12 flavors dispensed from six double frozen yogurt machines. After toppings are added, the cup is weighed. The price is 41 cents per ounce.

The base yogurts include low-fat and no-fat options, as well as sugar-free. Some have live cultures.

Among the current flavors are low-fat triple chocolate, caramel pretzel with sea salt, caramelized pineapple, French vanilla, cookies and cream, almond and plain yogurt. The most unusual of the lineup is taro yogurt, made with a sweet root vegetable considered a delicacy in China, where it is used in many ways, including in dumplings and cakes.

The fruits among the nearly two dozen toppings are blueberries, pineapple, strawberry, kiwi, mango and cranberries. Other toppings include cheesecake bites, sweet rice cake pieces, peanut butter cups, dark chocolate chips, chocolate raisins, gummy bears, honey granola, yogurt chips and flaked coconut.

Syrup toppings include chocolate, caramel, honey and peanut butter.

Berry Fresh Frozen Yogurt, 1717 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill, is open from noon to 11 p.m. Sundays to T hursdays, noon to 11:30 p.m . Fridays and Saturdays. Details: 412-521-3145.

Mark Kanny is a Tribune Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-320-7877 or mkanny@tribweb.com.