NOT only it is good for your body, but it also has been a good business venture for 24-year-old JC Tan who recently launched a new product, the Yogo, that has brought Dabawenyos craving for more.
Short for Yogurt on the Go, the Yogo is an ice cream like dessert that everyone can indulge in sans the guilt feeling. With zero percent fat, the healthy dessert is now on top of every health buff's list of must-haves.
"It is not ice cream as it has zero percent fat and it is yogurt complete with the live and active probiotic cultures that promote proper digestion," Tan said.
Originally, Yogo was offered as a smoothie when Coffeecat opened in May last year.
"It was planned as a healthy alternative. We started planning about the Yogo as we were still planning Coffeecat in 2008," Tan said.
A health buff himself, Tan said the Yogo is yogurt mixed with skimmed milk.
The growing health-conscious market in the city, as clearly shown with the growing number of fitness gyms, is the niche market being eyed with the introduction of the Yogo.
"People are more conscious now with their health, and Yogo might be the perfect dessert for them," Tan said.
Health perfect
Long believed to have aided man in digestion, yogurt is a dairy product produced by the bacterial fermentation of milk. Milk is heated and cooled for an hour. While it is heated, the bacteria are added for fermentation. Yogurt is a good source of protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamins B6 and B12.
Yogo, on the other hand, is given a texture similar to that of an ice cream with less tangy flavor.
"With very minimal sugar and zero fat, Yogo is perfect for those who want to indulge without getting the fat," Tan said.
Complementing the already healthy nature of Yogo is the wide array of toppings composed primarily of fresh and dried fruits and nuts.
Expansion
Still on a test run, with barely a month since it was offered to the market, Tan said there are already plans on expanding the Yogo, making it more accessible to a larger market.
"We are only offering it here at Coffeecat as this is still our test run. But we will soon be expanding," Tan said. "We are now looking at possible areas for expansion."
The planned expansion of the Yogo comes with the expansion of Coffeecat in more areas in Davao City and Cebu City. The Yogo is also in the pipeline for a solo expansion in various malls and shopping centers.