Maiberry, not to be confused with Pinkberry, opens in the Far East Center

Lori Midson

Mai is the co-owner of Maiberry, a new fro-yo shop that opened two weeks ago in the Far East Center at 333 West Federal Boulevard, and according to Mai, the space more closely resembles a Jamba Juice. Except that if you poke around the internet, there are plenty of comments that suggest it's a Pinkberry clone.

In any case, Maiberry, which is also located in Boulder, at 1433 Pearl Street, is the brainchild of Kim Mai, who happens to be Ty's mother, and the two of them thought that "Mai" -- their last name -- went well together with "berry," and that, explains Ty, is how Maiberry came to be.

The Greek-style yogurt, which is made in-house, is what sets Maiberry apart from its competition, suggests Ty. "We use all-natural ingredients and nonfat milk, and because it's Greek-style yogurt, it's denser than most frozen yogurt and it's also higher in protein and vitamins."

In addition to frozen yogurt and the ubiquitous toppings that you can lob on top, the shop also specializes in shaved ice, smoothies, many of them Asian-inspired (if you're hankering for a durian smoothie, for example, this is your place), shaved ice and fro-yo mixed together and a wide selection of hot and iced teas.

The fro-yo flavors rotate according to the seasons and supply and demand. "When we see a flavor slow down, we swap it out," says Ty. I sampled the honeydew when I stopped by earlier this week, and would like to issue a plea: Keep it.

If you don't live in Denver or Boulder, take solace in the fact that more Mayberry franchises are in the works, including stores in Broomfield and Fort Collins.

For more info, call 720-287-1437.