Frozen dessert die-hards in Lincoln Park are getting their wish: two 23-year-old co-founders, Maya Matta and Nathalie Del Valle, are turning their viral pop-up into a permanent frozen Greek yogurt shop by the end of the year. Their brand, Mikono, built buzz off weekly social media drops and a sell-out River North pop-up last Friday that had people lining up for seconds. The planned counter will serve made-to-order frozen Greek yogurt folded with real fruit, a tangy, protein-forward swirl that eats like soft serve.
Matta and Del Valle told reporters their River North pop-up sold about 100 bowls in two hours, and an online drop later snagged roughly 130 orders in 15 minutes. That kind of demand pushed them to speed up plans for a storefront and to scale production with a local manufacturer, with the founders saying the jump from drops to brick-and-mortar came only after supply kept getting wiped out, according to Block Club Chicago.
On its own site, Mikono bills itself as Chicago’s first dedicated frozen Greek yogurt operation and lays out a compact menu: a plain Greek base plus seasonal fruit flavors, rotating toppings, and nutrition information for each serving. The brand explains that it uses a New Zealand-style machine to blend frozen fruit into thick Greek yogurt on demand, which they say creates an airy texture without powder mixes. More about the menu and drops is available on Mikono.
The machine and the technique
The founders say they invested in an imported machine that presses thick Greek yogurt and frozen fruit into a soft-serve-style swirl, a process they believe gives fresher flavor and a lighter mouthfeel than conventional fro-yo. They told reporters the unit cost roughly $15,000 and is reportedly only the third of its kind shipped to the U.S., a rarity Mikono plans to lean on as part of its pitch. For the original reporting on the model and the purchase, see Block Club Chicago.
Scaling production and next steps
To fill a future Lincoln Park counter and supply pints, the founders say they will scale production with a local frozen-dessert partner. Paleta Factory, a Chicago-area producer that offers custom paletas and small-batch wholesale production, lists services that could support a growing frozen-dessert brand. Background on local manufacturing options is available at Paleta Factory.
What to expect
When Mikono opens a Lincoln Park counter later this year, customers can expect a short, focused menu and an emphasis on fresh fruit and protein, a different pitch from the calorie-light, sugary powder mixes of many fro-yo chains. The move also tracks with a small but growing interest in Greek-based frozen treats elsewhere in the U.S., where specialty concepts have been appearing in recent months. For national context on the trend, see Time Out.
For now, Mikono will keep announcing pick-ups and pop-ups on social channels while they finalize leasing and build-out plans, with the founders saying they will post an official opening date once the space is ready. Fans will want to keep an eye on their site and socials for drop schedules and hiring notices.
