Culture, the Greek yogurt brand that started as a single storefront in Park Slope, Brooklyn, is marking 15 years in business by opening its third New York City location, this time at 205 Third Avenue in Manhattan's Gramercy neighborhood. The shop is under construction now and expected to open before the end of 2026, according to co-founders Jenny and Gino Ammirati.
The Gramercy location will serve the same fresh and frozen Greek yogurt sold at Culture's existing shops, but the founders say it won't just be a copy-paste of the other two. As reported by WhatNow, the new spot will have more frozen yogurt machines, offer more flavors, and carry an identity distinct from Culture's first two locations. Gino Ammirati said the Gramercy space will be customized specifically for its neighborhood, adding that opening in a new area and in new locations is exciting.
From a Park Slope Storefront to a Third New York Shop
Culture's story began in 2011, when it opened its first location at 331 Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, debuting near the tail end of New York City's self-serve frozen yogurt boom of the late 2000s, according to Inc. Magazine. Rather than chase the self-serve dispenser trend that eventually fizzled out, Culture built its business around making yogurt itself, from raw milk to finished cup. The company holds official state dairy facility certification, which allows it to pasteurize raw dairy and ferment fresh yogurt on-premises instead of relying on commercial pre-mixed bases, per Food Startup Help.
Before the first shop even opened, Culture worked with a specialized Wisconsin dairy farm to develop a custom proprietary starter culture blend built specifically for its strained yogurt recipe, according to a Patch report on the brand's early days. That strained yogurt is turned into what the company calls handcrafted frozen yogurt, cultured with live and active probiotics. The yogurts include L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, and B. lactis, live probiotic cultures found in both the fresh and frozen versions sold at Culture's shops.
The Science Behind the Tang
Those cultures do more than give Culture's yogurt its signature tartness. S. thermophilus works with L. bulgaricus to produce yogurt, and it helps break down lactose in the process. L. bulgaricus, meanwhile, helps produce lactic acid during fermentation and may support digestion, immune function, and the breakdown of fats, per WhatNow's report.
Culture sources its milk from Hudson Valley farms, drawing on Hudson Valley Fresh, an upstate New York cooperative of family-owned farms that produce hormone- and antibiotic-free dairy, according to Food Startup Help. That regional sourcing has been part of Culture's identity since its earliest days, reinforcing a farm-to-table approach in a category once dominated by chain dispensaries pumping out mixes from powder.
A Founder's Path From Finance to Fermentation
Co-founder Jenny Ammirati didn't start out in food. She spent ten years working in finance before pivoting to culinary arts, graduating from the Institute of Culinary Education and completing an externship at Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery before developing Culture's yogurt concept, according to Patch. That pastry background shows up in the shops' toppings, which are baked in-house daily using pastry techniques. Crumbles and fruit compotes are layered at both the bottom and top of each cup specifically to balance the tartness of the strained Greek yogurt, according to Manhattan Sideways.
Ammirati said Culture prides itself on being yogurt makers, producing handcrafted, thick, strained-style yogurt rather than buying it premade. She recommends trying frozen yogurt with toppings, and her own favorite is the key lime pie topping.
Manhattan Expansion and a 2026 Yogurt Moment
Culture made its first move into Manhattan in 2013, opening a second location at 60 West 8th Street in Greenwich Village, where it later added an expanded smoothie and juice bar menu, according to Manhattan Sideways and a Grubhub listing for the shop. That Greenwich Village location has drawn fresh attention this year: in mid-2026, it was profiled in New York magazine's “The Look Book” and featured in an Interview magazine review, part of a renewed citywide surge in artisanal frozen Greek yogurt concepts, Inc. Magazine reports.
The Gramercy expansion also arrives on strong financial footing. Culture posted more than 40 percent year-over-year revenue growth for four consecutive years leading into 2026, expanding its staff to 24 employees before launching the Gramercy project, according to Inc. Magazine's reporting. The new shop sits along a dense East Side commercial corridor near 18th Street, according to the NewOpeningsNYC Substack, putting Culture in the middle of the neighborhood retail mix as it opens its third storefront in fifteen years.
