At FrozenPeaks, you’re in control.

That’s right, the choice is yours. With 24 flavors of OU-D Kosher Certified yogurt rotated seasonally, and 60 toppings ranging from gummy bears to Reese’s peanut butter cup pieces to fresh fruit, this is one-stop coolness at its finest, with you at the controls deciding the yogurt combinations and quantity.

Customers pay per ounce. The customer who creates the biggest and craziest frozen yogurt sundae receives a $25 FrozenPeaks gift certificate.

Jay Mena, the 47-year-old owner of FrozenPeaks, made a choice, too. Mena left a well paying marketing position for FrozenPeaks, which is headquartered in Whippany.

“This product is so good, and so is the foot traffic," he said. "It’s right where you can find it.”  

After formulating a business plan for nine months, the Bergen Town Center location opened on Dec. 9. Three other locations—Roxbury Mall, Monmouth Mall and Willowbrook Mall —also opened after Nov. 4.

That’s four new stores in seven weeks, each outfitted with round tables and round cushioned hassocks of varied colors—and that’s a lot of work.

“The days have been 16- to 18-hour days,” Mena said.

Mena, who also owns a liquor store and a restaurant, has lived in northern New Jersey all his life. He credits his children Jillian (10) and Jaden (8), and his wife, Yani for getting him into the yogurt business.

In the summer of 2010, the family was on vacation on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was a hot day, and the family wanted ice cream. They found a frozen yogurt location— and a long line.

They patiently waited with the rest of the folks, and when his kids saw that they themselves could control the levers and serve themselves yogurt, they didn't want to leave.

“The whole experience was new," Mena said. "I never tasted a product as good as that.” Thereafter, there were trips to yogurt spots in Clifton, New Jersey and New York City. All boasted long lines and gave his children the chance to create their own frozen yogurt masterpiece.

"This has legs," Mena said to himself.

FrozenPeaks, Mena's take on frozen yogurt, prides itself on many things. One is, of course, the product. The difference at FrozenPeaks is the customer can (if they choose) select a crunchy bottom for the base of their yogurt.

Want an Oreo cookie base? Turn the handle to the container and it’s yours.

A waffle cone base? Likewise, and there’s more.

Second, there are two separate toppings bars, one with refrigerated items like fresh fruit and cookie dough. Third, FrozenPeaks is not just a dessert place, but—with its healthy options—can also replace a meal without being too filling, at 25 calories an ounce.

FrozenPeaks also has an on-site jukebox equipped with a camera, where you select your music and have a photo taken at the same.

The store is open on Sundays with a 40% discount this month.

“The ultimate judge is the customer,” Mena said. “The product is Grade A, and customer service is a priority.”

Mena made sure to hire customer-oriented workers, he said. The staff always offers two or three free samples frozen yogurt newcomers or those who would like to try a flavor.

“Some customers just don’t know where to go,” Mena said.

He believes FrozenPeaks, with its convenient Route 4 location, will develop a strong following.

“When walking out of here, we want them (the customers) to say, ‘Wow! I’ll be back!'" Mena said. "If you have a very good product, it’s all about the experience.”

FrozenPeaks, Bergen Town Center, Route 4 East, Paramus, (201) 556-9100, www.frozenpeaks.com