It’s just after 11 p.m. on Sag Harbor’s Main Street, and a cluster of well-heeled adults is pleading a BuddhaBerry employee to reopen the door of the new frozen yogurt shop.
“It’s just three minutes past [closing],’’ begs actor and East Village resident Nick Gregory.
“I’m sorry,’’ says the worker, sighing. “People keep calling to say, ‘Don’t close! We will be there in a minute!’ But we shut the machines promptly.”
The group looks like children whose toys have been taken away — and it’s no wonder. Owner Nancy Passaretti’s yogurt emporium, which opened in May, has struck a chord with everyone from kids to grown-ups, who are happy to pay $10 for a cup with toppings like raw cacao.
Lines for the shop snake out the door, and it’s packed from morning to night with crowds eager to taste the 12 flavors — including sea-salt caramel pretzel and cinnamon vanilla yogurt — and 150 toppings.
But most interesting about BuddhaBerry is its buzzy boldface following. The Kardashians have filmed four episodes of “Kourtney and Khloe Take the Hamptons” there, while Julianne Moore regularly stops in with her daughter.
Even Paul McCartney is a fan: The former Beatle popped in two weeks ago for a nondairy option made with coconut water. “I said, ‘You look familiar,’ ” recalls Passaretti’s 19-year-old son Justin, who works at the shop. “He just smiled and said, ‘I have a familiar face.’ ”
Passaretti, a yogi, was drawn to the healthy concept because it got her frozen-yogurt-loving kids to eat healthy. “I started negotiating with them,’’ recalls the brunette, 46. “I would allow them one junk-food topping and two nutritious alternatives.’’
It’s quickly become a spot where megastars mingle with the masses: “We met LL Cool J Saturday!’’ says Thelma Dye-Holmes, 55, who runs a nonprofit. “He chatted with us.’’
Katie Lee recently stopped in after dinner. “I bumped into Geoffrey Zakarian and Marc Murphy,” she says. “It is pretty funny that the biggest scene in the Hamptons this summer is a frozen yogurt place.”
And locals don’t blanch at the price tags: “My cup cost $10.95 — but it was healthy!’’ says John Giruzzi, 35.
The only ones who don’t seem excited by the addition are the crew at Yummylicious, the yogurt place that opened last year up the block and was busier before BuddhaBerry opened. “They’ve definitely cut into our business,’’ says one worker, sighing.
Passaretti has no worries. “Sometimes at night people start banging on the door,” she says. “We’ve been thinking to extend the hours — but we have to sleep sometime!’’