Fönn, a new destination for organic Icelandic-style skyr (pronounced skeer), a high-protein yogurt, launches in late Sept. 2026. The creation of Lauren Huff, a Harvard MBA and entrepreneur, Fönn serves multilayered skyr bowls, skyr smoothies, and toasted panini-style sandwiches featuring skyr-based sauces, as well as coffee and matcha. Huff collaborated closely with Chef Baldur Smári Sævarsson, an Icelandic chef and skyr enthusiast who works at Restaurant Daniel in New York City.
Fönn operates at TALEA Bryant Park, a craft taproom in Manhattan, from 7:30 AM to 2 PM daily, when the taproom is normally closed. It represents an innovative collaboration between two female-owned and operated brands and an ingenious, next-generation real estate approach: sharing a high-visibility location and maximizing operating hours and offerings.
Fönn (pronounced fun) takes its name from the Icelandic word for “snowdrift,” as skyr resembles fluffy white snow. An Icelandic classmate introduced Huff to skyr while she was earning her graduate degree, and Huff experienced it firsthand in Iceland, where skyr bars are popular. She had long been a fan of global culinary traditions and was inspired by skyr’s high-protein, low-sugar, and probiotic attributes. Huff set out to bring the skyr bar, popular in Iceland, to the U.S. as a breakfast, lunch, and snack alternative and founded the company.
An Icelandic Tradition as Inspiration
“We’re taking skyr, a centuries-old Icelandic staple, and reimagining it as meals and snacks that feel relevant to how New Yorkers eat today,” says Huff. “Skyr is naturally high in protein and is the delicious foundation of our protein-packed bowls, smoothies, and the sauces we use in our toasted sandwiches. Our menu is convenient and nutritious, but also colorful, fun and full of interesting flavors, bringing an Icelandic-inspired approach to the modern grab-and-go.”
An Innovative Approach and a Progressive Real Estate Model
Fönn operates as a morning and early afternoon residency within TALEA Bryant Park, with its own menu, branding, and customer experience. The concept is designed to activate existing premium spaces during off-hours, with plans to expand the “store within a store” model to hotels, hospitality venues, fitness and wellness concepts, sports clubs, and corporate offices.
Spacious Interior Design Is Conducive to Both Beer and Skyr
TALEA Bryant Park’s 1,650-sq.-ft. space overlooks the iconic Bryant Park and features high ceilings, large windows, an open floor plan, opaque glass globe chandeliers and sconces, and colorful Art Deco-inspired details. In addition to branded window and door vinyls, the space will be transformed into Fönn during the day through digital and print menus, tabletop signage, and Fönn-branded smoothie machines and packaging.
Image courtesy of Fönn
