First Pinkberry to close

The original Pinkberry location in West Hollywood, also known as the yogurt shop that spawned 1,000 parking tickets, has closed permanently after five years.

Pinkberry spokeswoman Mary Sadeghy said the lack of parking contributed to the decision Sunday to close the store at 868 Huntley Drive.

She added that it would remain as an administrative building for Los Angeles-based Pinkberry, which now operates 83 frozen yogurt shops worldwide.

“We just decided that we had enough other locations within that vicinity to service that market,” Sadeghy said.

“It’s definitely a nostalgic store for us and we appreciate the history of it, which is why we’re not shutting it down completely,” she said.

Pinkberry launched a Los Angeles food craze when it opened in 2005.

Hundreds of hungry customers would line up outside the small shop every day -- often illegally parking their cars in the residential neighborhood -- for a taste of the tangy frozen yogurt topped with fresh fruit and other goodies.

Dozens of copycat chains have since cropped up.

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andrea.chang@latimes.com