When the chairman of Starbucks puts money in your chain, does everything start to taste like coffee?

Pinkberry increased its flavor selection by 50 percent last week when it added coffee to the menu at its 40 stores in California and New York.

The three-year-old L.A.-based chain has built a cult following thanks to its two frozen dessert flavors plain and green tea, both with a tart edge that can be covered in fresh fruit and other toppings. A taste confirms the coffee flavor is just as tart as the others.

Starbucks founder Howard Schultz’s venture capital firm, Maveron, infused Pinkberry with $27.5 million in financing in October.

The Pinkberry camp called it a coincidence.

Young Lee, the founder, said that the coffee flavor has been in development for a year, well before the Starbucks connection.

Lee declined to name the type of coffee used for the flavor, but said a wide variety from Africa, South America and Japan were tried out.

“It’s premium coffee, which makes a big difference,” he said. “I can’t say what kind.”

Trade secrecy is a real issue. Since Pinkberry became successful, a number of businesses have come on the scene with a similar concept. Those rivals include Kiwiberri, YogurtBerry, Snowberry and Cantaloop. Red Mango, which originated in South Korea, also wants to compete aggressively.

City of Industry-based Cefiore, which has 21 stores along the West Coast according to its Web site, launched flavors such as superfruity Acai berry and chocolate yogurt.

Lee said he started brainstorming the idea for the coffee flavor at the same time he came up with the idea for Pinkberry, which took place after a trip to Vienna. He wanted to create a product that would combine the concept of Italian gelato with frozen yogurt.

There is some question over whether Pinkberry is yogurt. The California Department of Food and Agriculture has said it isn’t, because it’s created in a powdered mix. Pinkberry calls it yogurt on its Web site and in the press release announcing the coffee flavor.

Lee’s favorite toppings for the new flavor are chestnuts, mochi and coconut.

He doesn’t have imminent plans to add more flavors to the limited menu.