Fro Yo

Fro Yo

by Zach Christiansen

Reporter, Flyer Flash

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Do you crave Krave? Want to munch at Menchies? Currently there are several yogurt shops in St George, such as Menchies, Yogurtland, Krave and many others.

If students were to go to Menchies they would be offered a variety of flavors like cinnamon, graham cracker, cherry tart, praline salted pecan caramel, cheesecake, angel food cake, black cherry greek yogurt, butter brickle, gingerbread man, red velvet, and many others. There are so many flavors and different places to find what you’re craving. So why pick frozen yogurt over ice cream?

“The current market trend is showing yogurt shops popping up all over the nation. From the fall of 2010 to the fall of 2011, the number of yogurt shops increased 31 percent,” according to Racheal Pomerance of U.S.News. The health craze is taking its turn in the spotlight. There is now a new term given to these frozen yogurt shops. They are called “fro yo” shops!

Racheal Pomerance also reported that yogurt is made up of milk and that there are enzymes, sometimes called cultures, flavoring, gelatin and sweetener. Ice cream has sugar were frozen yogurt can have honey to substitute as sweetener. Frozen yogurt is lower in fat than ice cream because yogurt is made from pure milk and ice cream is made from the cream, which holds fat.

Yogurt is considered to be a healthy treat. But is this true? In each normal healthy person there are digestive enzymes that break down food so that the body can absorb nutrients into the body. These enzymes are also the unique difference between ice cream and yogurt. The probiotics, or bacteria, are what make it a healthy snack.

Dieticians have stated that it is not such a healthy snack because of the sugary toppings and add-ins that are included in the yogurt. Have you ever had a sugar high followed by a sugar low? Too much sugar can lead to fatigue. It is recommended that one small spoonful of sugary add-ins or using fruit as an add-in is a step in the right direction for keeping yogurt a healthy treat.

For the FDA to define yogurt, it has reported that it must contain at least 2 different kinds of bacteria, also called probiotics. These bacteria produce lactase which helps with digestion for people who are lactose intolerant. These bacteria come from cultures. The minimum cultures are at 10 million cultures per gram, but frozen yogurt shops are following a stricter association requirement of 100 million cultures per gram.

Honestly, why do people choose one place over another? Some students’ moms would only go to a yogurt place if she had a coupon for it. At the Golden Spoon, customers are given a discount if they are a Dixie College student, or if a person comes in wearing a shirt. For a few students, they tend to go where their friends are hanging out or what place offers the most toppings and flavors.

Some places even have interesting ways that they sell the yogurt, like in a sugar waffle bowl. With competition growing in the frozen yogurt industry, shops are becoming very creative in the way they advertise their own shop. There is a yogurt shop that changes its menu every two weeks. A list of all the nutrition facts are posted. One shop states that they only use natural flavors, colors and sweeteners; and everything is fat-free. Another place advertises itself as an eco-friendly place. The water is served in recycled water bottles; and, all paper products are biodegradable. Some shops are self-serve which means you can have as much or as little as you want to eat in the bowl you purchase. They advertise 14 flavors with over 50 toppings and add-ins. They also have a room for booked parties, such as, for a birthday.

When asked what Dixie High’s Students favorite fro yo shop is many students said Menchie’s “I like Menchie’s ‘cause they have so many flavors, and their vanilla really taste like vanilla not that other cheap stuff,” said junior Madison Shaffer. Menchie’s is located at 691 E. St. George Blvd. “We have 14 flavors and Over 50 toppings,” said Menchie’s employee Alayna Canada. The second best fro yo shop that students liked was Krave. A Krave employee, Cody Hayes, said, “We sell the Dole Whip frozen yogurt you can only find here at Krave or in Disneyland.”

Fro yo shops coming up everywhere you go. According to the website Chron, “Frozen yogurt is a refreshing treat that many choose to enjoy. Starting a frozen yogurt business can be an effective way to make money off of a popular dessert treat. When choosing to get into this niche, you could select one of several paths to take. Before getting involved, it is important to understand the necessary steps and what is likely to help you make opening the shop. If you fail to handle the opening correctly, you may not make as much money as you expected.”

So if students want a healthy snack or if parents want to start up their own store, fro yo is a really good and healthy way to do it.