"Froyo" fad takes over Ann Arbor
The idea of frozen yogurt as a healthier alternative to ice cream has been around for a long time, but these days “froyo” cafés have become a hot trend, and at least three yogurt purveyors are now vying for the taste buds of Ann Arbor residents.
Opened this summer, Swirlberry’s first standalone café at 209 S. State joins the new YogurtRush kiosks at two Amer’s Mediterranean Deli locations (314 S. State and 611 Church) and the venerable-by-comparison YogoBliss at 1229 S. University, which opened in the spring.
“In the 1970s, tart yogurt was popular, then in the ’80s and ’90s sweet yogurt from places like TCBY was the rage, and now we’re back to tart yogurt,” explains Amer, owner of the delis that bear his name. “It’s the new bubble tea, the new fad. It’s cyclical, like fashion.”
The modern trend of tart frozen yogurt cafés apparently originated in Korea, where it was discovered by a visiting Korean American woman who came back home to Los Angeles and opened her own version called Pinkberry. The cafés soon spread throughout California, then New York, and now the Midwest is getting in on the act.
“Ann Arbor has a good mix of people from around the U.S. and the world who may be excited to see something like this they’ve seen elsewhere,” says Amer. “And as more locals see it and try it, they enjoy it, too.”
Swirlberry began as a couple kiosks at the Plum Market on Ann Arbor’s west side and at the one in Bloomfield Hills. Business has been good enough that they felt ready to open the State Street location, and they have plans to open another café on the campus of Michigan State University. Amer says his delis have been selling frozen yogurt for about a year but he only recently spun the concept off into the YogurtRush brand, which he’s considering expanding if all goes well.
So what’s the big deal about froyo anyway?
“The self-serve aspect is just more fun for the customers,” says Lindsey Haller, manager of Swirlberry on State. “They can select which kind or kinds of yogurt they want, then choose from our toppings of fresh fruit, cereal, cookies, sprinkles, syrups, whatever they want.”
Amer concurs. “YogurtRush gives customers an experience, using the frozen yogurt machines, putting on their toppings. It’s like how popular salad bars are in grocery stores now. Same idea.”
(It probably helps a lot that yogurt is also very low in calories and gluten-free.)
Customers then take their cup of yogurt and yogurt fixin’s to the register, where it’s weighed and sold by the ounce, with Swirlberry’s prices comparable to YogoBliss’s but Amer’s aiming aggressively at the student demographic.
“My whole concept is if I can’t afford it, I’m not gonna charge that to someone else,” he says, recalling his days as a U of M student in the 1980s.
“Yogurt is just a great ‘in-between’ snack,” says Haller. “If you’re hungry, don’t have a lot of time, need to get to class, want something healthy, it’s perfect.”
But if you do have time, Swirlberry offers seating, free wireless Internet, and a TV to use while you enjoy your froyo snack.
“We’re a good alternative to Starbucks,” adds Haller. “We’re even planning ‘happy hour’ specials and some other things.”
How long will this trend last? Nobody knows, of course, but for now, Ann Arbor definitely has several good options for indulging its froyo appetite. Bon appetit.
David Bardallis is a freelance writer and editor, blogger, bon vivant, and man about town. Visit his Web site, DavidBardallis.com, to engage his services or read his latest ramblings insights.
Comments
roadsidedinerlover
Tue, Sep 22, 2009 : 4:05 a.m.
Gelato fan here...Frozen yogurt...yuck!
Chrysta Cherrie
Mon, Sep 21, 2009 : 12:45 p.m.
After having Pinkberry and the like on my must-eat lists while traveling, I'm really glad this stuff has landed in Ann Arbor. I'm partial to YogoBliss; seems to be the best flavor for the best price (IIRC, a small is $2.70).
doodles
Mon, Sep 21, 2009 : 11:37 a.m.
The yogurt is just wonderful and delicious. Interesting flavors with loads of options. But, it is really pricey. Also both times we had it I got a massive stomach ache. I have never had this kind of reaction to a dairy product before.
Lindsey
Sun, Sep 20, 2009 : 1:20 p.m.
The Swirlberry location featured in the article is the self serve location that charges by weight at 65 cents an ounce. The customer can get as little or as much as they'd like. That's the beauty of the self serve aspect, there is no set portions in terms of yogurt or toppings.
eCoaster
Sun, Sep 20, 2009 : 12:20 p.m.
This article reads like a free promotion. I find it most interesting that there is no real mention of price. A small serving at Swirlberry starts at $3.99, and that is without toppings. Certainly you don't need to be a food "reviewer" to include that bit of info. It actually would have provided a nice counterpoint to Amer's remark about affordability. But, then again, if the idea is to help promote a fad, then why mention such details.
Lindsey
Sun, Sep 20, 2009 : 4:22 a.m.
I believe this article was very informative for the general public; even though I was one of the "shop proprietors" featured in the article representing Swirlberry, I feel it was a very good comparison of the establishments. I can also say along with having David try our product with his own fixin's, I explained the fact that our product is 29 calories per ounce, gluten-free and we also offer dairy-free options for those who are lactose intolerant. Yes, it was meant to be a advertisement of sorts for our store but it was also a well written and informative piece. - Lindsey Haller
Nico
Sat, Sep 19, 2009 : 10:33 p.m.
As one of the owners of the Swirlberry store on S. State Street I just wanted to let you know that we are locally owned. One of our partners owns 2 frozen yogurt stores in California and we had been looking for an Ann Arbor location for the last 2 years. We opened our first location inside the Plum market in West Bloomfield this past May and am happy to say our sixth location will be opening by the end of the month. Prior to opening we had worked very hard to find a dairy that could provide us with the best frozen yogurt products available using high quality, fresh ingredients. All the nutritional information about our yogurts is available on our website swirlberry.com.
David Bardallis
Sat, Sep 19, 2009 : 7:11 p.m.
Again, I am not a food reviewer. I'm a contributor who writes about new things in the restaurant biz. I did try Swirlberry's yogurt, but I'm no connoisseur so my opinion would not be particularly informative. Tasted like yogurt to me and it was good.
Brenda Patimkin
Sat, Sep 19, 2009 : 5:31 p.m.
@Judith: I agree. I think it would also be nice to know who runs Swirlberry. You can't use the pronoun "they" when referring to a business whose owners or managers go unnamed.
Chrysta Cherrie
Sat, Sep 19, 2009 : 4:31 p.m.
Judith, we'll have a review of YogoBliss up soon.
Judith
Sat, Sep 19, 2009 : 3:48 p.m.
This article is one big advertisement for the various types of froyo. The author interviewed the shop proprietors but it's not clear that he tasted the various products. A critical comparison of them along with information on calories in froyo would have made a more interesting, objective article rather than just free advertising. Judith