Omaha's fro-yo invasion

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Welcome to fro-yomaha.

Frozen yogurt, that cold, creamy sweet treat, is fast becoming one of the city's hottest food trends.

Popular on both coasts for several years, hip and health-conscious fro-yo shops are making their way to the metro area. From north downtown to west Omaha, more and more stores are popping up across the city.

Unlike shops that helped popularize frozen yogurt decades ago, the new generation of fro-yo stores have a self-serve format, allowing fans to concoct their own creations. Customers dispense the flavor they want in the amount they want, then add toppings of their choice.

There already are about 10 frozen yogurt shops in the metro area — three of which have opened within the last couple of months. More locations are on their way. Even non-yogurt eateries, including Jones Bros. Cupcakes, have started offering the frozen treat.

The trend is growing beyond Omaha. Nationwide, 121 million servings of frozen yogurt were ordered at food-service outlets during the year ending June 2011, an increase of 8 percent over 2010, according to NPD Group, a market research company.

Popular yogurt chain Red Mango opened its first Omaha store in July 2010 at the Shops of Legacy near 168th Street and West Center Road. It now has three locations in Omaha and one in Lincoln.

New to the local fro-yo scene is Oklahoma-based Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt. In December, the company entered the Omaha market with two stores: one near 72nd and Pacific Streets and another at Shadow Lake Towne Center in Papillion.

In addition to the chains, a few mom-and-pop shops have opened recently.

YoYo Berri, 6610 S. 168th St., opened in November. Owners John and Shelly Ammerman offer 12 flavors of yogurt and about 50 toppings. They're planning a second Omaha location as well as one in Lincoln.

YoZone Frozen Yogurt opened in November 2010 near 178th and Q Streets. The independent shop features a dozen yogurt flavors — all with live, active cultures and no high-fructose corn syrup — and 45 toppings. Mike Hansen, who owns and operates the store with his wife Sandy, said they hope to open another location this year.

All have a self-serve, pay-by-the-ounce concept. Customers grab a cup before heading to a wall of yogurt dispensers. The next stop is the toppings bar with dozens of choices, ranging from fresh fruit, nuts and candy to cereal, sprinkles and sauces. There also are more unusual toppings such as chewy pieces of Japanese mochi (made of glutinous rice flour) and colorful "popping boba" — fruit juice-filled gelatin balls.

Fill your cup with multiple yogurt flavors, or just one. Add a few toppings, or pile them on. Want exactly four raspberries, three gummy bears and two chocolate-covered pretzels? Go for it.

"People really like that level of control," said Omahan Bret Cain, who operates the local Red Mango franchises with his wife, Julie.

The last step is weigh and pay. Depending where you go, prices range from 39 to 45 cents per ounce. People usually spend an average of $4 a cup, depending how much or how little they want.

Both Orange Leaf and Red Mango have their fans: Some crave the creamy, refreshing, tart yogurt at Red Mango. Others prefer Orange Leaf's richer, sweeter, more ice cream-like taste.

According to nutrition information, one ounce (28 grams) of vanilla frozen yogurt at Orange Leaf has 41 calories. The same amount of vanilla bean at Red Mango has 30 calories, compared with about 67 in Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream.

The Cains got their first taste of Red Mango in 2009 during a trip to Hawaii for their 20th wedding anniversary.

"We had a good feeling about the place. We really liked the taste and flavor of the yogurt, and the low calorie count," Bret Cain said.

The couple also liked the self-serve concept and thought it'd go over well in Omaha. Travis Overhue of Omaha, co-owner of the local Orange Leaf franchises, said his family wanted to expand the area's options for healthy dessert choices.The Overhues plan to open another Orange Leaf in west Omaha this summer and a Council Bluffs location by early fall.

Overhue likens Orange Leaf to a "Starbucks for yogurt," where customers can chat with friends, check email, read, surf the Internet or do homework.

"There's music playing. There's Wi-Fi for people to use. It's really family-oriented," he said.

With an orange-and-green color scheme, Orange Leaf stores boast a bright, airy interior with sleek couches and tables and chairs in a fun, modern style. In addition to 46 toppings, it has 16 rotating yogurt flavors daily. Orange Leaf uses a powdered yogurt mixed with milk and other ingredients.

"We make everything here in-house with our own special recipes and blends," said Brian Warneking, Orange Leaf general manager. "Everything we do here is top-of-the-line fresh."

Company officials have been pleased with response from the community.

"Fifteen degrees and snowing, and we still get people out here who want to enjoy a healthy dessert," Warneking said.

Red Mango offers roughly three dozen toppings and about 10 types of yogurt that are rotated daily from more than 35 different flavors. Their yogurt contains live, active cultures to help support digestive and immune health. There are no artificial flavors or coloring.

"People like the fact that it's natural," said Cain. Their product is made with liquid rather than powdered yogurt.

William Jones of Omaha usually prefers a scoop of rich, decadent gelato when he's in the mood for a frozen dessert, but he recently tried Red Mango and Orange Leaf both for the first time.

The taste and consistency of Orange Leaf's yogurt reminded him of soft-serve ice cream. He noticed "a definite tanginess or tartness" with Red Mango, where he sampled three flavors: the citrusy Tangomonium, Madagascar vanilla and ginger.

All three had a predominant tartness that "really kind of overrides everything. It didn't matter what flavor it was," Jones said.

Terri Winchell, general manager of Red Mango at One Pacific Place near 103rd and Pacific Streets, said the tart quality is what lures fans to Red Mango.

"You're gonna know it's yogurt," she said.

For those who don't care for it, Red Mango recently unveiled a new line of non-tart flavors called Classic. Cain said the new line, which includes such flavors as vanilla cookie cream and strawberry milkshake, is a nice option for consumers who prefer something "a little more decadent, a little more sweet."

Before Red Mango, Orange Leaf and others entered the fro-yo game, there was TCBY.

Last year, the Salt Lake City-based chain celebrated its 30th anniversary. TCBY has had a presence in Omaha since the late 1980s. It currently has two stand-alone stores as well as a location inside a Subway sandwich shop.

TCBY's product is "as close to ice cream" as possible, said Matthew Robinson, regional operations manager.

TCBY officials have implemented some recent changes to adapt to the latest fro-yo craze.

The 144th Street and West Maple Road store was remodeled to reflect a more modern design with bright colors, sleek tables and chairs, contemporary lighting and other elements.

The company is considering a self-service format. In addition, it plans to introduce frozen yogurt made from the popular Greek-style yogurt. It's expected to arrive in TCBY stores in April.

"It's a lot creamier than your normal frozen yogurt, and it has twice the protein," Robinson said.

While TCBY might not be able to freeze out the competition, Robinson said, it has the experience and longevity that other frozen yogurt chains lack.

"We've been there. We've seen it. We've done it. We're always trying to find bigger and better things for our customers."

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