Frozen Yogurt Flavors – 5 Tips to Master the Possibilities

One of the benefits of owning a frozen yogurt shop is that with the purchase of just one frozen yogurt machine, the dessert possibilities are nearly endless!

If you purchase five to eight machines, you will be able to offer your clients 10 -16 flavor choices at any given time. Because each frozen yogurt machine will make two separate flavors and one swirled flavor, you will want to think about the flavors you put side by side in the machines.

With 8 frozen yogurt machines you will have 16 standalone flavors and 8 swirled flavors! We know that selecting the flavors you will feature can be a bit of a challenge, so we would like to make a couple of suggestions.

•  Keep a few traditional flavors in the rotation at all times. Some type of chocolate, vanilla and tart yogurt flavors should be available to your clients at all times. While some customers enjoy crazy flavors, there are always people who want a good traditional flavor that they can customize with fun toppings.

•  Seasonal flavors are always a great choice. Americans love to celebrate the seasons with the tastes and flavors we traditionally associate with that time of year. Some suggested seasonal flavors are:

Winter Flavors:           Peppermint, gingerbread and eggnog

Spring Flavors:            Strawberry, mint and orange

Summer Flavors:         Blackberry, lemonade and watermelon

Fall Flavors:                Pumpkin, spice and apple

•  A couple of creative flavors are always an option. Look to current food trends for inspiration on a crazy flavor or two. Bacon was a hip flavor in 2012, maple bacon frozen yogurt maybe?

•  Keep a couple of non-dairy choices available if possible.  Food allergies are a very real part of a number of your client’s lives. If possible, keep a couple of non-dairy yogurt options available for your lactose sensitive clients or those who simply prefer to avoid dairy.

•  Toppings! Moving beyond the frozen yogurt machines and the different flavors, we encourage you to think carefully about the toppings you have available. A large part of the frozen yogurt experience is the addition of toppings! Choose your toppings deliberately so that you please your customers and avoid waste whenever possible. Fresh fruit, candies and chocolate are always a hit!

Talk with your customers and get a feel for what they want and what they are looking for.  If you notice them appearing overwhelmed hand them a sample cup and offer them a try.  People are coming to your shop to have an experience.  Take that opportunity to show them what’s new and different.