Frozen Yogurt and Frozen Custard: The Ice Creams of Today

Ice cream has been a long time favorite treat of Americans. From homemade, hand crank generated batches of this icy sweet treat, to soft serve cones from local fast food franchises, most adults have fond memories of this favorite summertime snack. Ice cream shop chains such as Baskin-Robbins (31 Flavors) flooded the country with affordable, quality ice cream. Other local dairy businesses offered the public their favorite take on this sweet treat, with brands such as Blue Bell reigning in the South and Tillamook dominating in the Pacific Northwest. Even still, other ice cream shops offered a newer approach to serving unique flavorings and toppings in their sweet treat; places like Cold Stone Creamery and Marble Slab Creamery offered their customers the opportunity to choose their toppings and watch as their ice cream was prepared in front of them. However, in addition to the traditional ice cream establishments, America is now seeing a frenzy of new frozen desserts in the form of ice cream imitations-namely, frozen yogurts and frozen custards.

The frozen custard industry has banked in on mostly advertising itself as the creamier cousin of traditional ice cream. With different names in different regions of the nation, many different frozen custard chains have taken on the same general appearance. Such chains often have an outdoor eating arena (usually covered) with a walk-up counter for customers to order their treats. Their dessert options are largely similar to items seen on a typical ice cream menu, with a focus on toppings (such as nuts, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, etc.) instead of flavors (some only offer vanilla or chocolate). Frozen custard chains popular in the Midwest include Freckles Frozen Custard and Freddies Frozen Custard, while frozen custard chains in the Pacific Northwest include Sheridan's Frozen Custard.

The frozen yogurt industry, on the other hand, has focused on appealing to a more health conscious customer base. With advertisements on how frozen yogurt is less fatty than regular ice cream, the draw to this sweet treat is huge. Like frozen custard, frozen yogurt is usually only offered in a few flavors (compared to the huge flavor selection in most ice cream shops), and the focus of individualizing one's order comes in choosing toppings. However, unlike most frozen custard toppings, frozen yogurt toppings usually include selections of fruits (such as strawberries, blueberries, and kiwis) or nuts (like almond slices). Additionally, frozen yogurt shops tend to focus on having "trendy" internal decorations, and many of them entice their customers with brightly colored furniture and unique lighting within the restaurant. Again, the names for frozen yogurt chains vary from coast to coast, with places like Pink Berry, Red Mango, and Fresh Berry as some of the larger names in the business.

Although traditional ice cream will surely be a favorite for generations to come, the arrival of these new dessert items on the scene will certainly keep ice cream shops on their toes.