CityView Magazine

business eager to fill 16 and 24 ounce cups with peaks of frozen yogurt, tempting toppings and sweet syrups. Many may remember the 1980s frozen yogurt fad, but why the resurgence of frozen yogurt now? T he self-serve frozen yogurt craze is sweeping the nation and it's evident in Fayetteville. Within months SweetFrog, TCBY and The Mellow Mango joined Tuttimelon in serving lines of customers, all Self-serve frozen yogurt shops open just in time for summer BY JENNY OWREN HANKINSON Sweetness and Light "Nutrition goes through cycles just like any other indus- try," explained Carla Caccia, a dietician at Cape Fear Valley Healthplex. While healthful eating is one factor feeding this frozen frenzy, Caccia said that frozen yogurt seems to be what nutritionists call a "halo food." "This means that consumers take one positive attribute, e.g., 'contains probiotics,' which results in the perception that all characteristics associated with the food are positive," said Caccia. Though she hesitated to say that frozen yogurt is healthy, she did say that "it can be a fun treat to enjoy once in a while." bigger than bellies take over. With SweetFrog offering 30 yo- gurt combinations, TCBY and The Mellow Mango offering 16 and 24 respectively, and 60-80 toppings plus syrups, portion control is difficult for even the strongest willed customer. In each of the stores customers grab a cup and fill it themselves with their choice of yogurt and then top it from the array of toppings. Then a cashier weighs the yogurt to determine the price. The heavier the cup, the more the customer pays. SweetFrog owners Andy Barrick and Byron and Missy Da- Bring children to a self-serve frozen yogurt store and eyes vis, stress that their store is a place for fellowship, families and fun. "SweetFrog is a destination store, not eat your dessert and leave," said Barrick, who, like his co-owners, lives in Virginia. SweetFrog has Wi-Fi and seats 80 inside and 50 or more peo- ple outside, making it a good venue for Bible studies, parties and meetings. Barrick noted that "Frog" is an acronym for "Fully Rely- ing on God." At the store, employees implement the Golden CityViewNC.com | 31

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