What Happened to All the Fro-Yo Shops in Michigan?

The other day, as I was running a long list of errands, I decided I wanted to treat myself. My in-the-moment craving was frozen yogurt.

You know, the kind you serve yourself where you can mix your flavors and add whatever toppings you want. You'd then pay an amount based on the weight of your chosen selection. Except, when I went to check my maps for the one closest to me, I was disappointed to realize that Fro-Yo places have pretty much vanished.

The Fro-Yo Craze

If you're a Millennial, you might remember a plethora of frozen yogurt options in the 2010s. We'd go there with a group of friends or on a date and it was never disappointing.

According to an article from mashed.com, an estimated 2,900 frozen yogurt shops opened from 2009 to 2015. Of course, it was sold as a "healthier" dessert option which also fueled the craze.

But, like many trends, the love and demand of fro-yo diminished as quickly as it had risen. Why? Well, it could be a number of things.

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The marketing around what's "healthier" has changed since the 2010s with less emphasis on shaming someone for wanting a couple of scoops of ice cream versus a mound of frozen yogurt piled high with cookie crumbles.

It could also be a result of the pandemic. People were confined to their homes and had less money to frivolously spend. Plus, running a business where customers touch every handle and serving spoon...it had to be a nightmare to keep the place Covid-free.

In 2020, major fro-yo chains began shutting their doors for good. Read more here.

Are There Any Frozen Yogurt Places Left?

Just a few.

Menchies, for example, is a franchise that has a couple of locations in SW Michigan.

We also have Y'OPA Frozen Yogurt in Portage:

Other than that, I'm sorry to say, you'll just have to choose from the endless ice cream options we have in the area instead.

Like this place in Grand Haven that promises "extreme" milkshakes: