The frozen yogurt trend is steadily spreading across Fort Worth and gathering a wide consumer base that some attribute to health benefits.

Zac Fowler, vice president of marketing for the upcoming Yo! Frozen Yogurt Lounge, said today’s frozen yogurt is a healthy alternative to ice cream because of its lower fat content, making it different than the frozen yogurt of the 1980s.

“We are really pushing the healthy aspects of frozen yogurt,” Fowler said. “Not only is it better for you than ice cream, but there are proven health benefits to eating yogurts, from probiotics to calcium.”

Fowler said the frozen yogurt trend started along the West Coast, then jumped to New York. Dallas is probably the third major metropolitan area where it has really taken off, he said.

Since 2008, four frozen yogurt businesses have opened near the university.

Fowler said Yo! Frozen Yogurt Lounge is scheduled to open the second week of March on University Drive next door to Buffalo Bros.

Yakin Choi, co-owner of Yogolait on Hulen Street, said the decision to open a frozen yogurt business in Fort Worth was made because of the popularity of such stores on the West Coast and in New York.

Fowler said frozen yogurt sellers often market to people who are concerned with what they eat, enjoy exercise and are looking out for their general well-being. College students are the ideal target market for the shop, he said, because people ages 18 to 25 are generally concerned with what they eat.

Seon Choi, co-owner of Yogolait, said frozen yogurt has fewer calories than ice cream and is also lower in cholesterol and fat. Customers can choose the fruit that is included, she said.

Stephanie Dickerson, a nutrition counselor for Dining Services, said frozen yogurt is a good choice in moderation, but consumers should limit their portion sizes.

“If you add all of the toppings it can be as dangerous as ice cream,” she said.

Carolyn Hunt, a senior social work major, said her favorite thing about frozen yogurt is its similarity to ice cream. Hunt said she eats a couple of times a month at Menchies Frozen Yogurt, a self-service frozen yogurt and toppings shop located in University Park Village on South University Drive.

“It is like eating ice cream, but I feel like it is more healthy for me,” Hunt said.

Numbers

70-189

Calories for half a cup of frozen yogurt, according to the Menchies Frozen Yogurt Web site.

191-263

Calories for half a cup of ice cream at Marble Slab Creamery, according to the Marble Slab Creamery Web site.

November 2008

Frogberry Guiltless Yogurt

3043 Greene Ave.

BerriBlu

6008 Camp Bowie Blvd.

September 2009

Yogolait Frozen Yogurt

3250 Hulen St. No. 130

November 2009

Menchies Frozen Yogurt

1620 South University Drive

March 2010

Yo! Frozen Yogurt Lounge

3021 South University Drive