From FroYo to Chill, students have been flocking to fill a cup with the self-serve frozen yogurt and pile on unlimited toppings. At these new frozen yogurt places, the price is determined by the ounce and the customer has the ability to mix flavors to their liking. With so many different stores (more than 20 in the St. Louis area, according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch), each student has a preferred yogurt place.

“My favorite is Yo My Goodness,” Abby Eisenhart, junior, said. “I just like the taste of the yogurt and I feel like they have the most toppings.”

Each store has a unique selection of flavors and price variations. While Yogurtland is the cheapest at 33 cents per ounce, Yo My Goodness and Fro Yo are the second most frugal choices at 40 cents per ounce.  Meanwhile, Chill costs 43 cents an ounce and Red Mango charges 45 cents an ounce. Discounts are also available, since places like Chill and Yo My Goodness offer punch cards that allow the customer to get a free frozen yogurt after they have purchased nine. Chill also distributes coupons for a dollar off, also known as “Chill Bucks.”  There is also the option to receive ten percent off if the buyer uses Twitter or Facebook to mention Yo My Goodness while in the store.

While choices of toppings or prices may be a deciding factor, distance can also play a key role in which frozen yogurt place is frequented.

“I think the close distance helps. Since the Des Peres location for Chill only just opened at the beginning of the summer not as many people knew about it, but I think this upcoming school year there will be an advantage to the middle school and high school students over the other frozen yogurt places,” Matt Berry, junior and Chill employee, said.

The new Chill on Manchester is less than two miles away from KHS, as is Red Mango on Kirkwood Road. Yogurtland is another Kirkwood frozen yogurt option that is around three and a half miles from the school. While a favorite of many students, the Yo My Goodness in Webster Groves is one of the furthest at four miles away, though there is another location on Dougherty Ferry Road that is less than two miles away.  According to Eisenhart, the drive to Yo My Goodness is worth it due to the quality of the yogurt. Rachel Blevins, senior, however, has mixed feelings about the yogurt offered at Red Mango.

“The fruity flavors are pretty good, but the flavors that are supposed to be sweet taste sour,” Blevins said. “Also many of the flavors kind of taste the same, like they have the same aftertaste.”

But while the frozen yogurt may taste delicious, the atmosphere provided by the workers can determine the satisfaction of a visit. Berry feels having cheerful and friendly workers underlines a significant difference between many of the frozen yogurt shops. Even before working at Chill, he was impressed by the communication of the employees, as opposed to the workers at places like Fro Yo.
“Every time I went, they asked me for my opinions on flavors and what I would like to see. I have never had that happen at places like Yo My Goodness or Red Mango,” Berry said. “We really try and interact with the customers.”