Fro-Go!

The pay-by-the-ounce frozen yogurt concept seems to be exploding across the country. I think Atlanta now has more FroYo stores than streets named Peachtree, and I've seen many other places popping up throughout the southeast. And apparently, the frozen yogurt wave has made its way to Roanoke.

Outdoor Seating

Frogurt is located beside Nawab on Campbell Avenue, and is managed/owned by the same people that run Nawab. It opened a few months ago in downtown Roanoke and didn't receive much attention with their opening. Although there didn't seem to be anything particularly grand about the opening, they are now receiving plenty of attention. They have a steady flow of customers during the day and the place is usually packed at night. They really don't have any competition in the downtown area and people flock to get frozen yogurt on these hot summer evenings.

The concept or Frogurt is simple and genius - pick what you want, build it yourself, and pay for as much as you want. If you want a giant tub of five different flavors of yogurt loaded with every sort of topping possible, help yourself. If you want to just a little bit of yogurt to cool off as you walk around, no problem. Because the price is based on weight, Frogurt gives you the chance to customize your order exactly the way you want it.

"Uhhh...What do I do?"

To be honest, a trip to Frogurt can be a bit overwhelming. They have at least eight different flavors of yogurt at all times, and these flavors are changed on a daily basis (or whenever they run out). Combine the different flavors of yogurt with the insane amount of toppings (fruit, nuts, candy, cereal, etc), and you can stand there for ten minutes wondering about what to get. Fortunately, they offer you free sample cups to try different flavors to see which one you're in the mood for.

We have been multiple times and tried many of the flavors, and I like most of them. It all depends on your tastes, but I'd recommend the Snickerdoodle, New Orleans Praline, Strawberry, & Birthday Cake flavors. For my favorite, the Vanilla Silk. I've only had it once because they always seem to have different types of vanilla, but this one was amazing. Incredibly smooth and creamy without being too sweet. A cup of the vanilla silk topped with some fresh fruit = perfect.

I think the value of Frogurt is great. You get what you pay for. If you think it's too expensive, then you probably got too much. Be smart about the toppings you want and considering how much they weigh. My total is usually around $3, and I think it's plenty of yogurt for that price. I just laugh at the amateurs when I see them shocked at their heaping bowl that cost them $9.

Frogurt appears to have the downtown area covered for Roanoke and I've heard rumors about other frozen yogurt shops opening in different parts of the city, which is exciting. I was worried when they first opened and weren't busy at all, but the word is out about this downtown yogurt shop. A big thanks to Frogurt for blazing the trail and for bringing the frozen yogurt trend to the valley.