The key to frozen yogurt success is to have the flavors that your customers want. Each flavor is a mix of a flavoring agent, a particular base, and sometimes toppings. Getting the balance right is the challenge and the fun of serving frozen yogurt in your restaurant.
Bases may seem pretty standard, but different companies will use different proportions of ingredients to create lighter low-calorie bases or richer bases that are closer to ice cream. Most companies that sell base mix have at least a vanilla-flavored base and a chocolate-flavored base. They may also have a “tart” base which tastes more like plain yogurt, and may or may not contain active cultures.
Another factor in taste is the amount of overrun used in mixing the product. Overrun refers to the amount of air the machine mixes into the mix to make it dispensable. Before any flavor can be added, you must find the base mix and the amount of overrun you want to use in your establishment.
Once that is done, now it’s time to look at flavorings. Most frozen yogurt places use liquid concentrates that are added to the base mix before it is put into the machine. The flavor must be compatible with the mix. Not every flavor is enhanced by vanilla or chocolate. To give you an idea of the flavors that you have available, here is a listing of the top selling flavors from Nanci’s, one of the major frozen yogurt flavoring companies:
- Vanilla (A base mix)
- Chocolate (A base mix)
- Greek Yogurt (Premium Original Tart, another base mix)
- Strawberry
- Mango
- Coconut
- Salted Caramel
- Cake Batter
- Cookies & Cream
- Blueberry Pomegranate
- Cappuccino
- Pineapple
- Peanut Butter
- Mint
- Pistachio
- New York Cheesecake
- Banana
- Pumpkin Pie
- Boysenberry
- Raspberry
As you can see from the top flavors, you may not even need a flavoring agent. But if you really want to wow a customer, you’ll want to be a little experimental.
That’s where toppings can come in. Frozen yogurt shops have rows of toppings for people to choose from. You could come up with something especially tasty and balanced and use that as the finishing touch on your restaurant’s frozen yogurt masterpiece.
For more information about how frozen yogurt could help improve your bottom line, check out this infographic from Spaceman USA and consider buying a machine for your restaurant.
