In the bustling streets of New York City, particularly on the Upper East Side, the fro-yo craze is spiraling back into the limelight.
On this particular day, a diverse crowd stands in line outside the Butterfield Markets, eagerly anticipating their frozen yogurt fix.
From toddlers to seniors, each individual shares a common craving for the iconic house frozen yogurt, a vibrant treat served in robin’s-egg-blue cups and often immortalized on Instagram.
One of the grad students from California, waiting to indulge, expressed her appreciation for Butterfield’s offering, claiming it surpasses that of Madison Fare, another local frozen yogurt spot three blocks away.
This revived interest in frozen yogurt isn’t just a local novelty; it’s reflective of a larger trend driven by nostalgia and social media influence.
Earlier that day, at Madison Fare, a group of young vacationers from Chicago gushed about their frozen Greek yogurt, infused with Dubai-chocolate–inspired pistachio sauce, sharing that TikTok was the source of their fro-yo pilgrimage.
Amy, one of the tourists, highlighted that frozen yogurt seems to be gaining popularity once again, drawing in customers with a mix of nostalgia and social media’s power to foster trends.
Social media influencers are continuously hyping up different fro-yo brands, declaring them as a must-try and worth every calorie.
Madison Fare, which introduced its yogurt last summer, witnessed a surge in popularity that owner Chef Amin Kinana couldn’t quite believe at first.
Initially skeptical about the longevity of the trend, he noted a surprising persistence: “This thing with yogurt is growing very big,” says Kinana, a sentiment echoed by many other shop owners and enthusiasts.
While Pinkberry, once a leading name in urban fro-yo culture, remains static, a longtime competitor, 16 Handles, is making strategic moves to tap into the resurgence of frozen yogurt.
The chain, now led by CEO Neil Hershman and creative officer Danny Duncan, aims to ignite a fro-yo renaissance, claiming significant revenue growth in recent years.
Although much of the growth is occurring in suburban regions, Hershman has set his sights on Brooklyn and Staten Island, hinting at potential Manhattan expansions.
Contrastingly, the West Village’s Culture, a decade old and popular among trendy locals, demonstrates that competition in the fro-yo scene isn’t slowing down.
Mélisse Martineau, noted that meeting up at Culture provides a wholesome alternative to spending excessively at bars, further emphasizing that frozen yogurt offers both social and economic benefits.
Meanwhile, Butterfield Market is also venturing beyond its Upper East Side roots, planning to open a new location in Long Island City, which will feature self-serve frozen yogurt for the first time.
Joelle Obsatz, a third-generation owner of Butterfield, remarked on the potential excitement surrounding the new offering, saying, “There’s some nostalgia to fro-yo.”
But what are people really nostalgic for? Unlike ice cream, which evokes childhood memories, frozen yogurt resonates with a specific cultural moment from the mid-2000s to early 2010s, characterized by its association with popular culture.
Reflecting on this time frame, it becomes clear that the fro-yo craze of yesteryear, which had established a stronghold across Manhattan, is a portion of the city’s culinary history.
Publications, like The Observer, once highlighted an overflow of frozen yogurt shops, listing an array of names competing for space in a sugary race to capture the city’s palate.
Though the fro-yo scene reached a point of saturation that caused some industry insiders to lament its decline, there are indications that the trend may be experiencing a revival, much to the delight of its fans.
Maya Kosoff recalled her arrival in New York in 2014, when the frozen yogurt shops she loved were mainly absent from the cityscape.
With her friends, she reminisced about the days of enjoying original tart flavors topped with fresh strawberries and mochi, but pondered where to find such a treat in today’s market.
Connor Nix, a regional director for Bloomingdale’s, shared a similar sense of nostalgia, noting that many patrons had been introduced to frozen yogurt by their parents or grandparents.
Now, those who once enjoyed the treat as children are returning to introduce their own families to it, creating a multigenerational affection for frozen yogurt.
This cyclical fondness speaks to how food trends often intertwine with personal histories and cultural narratives.
According to Nix, the frozen yogurt wave that emerged in the mid-aughts can also be viewed as a revival of the trend from the late 80s and early 90s, when frozen yogurt was perceived as a healthier alternative to ice cream.
In fact, a 1991 article noted the stigma associated with ice cream, as many consumers were drawn to the so-called “frogurt” during a time when notions of guilt around indulgent foods began to take hold.
“Eating ice cream has a stigma now, like smoking,” a New Jersey woman had remarked, highlighting the perception that fro-yo offered a guilt-free way to enjoy a sweet treat, even if it wasn’t necessarily much healthier.
However, Hershman himself acknowledged the complexity of perceptions regarding frozen yogurt, admitting, “It’s not a salad, it’s still dessert.
It’s still got milk fat and cream, it’s still got sugar in it.”
Nonetheless, he and others involved in the fro-yo business remain optimistic, believing that the ongoing interest in frozen yogurt might just herald a new chapter for this sweet, swirling delight.
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