Frozen yogurt chains have sought to diversify beyond their core product over the past year, but the segment remains robust, with several major brands introducing new flavors.
TCBY, which late last year said it plans to test a fresh yogurt bar, is rolling out cookie-, brownie- and cake-flavored soft-serve yogurts in early 2013.
The Broomfield, Colo.-based chain will begin offering Nonfat Frosted Sugar Cookie soft-serve frozen yogurt will in participating restaurants in the more than 400-unit chain in January. In addition, TCBY will introduce Nonfat Double Fudge Brownie will in February and 97-percent fat free Wedding Cake in March.
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The first two flavors fit the TCBY’s standards to be classified as “Super Fro-Yo,” meaning they contain at least three grams of fiber, four grams of protein, seven types of live active probiotic bacteria cultures and at least 20 percent each of the recommended daily requirements for vitamin D and calcium.
The frozen snacks are available at prices ranging from $2.99 to $5.49 based on size and location. They are priced between 39 cents and 49 cents per ounce at self-serve locations.
Pinkberry, which began testing non-frozen Greek yogurt in May, is rolling out half a dozen new flavors in 2013 and bringing back six old favorites, providing customers with a new flavor each month of the year.
The first new flavor, which the 220-unit chain introduced nationwide on Monday, is grapefruit, for which Pinkberry also rolled out hand-cut grapefruit pieces, caramelized almonds and a grapefruit-basil purée as toppings, at a suggested retail price of $4.95 for a small serving. The flavor will be available through mid-March, a company spokeswoman said, adding that the chain will go national with its Greek yogurt in April.
Additionally, ice cream chain Baskin-Robbins’ flavor of the month for January is a new flavor in its BRight® Choices line of lower-calorie items. The Berry Passionate Frozen Yogurt is passion fruit-flavored yogurt with a raspberry ribbon. It is available at participating restaurants nationwide for January at a suggested retail price of $2.29 for a 2.5-ounce scoop and $2.49 for a four-ounce scoop.
Contact Bret Thorn at bret.thorn@penton.com.
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