Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt

Some of us who remember the late 1980's may remember a wave of frozen yogurt franchises that started up, most of which fizzled out, with maybe the exception of TCBY. It seems that this fad may be making a comeback. So far, none of my friends who live East of Colorado have heard of this yet, but in the Denver metro area, these franchises seem to be popping up as fast as smoothie shops were five years ago. From what I can tell, this started in California a couple of years ago. Many of these frozen yogurt shops now, however, are self-serve to add a new twist on the fun. There are several yogurt dispensers, each a different flavor. They are in pairs, so the paired flavors can be "twisted" together. They all usually have little sample cups you can use to try out the flavors. Once you have decided, you grab a paper bowl and fill it up. You can add toppings on top of the yogurt as well, some including fresh fruit. Some of the yogurts are non-fat, others are premium. Once you are finished making your dream dessert, you take the bowl to the cashier and set it on a scale. You are charged by the ounce usually. Some places are more expensive than others, some offer more flavors.
I haven't found that there is one single franchise. All the yogurt places I have been to are single franchises, but all with the same general idea. Nearby the office and home in Denver, I have been to COYO (Colorado Yogurt, Co.) on Arapahoe and Havana, which charges $0.44 an ounce; Yo Craze on Hampton and Tower in Aurora, which charges $0.39 an ounce; and Crave It on Arapahoe and Peoria, which charges $0.37 an ounce. I'm sure as these franchises continue to open up, competition will increase and we will see a more steady price. My personal favorite is Crave It but like to take the family to Yo Craze too, both of which I love because I like gummy bears with just a sprinkle of Nerds on top, as seen in the picture. Adding the cherries to this dish was a mistake, a little overkill. I recommend checking one of these places out. Just Google "yogurt" for your area and see what comes up.

Health Camp

I have spent a lot of time in Waco, Texas for work. There aren't many good milkshake places around that I have found. There is, however, a mom-and-pop place called Health Camp (funny irony in the name) that serves good burgers, fries, and shakes. It is a legendary restaurant, has been around since the late 1940's (the condition of the building reflects that too). The shakes aren't made from real ice cream. They are the frozen-concentrate type shake, but Health Camp has many different squirt-in flavorings that make a great, unique taste. They are pretty thick too. My favorite is Cherry Chocolate Chip. The prices are reasonable, a large (32 oz) being $4.70. The burgers are really good too... similar to a Five Guys (greasy-type) burger. It's right off I-35 and Valley Mills, so if you're passing through Waco it's an easy and tasty stop.
Location: 2601 Circle Road Waco, TX 76706-3805 (254) 752-2081

Maggie Moo's

I love a good milkshake. Maggie Moo's is one of the frozen-stone-type ice cream places where you can pick your ice cream and have them mix in various toppings. Between Maggie Moo's and Cold Stone, I like Maggie Moo's ice cream better. Unfortunately it's a bit pricey. A large (32 oz) milkshake under normal conditions will set you back almost $8.00. Fortunately, the location near East Arapahoe and Parker Road offers 1/2 price shakes M-F from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. This is the only location I have found that does this (so far). It makes the price reasonable. I love just a straight up root beer or peanut butter shake, but you can mix in toppings if you like with shakes as well. I visit this Aurora location so often that the girl knows my "usual".
Web site: http://www.maggiemoos.com/