The Boom of Fro-yo, and what would it mean for Ice Cream

Lots of ice cream stands that are seasonal may be going the way of the blockbuster corner or the bowling ally.  Sure, Kimballs, Richardsons, and other more highly reconized stands may stay and may be like the modern bowling ally today, but that small ice cream stand, maybe even a Dairy Queen ice cream stand may start posting signs saying: "We are closing forever after this season.  Thanks for XX years of service".

:( I will miss you, ice cream stand.

 

Let's face it.  Frozen yogurt is healthier than ice cream.  And with the boom of self serve frozen yogurts, you have more flexibility then the ice cream stand counterpart.  As for ice cream stands, you only have a choice of a fixed size and a few toppings to choose from.

 

However, does it mean that the ice cream days are over?  Not quite.  Ice cream will be here to stay, but certain catagory of ice cream stands, especially seasonal corner stands, may be the ones to worry.

 

If you are a typical ice cream stand today, serving ice cream April through October, you could be facing a so-called "frozen treat" competitor nearby that may be open year round serving healthier frozen yogurt that people can customize themselves.  However, bigger chain ice cream places like Dairy Queen may still be here, but confined to malls and food courts.

 

But ice cream fanatics don't despair.  Not all ice cream stands will be going down and out.

 

Small ice cream stands like Uhlman's and Erikson's ice cream may be facing a rocky future, especially on though who rely on another place for ice cream...

...but Kimball Farms, Richardsons, and other high profile places may be here to stay.

 

So, while minor season April-though-October ice cream stands may face a bleak future, the ice cream as a product will still be around.  It's just that the stands left standing will be the ones that has other things like mini-golf and other foods as well.  It's just that frozen yogurt will replace to some extent ice cream as a regular sweet splurger, while I may still go out sometimes to have some ice cream.

 

Now, I do like frozen yogurt.  It's just that the new concept of self serve fro-yo may finally re-shape the frozen treat industry.