By Andrew Knittle
In case you haven't noticed, Norman is being invaded by frozen yogurt shops.
In fact, in the next few months, local residents will go from having two "fro-yo" shops to choose from -- Passionberri at Robinson Crossing and Orange Tree Frozen Yogurt on Lindsey Street -- to about a half-dozen.
And this frozen yogurt is far different from the TCBYs and TCBY wannabes that densely populated the strip malls of America during the 1980s and 1990s.
These yogurt shops are modern-looking, trendy eateries with slick furniture, all hoping to cash in on "the health kick" the nation is telling itself it's on.
Wes Straehla, part owner of Orange Tree Frozen Yogurt, said he decided to invest in the resurging yogurt industry after witnessing the success of the Orange Tree in Edmond.
"During the summer months, there'd be lines out the door," Straehla said. "It was unbelievable how busy they were."
Females are the biggest draw to these stores because women are typically wiser snackers than men, Straehla said. He said that his shop is usually packed with young, female students from the University of Oklahoma, just a mile or so to the east.
"I've heard it's usually about 65 percent female, 35 percent male at these stores," Straehla said. "But I think our numbers are more like 80 to 20."
He said his shop, 1808 W. Lindsey St., cost his investment group about $300,000 to open and employs about 10. Since opening a couple of weeks ago, Straehla said things have been going pretty well.
Unlike the previous wave of yogurt stores, his shop sells low-fat or no-fat yogurt by the ounce. And it's all self-service.
"We're pleased with the start but we're concerned a little about the upcoming winter," he said. "But overall, we're pleased with the reaction the City of Norman has given us, especially the OU students."
But winter may not be the largest hurdle for this self-service yogurt shop to leap over in the coming year.
According to Straehla, seven yogurt shops (including Orange Tree) will be up and running in the next few months.
And he's not being paranoid or exaggerating.
An official at the City of Norman's inspection department said she wasn't exactly sure how many yogurt shops have applied for licenses with the city in the past three or four months, but estimated the number to be between five and seven.
Two of those will be of the Passionberri variety, which will bring the company's total Norman presence to three shops. Tulsa-based FreshBerry Frozen Yogurt Caf? is coming soon to Campus Corner. Others are coming, it's just not certain how many.
So, is Straehla nervous now that a nationwide craze is finally penetrating Norman?
"I'm not concerned at all," he said. "When you have the best-tasting yogurt and the best atmosphere, you don't worry."
In the end, however, it's going to come down to the people and which shop they support. And the new business owner knows it.
"It's going to come down to a taste test," Straehla said. "And we feel like we've got the best in town -- the best in the nation.
"I'm not worried at all."
