Carytown frozen yogurt fight | Yapple vs. Sweet Frog

Samantha McCartney
Staff Writer

With so many new frozen yogurt shops popping up all over Richmond, The CT decided to check the Carytown rivals, Yapple and Sweet Frog, to decide which one better satisfies that craving  for this cold treat.  

Walking towards Yapple, Carytown’s newest frozen yogurt spot, one may get lost trying to find it because your eyes are immediately drawn to the bright, vibrant pink and green store front of Sweet Frog. Yapple, however, takes a more simplistic and sophisticated approach to their exterior design and inside of the shop.

White walls with murals of giant ravaged bears eating frozen yogurt, white stools and white tables line the walls.   Many people recognize Yapple for its ceiling full of hanging orbs of light that constantly change color.

The store offers several flavors including taro, cheesecake, birthday cake, cookies and cream, as well as the basic chocolate and vanilla. For those who have allergies to gluten, signs above the frozen yogurt machines warn customers of which flavors contain the ingredient.

As with many other self-serve frozen yogurt places, the yogurt is low-fat and customer are provided with a wide array of choices for toppings like fruit, nuts, candy pieces and actual cookie dough that can be scooped with a miniature ice cream scoop.

With so many options, it would be difficult to try everything, so I stuck to the basics with my choice of cookies and cream yogurt with walnuts and cheesecake pieces.

Since the name-brand toppings, like M&Ms and Swedish Fish, all taste the same, I focused more on the quality of the yogurt. With a creamy taste and smooth consistency, I could hardly tell the difference between Yapple’s frozen yogurt and soft-serve ice cream. At 45 cents per ounce, it proves more expensive than Sweet Frog who only charge

41 cents.

After experiencing the trendy sophistication of Yapple, walking into Sweet Frog’s child-like atmosphere was a drastic change. Colorful, neon pink and green walls adorn the place and the radio is playing music from Disney channel stars.

The store is known to have lines that can extend outside of the door, and is a popular hangout among young locals. Offering more flavors and more toppings at a cheaper price, one would think that Sweet Frog is the way to go.

However, when I got the same flavor and toppings, I found their yogurt to be bland in flavor and not nearly as creamy as the yogurt in Yapple.

It’s not something I had ever noticed with Sweet Frog in the past, mainly because I had focused on the plethora of toppings I could pile on top of the frozen yogurt.

Based on all of these factors, I was able to come to two conclusions: If you’re looking for cheaper, lower quality yogurt that you can pile on different kinds of toppings, then Sweet Frog is the perfect place for you. If you’re willing to pay the extra 4 cents for quality yogurt and basic toppings with a more trendy atmosphere, than Yapple can give you what you need.

Check out The CT’s coverage of the recent frozen yogurt trend here.