Written by Lauren Bucher
More than 1,200 people poured into FroYo Factory on its opening night, lining up in the parking lot to sample Searcy’s new specialty frozen yogurt. The shop has continued to bustle since its debut on Friday, April 2.
FroYo’s appeal is simple: customer-created desserts. Upon entering FroYo, patrons grab a cup and fill it with classic tart, tahitian vanilla, or one of the other eight frozen yogurt flavors. Next, they crown their yogurt with toppings, choosing from a dazzling array of everything from fresh strawberries and granola to Oreos, Twix and M&M’s. Finally, customers carry their creation to a scale and pay by weight based on the weight of the creation.
The owners, Carson Norton and Richard Caveza, were inspired by the frozen yogurt places they visited in California. Norton and Caveza tweaked the California version of yogurt shops, and instead of making FroYo a to-go outfit, they filled the shop with tables. The idea was to make FroYo a space for socialization and relaxation, a destination rather than a pit stop.
“We wanted to bring a dessert place to Searcy,” Norton said. “The concept itself is unique; it’s a self-serve deal that’s innovative and completely different from the other stuff out there. We attract people with the taste and atmosphere.”
“It’s neat that FroYo is a specialty place that we have in Searcy,” Harding student Rachel Gardner said. “This is similar to the places they have in California, and it’s pretty interesting that it’s in the South. Also, (frozen yogurt) is a lot healthier than regular ice cream.”
Some FroYo flavors are low fat; others boast that they have no sugar added. FroYo plans to switch four of the flavors every two weeks, while keeping some core flavors such as chocolate and vanilla. The yogurt is sold by weight at 38 cents per ounce.
“I can’t believe this is in the South,” Harding senior Grant Dillion said. “I am a vegan, and so I am surprised that we have a place that has options without dairy. It’s really unexpected.”
FroYo sports a distinctive look on the inside too. Modern metal tables fill the interior and green tiles line the back wall. Showcased on a vivid green wall, “FroYo Factory” is spelled out in brightly-colored graffiti letters.
“I felt like I walked into Willy Wonka’s candy factory the first time I went in,” junior Samantha Covalt said.
FroYo is an entrepreneurial venture and is not connected to a franchise, though they plan to expand FroYo, Norton said. Initially, they will start branching out locally in Conway, and then spread to the surrounding states.
“We’re going to take it (FroYo) all over Arkansas, then on into Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. We’re just going to expand it until we can’t go any further.”
Currently, FroYo does not offer any student discounts. Before establishing any type of discount, the owners want to determine what percentage of their customer body consists of Harding students. Then they will consider instating student discounts. Nevertheless, the owners do plan on hosting special event nights. Tentatively, FroYo would host four special nights a week: high school nights for each different high school in town, college nights, senior nights and family nights.
“It’s my third time since Saturday,” Laura Kelley said. “Everybody I’ve talked to has been here at least twice already.”
Three employees are currently staffing FroYo. However, Norton said that after they become fully situated they will be hiring. Located on Race Street next to McAllister’s, FroYo is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and stays open until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Fans can follow FroYo on Facebook.
