By Emily LaCroix

Goodbye, ice cream. Hello, fro-yo. Suddenly, frozen yogurt shops have been popping up all over the county.

The TCBY trend of the ’80s returned when it got an upgrade from fro-yo chain Red Mango. When it opened in 2007, it offered frozen yogurt that retained the tartness of yogurt, used fresh ingredients and created a fun, trendy atmosphere. Many other franchises took notes, and Ted Domville brought the trend to Worcester with Wooberry.

“The health of the product, the taste of the product and the whole package of the look of the place” is how Domville explained the growth in popularity. Frozen yogurt shops have a unique design, often featuring cool lighting and colorful furniture. Marie Boyce, co-owner of Sweet Frog, said atmosphere plays a role in the craze, “You’re just happy when you walk in here.”

Frozen yogurt shops offer a destination, not just a stop on the way out. “I think that teenagers need a fun place to go where they can interact,” said Boyce, adding that Sweet Frog is often packed with students.

Student Amber Wojnar-Borski credited the look for drawing her in ~ “The atmosphere of fro-yo places compared to ice cream places is a lot more modern and gives you more options when it’s time to order.” ~ and the flavor for keeping her ~ “It’s a lot lighter and way more versatile.”

If you’re looking to give fro-yo a try, here are five ~ but by no means, all ~ yogurt shops around Worcester.

Wooberry
141 Highland St., Worcester
wooberryyogurt.com

Wooberry is the only shop that is not self-serve and offers friendly and helpful customer service. The shop charges by size, not weight, so you know ahead of time what to expect to pay, and two toppings are free daily. Wooberry has an eco-friendly attitude, offering composting in-store and biodegradable cups and spoons. It has a fun lounge atmosphere with couches and board games.

Sweet Frog
11 Tobias Boland Way, Worcester
sweetfrogyogurt.com

Sweet Frog is the most family- friendly shop. It offers chalkboards and books, instead of TV screens, so kids play and interact with their parents and friends can chat. Sweet Frog blends all ingredients fresh in the store, with 92 different flavors possible. It also offers interesting toppings like potato chips and bacon bits. Sweet Frog seeks to play a role in the community, hosting fundraisers that donate 10 percent of all sales to an organization, and is looking to sponsor a baseball team.

Tutti Frutti
121 Gold Star Blvd., Worcester
tfyogurt.com

Tutti Frutti offers the largest selection of fro-yo, with 16 flavors and more than 70 toppings. Some of the most unique include cinnamon bites, nerds and even cherry tomatoes. The shop is bright and fun, with tropical, fruity colors and plenty of seating.

Yogurt City
70 Worcester-Providence Turnpike, Millbury
yogurtcity.com

Yogurt City is the only fro-yo shop with a colorful event room. It offers some very special flavors, including red velvet and peach. On Friday nights, the shop is packed with high school and college students, who love the atmosphere ~ including the music, TVs and echoes from the high ceiling.

YoWay
395 Park Ave., Worcester
yowayworcester.com

YoWay is the only frozen yogurt shop with waffle bowls. It has the cheapest fro-yo at $0.45 per ounce. It is a very small shop, with an intimate atmosphere that includes a fun mural.