TCBY brings back the flavors - American Press (2024)

It’s hard for me not to think about the 1990s every time I look at a TCBY. In all honestly, that’s a good thing. The 90s were a pretty awesome decade. Yes, I spent a large portion of it as a kid, but I still remember it as a great time.

Some of the highlights included MTV actually playing music videos, which was nice. There were a handful of legitimately great cartoons like “The Magic School Bus.” Bill Clinton played the saxophone on “Arsenio Hall.” People did the Macarena because it seemed fun and “Jurassic Park” changed the way kids learned about dinosaurs.

Still, the decade wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. We made some pop culture mistakes. Remember Tomagotchi’s and Beanie Babies? Those were pretty awful. The Spice Girls happened and so did fanny packs, shell necklaces and wallet chains.

But we’re not here to talk about the bad bits of the 90s. We’re here to talk about the good times. For many young adults, some of the best memories from this time period occurred in the dining area of a TCBY. The delicious frozen and healthy treat exploded in the 90s, making TCBY a titan of industry. There were locations everywhere. As the 2000s approached, the frozen yogurt craze had died down and our beloved pastel-colored eateries slowly began disappearing. We took the franchise for granted — which was kind of the way we were as a culture coming out of the 90s. Similar to the way we brushed aside the genius of the Sega Saturn gaming system and the coolness of wearing overalls with one strap undone, we forgot about everything TCBY gave us.

Luckily for those fond of the 1990s and our taste buds that enjoy delicious treats, TCBY is back on the map. After a little bit of rebranding and a push toward marketing to Millennials, frozen yogurt is again all the rage, and TCBY is again the king.

I visited the area’s newest location on Sam Houston Jones Parkway Wednesday afternoon for a quick snack and stroll down memory lane. TCBYs, aesthetically, are all similar. The pastel hues, the polite employees and wide open spaces to turn a healthy snack into a monstrosity of sugary candy, are basically identical. But, let’s be honest, that isn’t what draws you to the place. TCBY hooks its customers by offering delicious flavors of frozen yogurt in a vast array of containers along with any topping a person can dream of.

The options vary so much that it would be silly for me to try to recommend something. It’s better to have the flavor adventure on your own. My order Wednesday was relatively simple. I mixed together a base of cake batter frozen yogurt and the popular roasty, toasty marshmallow flavor. As toppings, I didn’t let my inner child get the best of me and just went with two — bits of cookie dough and shavings of Butterfinger candy bars. It was great.

I can’t lie, I was a little out of practice when it came to throwing together what I wanted. The whole self-service aspect can be overwhelming when everything is so clearly delicious. Lucky for me, there was a very helpful TCBY employee present to guide my decisions and his name was Colton. He even asked me if I wanted to use the sample cups so I could narrow down my potential choices. On any other day, I would have taken up the offer, but I was hungry and I didn’t want to abuse the sampling privilege. TCBY charges by the ounce and after filling the container with frozen yogurt and toppings, my bill came out to about $3.50.

I don’t want to continue to harp on how great the 90s were, but with a stomach full of frozen yogurt, I can’t help but reminisce about the good times. That’s what frozen yogurt does — it takes every great childhood moment and wraps it in a layer of candy, making it sweeter than you remember. So go, reach in that fanny pack for some money, gather your closest “Friends,” hop in that Hummer, turn up that N’Sync CD and grab some frozen yogurt at TCBY. Your 90s self will thank you later.Right: TCBY’s self-service stations makes it easier to pile on your favorites