Ice cream, or frozen yogurt, is always a craving that I have and I share this craving with many of my friends, family members, and pupils. It seems to not ever matter whether it is a freezing cold day, or burning hot, I always want some ice cream or in this case, frozen yogurt. In the past two years, two frozen yogurt self serve bars have opened relatively close to Blaine High School. First, in the end of 2012, Yogurt Sundae opened in Blaine, close to the Walgreens and Experience Fitness. Then, in the beginning towards the middle of 2013, Rainbow Yo opened up also in Blaine by Wild Bills and the Tavern Grill. Both of these places are self serve, frozen yogurt bars, which you pay by the amount you get.

When these places both opened, they immediately started hiring Blaine High School students. I personally know many friends and classmates of mine that work at both of these frozen yogurt bars. I started going to Yogurt Sundae soon after it opened, for it was not very far from my house or the school. Both of these yogurt bars were something new that Blaine had never had before, which is one of the reasons they became so popular so quickly. They are also both family owned businesses who support many groups from the high school and others. Both have discounts and rewards programs as well.

Both Yogurt Sundae and Rainbow Yo have multiple flavors of the frozen yogurt at a time. They also both rotate the flavors every few weeks or so. At both locations you walk in, grab a yogurt cup, fill the cup up with one or multiple flavors of the yogurt. Then, you proceed to the topping counter where you pick whichever toppings you want. Some of the different treats that you can put on your yogurt include sprinkles, assorted fruits, different types of candy, chocolate chips, cereals, nuts, cake bites, and plenty more. There are also assorted syrups and things like that, like hot fudge, caramel, and marshmallow cream.  Just going to either of these places once can make you want to come back again. It is just so fun and colorful in both the places.

After reading this so far, you’re probably thinking Yogurt Sundae and Rainbow Yo are pretty similar, which they are. They both rotate flavors, have many toppings, hire students at Blaine, and are located relatively close to the high school. But what separates them from each other? There are a few distinct qualities making these two different.

Yogurt Sundae’s yogurt contains many nutrients and is very healthy for you, unlike Rainbow Yo. The Yogurt Sundae website has a “nutrition panel” where you can view the different vitamins and nutrients in their frozen yogurt. Some of the nutrients included are powerful antioxidants, nutritiousness, vitamins, minerals, plant protein, omegas, enzymes, pro-biotics, and prebiotics, says their website. Rainbow Yo does not have any info in their shop, or on their website, so the nutritious value of their yogurt is unknown.

I personally prefer Yogurt Sundae because it is closer to my house and the high school. I also think that their frozen yogurt just tastes better, and they have a wider variety of options for the yogurt and toppings. Don’t get me wrong, both of these places are very delicious and fun on a hot or cold day. But if you are looking for a healthier, more convenient place, if you live closer to Ham Lake or want to go somewhere closer to the school, with more variety, I recommend Yogurt Sundae.