Phoenix fro-yo revival

Frozen yogurt is making a comeback, with new shops that look more like Starbucks than the candy playgrounds of the 2010s.

The big picture: The once-crowded fro-yo scene has been shrinking for years, according to industry data.

• But nostalgic fans are returning — and 16 Handles is betting the craving never went away.
• The chain plans to open its first Arizona shop in south Chandler next year, offering a "high-end" take on the frozen treat, CEO Neil Hershman tells Axios.

What we're hearing: "I don't think that consumers stopped wanting fro-yo," Hershman says. "I think they just stopped wanting to go to the stores that were available to them."

• 16 Handles is going for a minimalist look inspired by Starbucks and Panera instead of the kid-centric decor common in more traditional fro-yo shops, Hershman says.
• At night, the music bumps up, creating a "cool" vibe without being "nightclub-esque."
• "We still get the [after-school] rush, but our stores are not catered toward that."

State of play: Roughly 128,000 TikTok posts were tagged #froyo during the first 10 months of 2025 — up over 16% from the same time last year, according to internal data shared with Axios.

Zoom out: Other frozen treat shops have popped up in the Valley this year, including Icebox Frozen Yogurt in northwest Phoenix, which has a Dubai Chocolate flavor and is decorated with campy Y2K neon signs.

• Meanwhile, Thor's Skyr opened on Grand Avenue earlier this year, serving up Icelandic yogurt bowls topped with granola, chocolate chips, fruit, nuts and coconut flakes.