Nikki’s Swirl Shoppe will soon be “taking the guilt out of a guilty pleasure,” with their low-fat frozen yogurt, said operation manager Allie Jacobs.
Frozen yogurt fans can get their fix at the grand opening of the Judge Ely Boulevard location on Feb. 25. The North Abilene store is located next to Sharky’s Burrito Company and the South Abilene store is located on Catclaw Drive next to Jason’s Deli. Jacobs said the Catclaw location will open soon after the Judge Ely shop.
Customers will have 12 flavor options and six twist options, making a total of 18 different yogurt combinations. Jacobs said Nikki’s will also feature a variety of fruits, candies, nuts and granola as topping options.
“The possibilities are endless,” Jacobs said.
Among the flavor options is “Thin Mint,” which Jacobs claims as her favorite. She said it tastes exactly like a frozen Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookie. Other flavors include classic ice cream flavors, fruit flavors and some seasonal flavors such as eggnog during Christmas and maybe pumpkin during fall, Jacobs said. They also have some fat-free and sugar-free options.
“We’ll have staple flavors and some flavors that rotate, so there’ll be something new every time you come in,” Jacobs said.
Similar to other frozen yogurt establishments, Nikki’s Swirl Shoppe will let customers pile as much frozen yogurt and toppings into a cup and then determine the price based on the weight of the cup.
Jacobs said on average a customer can expect to spend $2.50 – $3 per cup.
Part of Nikki’s concept is putting a “modern twist on a classic ice cream parlor,” and Jacobs said fitting with that theme they will also sell glass bottle cream soda, root beer and other fun “throw back” treats.
Jacobs said Nikki’s is considering discounts and special deals for students as well as providing free WiFi Internet to customers.
Corri Anne Wesley, junior advertising public relations major from Amarillo, said she frequently visits a frozen yogurt shop when she travels to Dallas. She said she was excited to hear the news about a frozen yogurt shop opening in Abilene and had high hopes for Nikki’s future.
“That place is going to take off,” Wesley said.
Jacobs said she hopes Nikki’s will become a place where people of all ages can meet to study, hang out with friends and enjoy a delicious cup of frozen yogurt – a healthier snack option than ice cream.
“Sometimes you go have ice cream and feel kind of guilty after,” Jacobs said, “but Nikki’s is somewhere you could come every day and be perfectly happy with.”