Customers will come to your shop because of your location and atmosphere but they won’t come back if they don’t like the way your yogurt tastes and looks. The main deciding factor for this is what kind of mix you use. This can be an overwhelming decision for many people opening a frozen yogurt store because there are so many different kinds of brands available to use. It is a good idea to do your research on the various brands and test different kinds before you open. The first choice you need to make is whether you are going to use powder mix or frozen mix. Here are some of the differences between each but it really comes down to picking a mix that tastes good and that you feel comfortable with.

1. Storage

Powder: Usually comes in air tight bags that are easy to store.

Liquid: Usually comes in gallon jugs that must be kept frozen. Requires large freezer in store.

2. Ease of Use

Powder: Can be mixed whenever new mix is needed. Preparation process can be an inconvenience if needed in the middle of the store hours.

Liquid: Needs to be thawed for about 24 hours before putting in soft serve machine. Can be thawed in a refrigerator over a few days. Easy to just thaw and pour into hoppers every time.

3. Variety of Selection

Powder: Over 200 flavors available. Many flavoring syrups can be kept on-site so that you can offer any flavor at any time.

Liquid: Most mix companies offer 100 flavors. The variety you can have in your store is limited to what you can store in your freezer.

3. Consistency

Powder: Taste and consistency may vary if not mixed exactly the same way each time.

Liquid: Always made the same so customers will always have the same taste experience with the same flavor.

4. Shelf Life

Powder: Dry mix has a shelf life of up to 18 months.

Liquid: Good for up to a year in the freezer. Lasts up to 10 days once thawed.

5. Availability

Powder: Ideal for purchasing and shipping internationally.

Liquid: Not always available internationally. Shipping costs would make it more unreasonable.

Each kind of mix has its pros and cons but neither is clearly better than the other. Coming from someone who has prepped a frozen yogurt machine countless times, I prefer liquid mix because of the convenience of simply thawing it out, shaking it up, and pouring it in. Do your research, try out different mixes and go with what is right for you and your store.