Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt (Oshtemo)
1700 S. Drake RoadTime to get the little one a little more socialized. J and I have always been pretty lucky that our work schedules mean we don’t need all day daycare. With L, we never needed it. I worked 2nd shift and J worked something between a 3rd and a 1st. I moved to 1st shift four days a week last year so we started doing a nanny for three or four hours a day.
We got L into preschool as soon as we could so she would have some kind of social interaction. We’re getting there with B too. It’s time to find something a couple days a week out of the home and it works out well that our nanny can stay on the other two days.
Monday afternoon was a perfect opportunity to go check a place out. L was gone and we have a few hours in the afternoon where we’re both home.
We took the tour and B is so excited about starting “school” that he didn’t want to leave. We thought maybe bribing him with FroYo would work. It didn’t, but we went to get some anyway.
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt is one of the new shops at the Corner @ Drake development in Oshtemo Township on the corner of Drake Road and Stadium Drive. It’s tucked back in the strip of stores north of Century Drive near the Firehouse Subs.
Menchie’s is another one of those national chains where you pick your yogurt, your toppings and then pay by the weight. The eleven year old, Los Angeles based FroYo shop has almost 550 stores nationwide. There are 21 locations in Michigan. Holland and Kalamazoo are the only ones on the west side of the state.
The shop is bright and cheery with an island in the middle where the cash register and scales are. The shop is much smaller than I imagined but I guess you really don’t need a lot of room to set up FroYo.
The FroYo dispensing machines are behind the counter. There are six of them each with two flavors. You can do each flavor independently or swirl the two flavors in each machine.
Off to the side is the toppings bar. There are little scoops next to plastic bins with different smashed candies and cookies. Further down there is fresh fruit and sauce dispensers.
There is a small eat-in area in the remaining space. There are only a handful of tables and one was set up for a birthday party that was coming in as we were leaving.
I don’t usually get FroYo when we go to these places but I was hungry. I don’t like the tartness that differentiates FroYo from ice cream, but I decided to give it a try. I picked two flavors….I Dream of Cookies and Cream and Vanilla Snow. I then loaded the bowl up with pieces of cookie dough, Oreo cookies and chocolate syrup. Maybe it was all the extras or maybe it was just the FroYo but it didn’t have that tart taste that usually turns me off to Frozen Yogurt.
J and B shared a bowl. They got all of the flavors then topped theirs with just a few sprinkles. B was more interested in playing with the chalkboard on the wall than eating so J ate most of it, but he did come back every now and then for a few bites.
Our bill for the two cups was close to $16. Maybe Menchie’s has changed my mind of FroYo..we’ll see. I still prefer the rich creaminess of ice cream or custard but FroYo offers something different. J has taken the kids to Menchie’s a few times since they’ve opened. It’s pretty close to our house and it’s a good treat before or after Costco.
SW Michigan Dining 