Hot Frozen Dessert

TCBY follows up popular vegan chocolate frozen yogurt with new flavor

Embracing one of the top food trends of 2014, national frozen yogurt chain TCBY has introduced a new vegan version of its frozen yogurt. Called Silk vanilla almond and made in partnership with soy milk company Silk, the frozen yogurt became available as a permanent offering at all 500 TCBY locations on January 27.

The vanilla follows up TCBY's introduction in August 2013 of its first vegan frozen yogurt in chocolate, a launch so popular that the chain experienced shortages throughout the fall. Now with both vanilla and chocolate on board, TCBY has created the potential for vegan vanilla-chocolate swirls across the land.

Now with both vanilla and chocolate on board, TCBY has created the potential for vegan vanilla-chocolate swirls across the land.

"We wanted all of our customers to be able to enjoy a classic vanilla frozen yogurt, regardless of dietary constraints," says Dustin Finkel, VP at TCBY's parent company, Famous Brands.

Finkel says the company was inspired by the large number of consumers who shun dairy due to lactose intolerance or ethical issues. They partnered with Silk, which has expanded its catalog to include milks made with almond and coconut. The base of TCBY's frozen yogurt is Silk's almond butter.

The demand in 2013 for the chocolate flavor took TCBY by surprise, Finkel says.

"We underestimated the response we were going to get," he says. "One of the areas that I completely missed the mark on in terms of expectation was the vegan audience.

"I expected a response from health-based and lactose-intolerant consumers. But the greatest response has been from the vegan market, and it's been one of the key drivers in the launch of the vanilla flavor."

Part of what ramped up the fever for the chocolate was its introduction as a limited-edition item, causing stores such as the TCBY on Mockingbird and Abrams to sell out immediately.

"We had a shortage of the product," says store manager Doug Sanders. "We'd have it for a week, then it would be gone. TCBY couldn't keep up with the demand nationwide."

TCBY quickly made it a permanent item and followed suit with vanilla.

"The Silk chocolate has already leaped to the position of No. 4 or 5 in our library of more than 60 flavors," Finkel says. "With the vanilla launch, we skipped the limited-time portion and put it into our core library right away."

The chain's most popular flavor is called golden vanilla. So why, when it came to the vegan flavors, did it introduce chocolate first?

"The almond butter base is a tough flavor profile to work with," Finkel says. "It has strong taste characteristics that made chocolate easier to formulate. Vanilla took eight months. But we always knew we were going to launch vanilla and chocolate."

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Bar News

Rodeo Dallas bar takes party to Uptown Dallas at new location

Rodeo

Rodeo bar is open in Uptown

A bar with Deep Ellum roots is expanding to Uptown Dallas: Called Rodeo Dallas, it'll open at 2922 N. Hall St. in the space previously occupied by Palms Bar. According to co-owner Joseph "JD" Ybanez, it'll open on November 28.

The first Rodeo location in Dallas opened in 2023 at 2724 Elm St. from Ybanez and partner Josh Reagan, a pair of hospitality veterans whose prior venues include Longshots in Dallas, plus two locations of Varsity Tavern, in Fort Worth and in Tempe.

Ybanez' first bar was Trophy Ranch in Fort Worth which had a mechanical bull. "That's where I learned how popular it was," he says. (He also became familiar with Fort Worth's bar scene and went on to open a Rodeo spinoff in Fort Worth's West Seventh district in 2024.)

In August 2025, the Deep Ellum location became the focal point of neighborhood concerns about crime and was closed via an order from the Dallas city attorney. Ybanez says the city is scapegoating Rodeo for other problems in the neighborhood, and that the Deep Ellum location isn't going anywhere.

“This is not a relocation,” he says. “We maintain an ongoing legal dispute with our landlord Asana Partners regarding the re-opening of our Deep Ellum establishment. The Uptown location represents an expansion of the brand.”

Prior to opening Rodeo in Deep Ellum, they opened a predecessor in Tempe in 2018, called Rodeo Ranch. It served as a template for the concept, with an "adult playground" with mechanical bull, bottle service, girls in bikinis, DJs, dancing, and light show.

According to Ybanez, visitors to the Uptown location can expect to take these factors to the next level.

“The Uptown space offers an expansive back patio,” Ybanez says. “This area will feature a massive video wall, optimizing it for communal sports viewing. Furthermore, we have executed a comprehensive refinement of our food menu, which we are confident will elevate the guest experience."

The menu is rendered by Donde Los Tacos, the highly regarded Mexican taqueria in Oak Clifff, with $3 and $4 tacos, like trompo, barbacoa, and suadero. The Uptown location will also serve brunch with dishes such as chilaquiles.

"We have meticulously preserved the core of the Rodeo experience: the unparalleled atmosphere and vibes, our commitment to genuine hospitality, the homegrown character of the brand, and the inclusive spirit that welcomes every member of the community," Ybanez says.

uptown openings