The Mall Frozen Treat Staple That Went From 3,000 Locations To Less Than 350 - Tasting Table

"TCBY was founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1981, and while the chain did not invent frozen yogurt, it became the first big national brand associated with it. The TCBY originally stood for "This Can't Be Yogurt," but a lawsuit from a similarly-named shop forced it to change to "The Country's Best Yogurt," in 1984. During the '80s, frozen yogurt took off as concerns over fat in food lead to a craze for healthy, low-fat snacks - something frozen yogurt was poised to capitalize on."

"By the end of the decade, TCBY peaked at over 3,000 locations worldwide. However, changing tastes and new competitors meant it's been downhill since, and over the last 20 years the majority of those TCBY locations have closed - with less than 350 national stores and 250 international franchise stores as of 2025. The frozen yogurt market slowed in the late 90s - when there were still plenty of TCBYs - experienced a renaissance in the 2000s."

Mall food courts incubate and retire food trends. Frozen yogurt became a major trend beginning in the 1980s, with TCBY founded in Little Rock in 1981 becoming the first national brand. The name changed from "This Can't Be Yogurt" to "The Country's Best Yogurt" after a 1984 lawsuit. The froyo craze rode low-fat trends through the mid-1990s, and TCBY reached over 3,000 locations worldwide by decade's end. Market shifts and new competitors eroded the chain, leaving fewer than 350 national and 250 international franchise stores by 2025. A 2000s froyo renaissance led by Pinkberry and Red Mango further displaced legacy brands.

Read at Tasting Table