HedgeHopper Week 3: Winds are calm, but yogurt is Swirll
Swirll Frozen Yogurt, located at the corner of University Blvd. and Kirby Dr., right next door to Half Price Books, is a dainty little hole-in-the-wall frozen yogurt shop that captures the eyes of Village pedestrians. Despite its unimposing exterior, its interior boasts wireless Internet and two huge plasma-screen TVs. One screen displays all of Swirll's flavors, offered on rotation only a few at a time with favorites like green tea and original available permanently, while the other is locked on premier products like smoothies, available in flavors such as blueberry, blackberry, café latte and cappuccino.Go with your friends or go alone; Swirll will accommodate any group size with room to stretch out. In fact, while the ambiance is good, it feels a bit cavernous. If the weather is beautiful, the patio provides another place to kick up feet. Customers can pick something up to go or bring their own board games to kill time. People who have work to do should not hesitate to bring it with them.
Walking or taking a bike from campus is appropriate transportation to a health-conscious place like Swirll, which claims that all of its yogurts are 25 calories per ounce with zero grams of fat, without sacrificing taste - quite the temptation for those watching their figures. In addition to its low fat content and ample calcium, Swirll's frozen yogurt contains probiotics, which are live bacteria cultures that aid digestion and the immune system. Cone and cup sizes are five, 14 and 28 ounces, and Swirll offers free samples of its flavors.
With a Rice discount of 15 percent on top of the already student-affordable prices, Swirll is almost giving away all of that delicious frozen yogurt. Tried all of the flavors before? Why not add some mixings? Play it conservative by adding cereal, granola or fruit to an order, or take a note from the reviewer's book and go with chocolate chips, coconut, gummy bears, M&Ms or Oreos. Experimenting is definitely worth it. Swirll is a welcome alternative for on-campus kids tired of Smoothie King, and if Jamba Juice is not satisfying anymore, a trip to Swirll can provide that smoothie fix. While it features a much smaller variety of smoothie and yogurt flavors than more familiar options, Swirll makes up for it in quality taste and nutrition.
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