Pictured: A bowl of frozen yogurt at Pomegranate Frozen Yogurt. Photo courtesy of Pomegranate Frozen Yogurt.

In Sarasota-Manatee, frozen yogurt shops are ubiquitous, but Pomegranate Frozen Yogurt, in Parrish, has elevated the product to gourmet-status.

Pomegranate Frozen Yogurt was opened in 2016 by Gary and Nicola Rodney and their children, Myles and Gabrielle. Nicola, who worked in healthcare administration, and Gary, who worked in business technology management, combined their expertise while developing the business.

After tasting frozen yogurt for the first time with his daughter, Gary and the family decided to explore franchising with already-existing frozen yogurt companies, but felt that building their own business would be more rewarding.

While the concept appears simple—pull the lever and out flows a creamy swirl—creating a premium product takes research and patience. “We did our due diligence to make sure we could create quality products,” adds Nicola.

The frozen yogurts are rich, creamy and spot-on with their flavors, which include chocolate, orange splash and Dole Whip, which tastes just like its Disney World cousin. Complementary flavors, such as Strawberry Sensations and Classic Cheesecake, are dispensed from separate nozzles while flanking the swirl nozzle which creates a flavor mash-up, like Strawberry Cheesecake. In February, Pomegranate will roll out spring flavors like Irish Mint, Cotton Candy and Peeps. Gluten-free, sugar-free, fat-free and low-fat options are available to suit all guests’ dietary needs. Some yogurts, such as the seasonal Peppermint, are developed in-house. Many toppings, including cookie dough, whipped cream and waffle cone chips are homemade. Indeed, grandma’s own cookie dough doesn’t hold a candle to the one at Pomegranate.

“If our guests go elsewhere, they report back that our yogurt is better and wish they’d waited for us to open,” says Nicola. In fact, Pomegranate provides bowls and lids for customers to stockpile the yogurt at home so that it’s on hand to satisfy off-hours yogurt cravings.

From ensuring that the yogurt remains at the correct temperature for texture and food safety to selecting fresh ingredients, the Rodneys hold Pomegranate to the highest standards.

“My background is in healthcare, so I brought those sanitation protocols to the business,” Nicola says. The toppings canisters are enclosed and the additional toppings bar is walled-off and only accessible by the staff, who keep all the machines and the shop spotless. “Because Pomegranate was already food-safe, patrons felt comfortable visiting us during the pandemic, which helped us survive 2020,” she adds.

Commitment to the community is central to Pomegranate’s mission. The shop hosts fundraisers and started a Monday promotion allowing larger families to save money without having to nickel and dime their purchases. “We treat every guest like they’re a member of our family,” says Gary, “and our shop is intertwined in the lives of members of the community.”

Pomegrante Frozen Yogurt, 9023 US-301, Parrish, 941-981-3617.

Pictured: A bowl of frozen yogurt at Pomegranate Frozen Yogurt. Photo courtesy of Pomegranate Frozen Yogurt.