Frozen yogurt arrived in Nashville on the back of the late-2000s self-serve boom, with Pinkberry and Red Mango pioneering the pay-by-weight format in 2005 and 2006 before the model spread nationwide. Under the FDA standard of identity, a product labeled “yogurt” must be cultured with Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and many shops also add Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium strains for a deeper probiotic profile. The International Dairy Foods Association administers the Live & Active Cultures seal (originally created by the National Yogurt Association), which certifies frozen yogurt with at least 10 million cultures per gram at the time of manufacture, far below the 100 million per gram threshold for refrigerated yogurt because freezing slows cell activity. Standard frozen yogurt averages roughly 110 to 140 calories per half cup and 3 to 5 grams of fat, compared with 200 to 270 calories and 10 to 15 grams of fat in premium ice cream. The three Nashville-area spots below cover the scoop-style soda fountain, the franchise self-serve weigh bar, and the Tennessee-born homegrown chain that brought self-serve fro-yo to Middle Tennessee.
Quick Comparison #
| Firm | Credentials | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Mimi's Ice Cream and Coffee Shoppe | Family-run Donelson tradition with 60-plus years in Nashville restaurant trade, 1950s soft-fountain format, paired sister Caney Fork River Valley Grille | Homemade scoop-served frozen yogurt with seasonal flavor rotation alongside ice cream, sorbet, and freshly ground coffee |
| Yogurt Mountain | 16 rotating flavors on tap, NYA Live and Active Cultures format reference, established Southeast chain footprint with $3 million Books-A-Million investment | Self-serve pay-by-ounce frozen yogurt bar with 50-plus toppings on the Hermitage Bell Road shopping plaza |
| Sweet CeCe's Cool Springs | Nashville-founded brand since 2009 on West End Avenue, IDFA Live and Active Cultures alignment with fresh milk and live yogurt cultures, franchise footprint across multiple states | Self-serve frozen yogurt taps with endless topping bar and live music in the Cool Springs retail corridor |
1. Mimi’s Ice Cream and Coffee Shoppe (Donelson) #
Mimi’s Ice Cream and Coffee Shoppe is a family-run Donelson spot serving homemade frozen yogurt alongside ice cream, sorbet, and coffee from a 1950s-style soda fountain. The business is named after the owner’s mother, and the family has been in Nashville’s restaurant trade for more than 60 years, also running the Caney Fork River Valley Grille in the same Music Valley plaza. The shop frames its frozen yogurt as locally homemade and made fresh daily on site, a counter-served scoop format rather than a self-serve weighing bar.
Made-Daily FroYo and Seasonal Flavor Rotation #
The fro-yo menu rotates with new and seasonal flavors added each month, alongside year-round staples. Past and seasonal varieties include peach (made when Tennessee peaches are ripe), apple, walnut, and pecan pie, served by the scoop in a cup or cone with classic toppings. Mimi’s pairs the homemade frozen yogurt program with more than 24 ice cream flavors and a sorbet line, and the cafe-style coffee bar pours freshly ground coffee from beans roasted weekly in Nashville. The Music Valley Drive setting puts the shoppe a short drive from the Gaylord Opryland Resort, Opry Mills Mall, and the Grand Ole Opry House, drawing both Donelson neighbors and tourists.
Address and Phone #
The Mimi’s Ice Cream and Coffee Shoppe storefront is at 2400 Music Valley Drive, Suite A, Nashville, TN 37214, in the Caney Fork plaza. Hours run Monday through Thursday 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call (615) 724-1201 for daily flavor lists, catering orders, and group bookings.
2. Yogurt Mountain (Hermitage) #
Yogurt Mountain is the Hermitage-area self-serve dessert bar that brings the Birmingham-founded chain’s weigh-by-the-ounce model to Davidson County Nashville. The brand was founded by David Kahn and Aaron Greenberg, who opened the first store in Birmingham, Alabama in September 2009, then expanded to more than 40 locations across the Southeast within 28 months. The Hermitage shop sits one mile north of Interstate 40 in a Bell Road shopping plaza next to Firehouse Subs, drawing families from Hermitage, Donelson, Mt. Juliet, and East Nashville.
16 Rotating Flavors and Pay-by-Ounce Self-Serve #
The signature format gives guests 16 rotating frozen yogurt flavors on tap and more than 50 toppings on a help-yourself bar, with the finished cup weighed at the register and priced by the ounce. Flavor lineups rotate seasonally and include classic vanilla and chocolate alongside cake batter, cookies and cream, sorbets, and dairy-free options. The toppings bar covers fresh fruit, granola and cereal, candies, cookies, brownie pieces, sauces, and syrups. The brand drew a $3 million investment from Books-A-Million in April 2010, and Yogurt Mountain locations have operated inside select Books-A-Million superstores in addition to standalone shops like the Hermitage spot.
Address and Phone #
The Yogurt Mountain Hermitage location sits at 5225 Old Hickory Boulevard, Suite 204, Hermitage, TN 37076. Hours run Monday through Saturday 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., with extended summer hours at the shop’s discretion. Call (615) 871-7070 to confirm flavor rotation, ask about group events, and discuss catering for birthdays and team gatherings.
3. Sweet CeCe’s Cool Springs (Greater Nashville) #
Sweet CeCe’s is the Nashville-founded self-serve frozen yogurt brand started by CeCe and Brian Moore in 2009 with a first location on West End Avenue. CeCe grew up churning homemade blackberry ice cream on her Grandma Ruby’s porch in the North Carolina hills, then moved her family from the West Coast to Middle Tennessee and opened Sweet CeCe’s to carry that love of frozen treats into a self-serve format. The brand began franchising in 2011 and has grown to dozens of locations across Tennessee, Ohio, Mississippi, Texas, Illinois, Alabama, Kentucky, New Mexico, and Kuwait. The Cool Springs shop is the closest currently open chain location for Greater Nashville guests on the south side of the metro.
Self-Serve FroYo with Endless Toppings and Live Music #
The Cool Springs spot follows the Sweet CeCe’s playbook: a wall of self-serve frozen yogurt taps with rotating flavors, a wide topping bar covering fresh fruit, cereal, chocolate candies, cake, and cookie pieces, and a Willy-Wonka-style atmosphere built around a kickin’ soundtrack and occasional live music. Sweet CeCe’s frozen yogurt is made with fresh milk and live yogurt cultures, served in the pay-by-weight format that defined the late-2000s self-serve wave. The Cool Springs site sits in the Mallory Lane retail corridor near CoolSprings Galleria, a busy Williamson County shopping district that pulls visitors from across the Nashville metro.
Address and Phone #
The Sweet CeCe’s Cool Springs storefront is at 3021 Mallory Lane, Suite 127, Franklin, TN 37067, in the Cool Springs retail strip just off Interstate 65. Hours run Monday through Thursday 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Call (615) 472-8760 for daily flavor lists, party room bookings, and large catering orders for schools and offices.
Selection Methodology #
The three shops above were selected from the broader Nashville frozen yogurt field using these filters: minimum documented years in continuous Nashville-area business, verifiable editorial recognition or trade-body credential on file (NDA / NYA Live and Active Cultures alignment, IDFA seal reference, FDA standard of identity for yogurt with Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus cultures, Tennessee Department of Agriculture dairy inspection), brand-name anchor with verifiable address visible on the shop’s own website, and a published product line that maps to customer expectation. National rollups without local lineage and pop-up operations without verifiable street address were excluded.
Frequently Asked Questions #
Q: What does the Live and Active Cultures seal mean for frozen yogurt?
A: The International Dairy Foods Association seal certifies that the product carries at least 10 million cultures per gram at manufacture, which is the live-culture threshold for the frozen format. Refrigerated yogurt sits at 100 million per gram, but freezing slows cell activity, so the frozen number is the working benchmark.
Q: How does the calorie and fat profile compare to ice cream?
A: Frozen yogurt averages roughly 110 to 140 calories per half cup at 3 to 5 grams of fat, while premium ice cream sits at 200 to 270 calories and 10 to 15 grams of fat. The lower fat is the main reason fro-yo took off as a dessert swap. Toppings change the math fast, so a heavy candy and syrup load can push the cup past an ice cream sundae.
Q: Are any of the three shops paid placements?
A: No. The three profiles above are editorial selections drawn from publicly verifiable sources. No firm sponsored placement.
Q: What is the difference between self-serve and counter-served fro-yo?
A: Self-serve shops like Yogurt Mountain and Sweet CeCe’s let guests pull their own swirl from a wall of taps and load toppings from an open bar, then weigh and pay by the ounce. Counter-served shops like Mimi’s hand-scoop a portion and charge by the size, similar to an ice cream parlor. The counter format usually offers a denser product because the base is not aerated for dispenser flow.
Editorial Note #
This guide was published on 2026-05-11 and reflects research current as of that date. Verify licenses, phone numbers, and current business status before engaging any firm.