The frozen yogurt trend is here — and in St. Albans, it’s taken an unusual form. At the Frozen Ogre at 46 North Main Street, customers can now get icy treats while browsing a selection of board games, card games, craft items and hobby supplies
Co-owner Erik Stumpf, 38, has a master’s degree in accounting, but gaming is his passion. In 2015, he and his wife, Jes, indulged their hobby by opening a tiny shop called Rocket Punch Games. The hole-in-the-wall soon proved too small for their enthusiastic customers.
Searching for a larger locale, the Stumpfs learned that a nearby frozen-yogurt business, Maggie O’s, was looking for a buyer. Why not combine dessert and dice?
The Frozen Ogre opened in October, but construction and permitting issues kept its fro-yo operation from getting up and running until last week. Now machines pump out eight individual flavors — including a dairy-free sorbet — plus four twists, including strawberry-cheesecake and maple-black raspberry.
Afraid of dripping yogurt on your prized Magic: The Gathering cards? The Ogre also offers bulk sweets, such as root beer barrels and licorice all-sorts, and ’80s favorites such as Nerds, Bottle Caps, Fun Dip and Laffy Taffy.
But for the Stumpfs, who once hoped to start a youth center in St. A, the sweetest part is giving local youths a hangout. In the basement, a library and gaming space hosts after-school programs. “We have 20 kids who come by and play Dungeons & Dragons on Wednesday night,” said Erik. That fro-yo should help replenish their hit points.
The original print version of this article was headlined “They’ve Got Game”
This article appears in Feb 22-27, 2017.
Got something to say?
Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!
