Sky Chen, owner of the newly opened Yogurt City in Carpenter Crossings (across the street from Target), noticed that while frozen yogurt is big on campus, there isn’t any to be found out in his neck of the woods.

Chen’s family owns nearby Ichiban on Washtenaw. Technically, his parents are in charge, but they moved back to China, though they drop in every three months or so. Thirty-two-year-old Sky wanted his own business, so he leaves the management of the Japanese steakhouse to his sister and three younger brothers.

Friends in New York City told Chen that the self-serve frozen yogurt business is still cresting. He chose a Yogurt City franchise over the better known Red Mango chain. Completely self-serve, forty-eight cents an ounce, and with over a dozen yogurt flavors (including banana, coconut, and red velvet) and dozens of candy, fruit, and nut toppings, Yogurt City emphasizes plain old fun. The word “probiotic” didn’t even come up in conversation. Instead, Chen touted a private party room in the back, where a family recently held a children’s birthday party for less than $30.

Chen, his parents, and his four siblings moved from China to Ann Arbor when he was sixteen. Wasn’t that one-child rule in effect then? “My dad, he’s got some connections back in China,” Chen laughs.

Yogurt City, 3650 Carpenter Rd. (Carpenter Crossings), 929-2345. Mon.-Thurs. 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Sun. 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. yogurtcity.com