How does Yumz choose its flavors?

It can be hard to pick your favorite flavor.

Luckily at Yumz Gourmet Frozen Yogurt along Randall Road in Lake in the Hills, you don't have to.

There are 10 different flavors to choose from in five different yogurt machines each time you visit. You can pick one, or you can even take them all in your cup if they'll fit. Another option is to pick a swirl combination of two flavors.

But someone needs to pick what flavors go in those machines, and many of you have emailed wondering how they go about doing that.

Yumz owners Matt and Lori Thelander and John Barnes play a part. But customers also play a part, as do the seasons, Barnes said.

The business, 277 Randall Road, always has four standards available - chocolate, vanilla, cake batter and cookies and cream, Barnes said.

"Those four are the most popular," he said. "After that we have a variety, and we have 58 flavors to choose from."

Barnes said the additional flavors are usually rotated every week or every two weeks.

"We try to give the customers variety every time they come in so it's always something different," he said.

Although, he added, typically there will always be a fruit flavor offering such as strawberry, blueberry or groovy grape. You also might find a decadent flavor such as salted caramel.

The business also usually offers a Greek yogurt flavor, and either one or two tart flavors.

"We usually rotate how many tarts and we'll usually have one or two, and one or two Greeks or sorbet, and we always have a low-sugar option," he said.

"We can have the 58 in various forms, but most of them will be regular, full flavors and nothing too tart," Barnes added.

While he said that is the model the store goes by, it is not an exact science. It also can be based upon public opinion. The store takes into consideration comments in person and on social media.

"If we had 10 that said, 'I wanted salted caramel,' we would probably put that in," he said.

Barnes said Yumz also typically has flavors that go along with the seasons and holidays. For example, on Valentine's Day the usually have red velvet ready to serve.

In the summer months, there are lots of fruits such as grape, kiwi, lemon and mango. At Thanksgiving, you will probably find a pumpkin flavor and an apple pie.

Moving into Christmastime, he said, you might find gingerbread, peppermint and eggnog in stock.

He also said they always try to pair flavors that will go well together since the self-serve yogurt machines do allow patrons to swirl flavors. So, for example, you will find something like a chocolate and peanut butter in the same machine. They also might put a fruit flavor and cheesecake together, he said.

"You'll see us pairing flavors that make a unique taste," Barnes said. "Some are seasonal and some are randomly picked. It's not a true science. It's based on variety and we want to have some in the store we haven't had in awhile."

In addition to the yogurt flavors, Yumz has 85 different toppings, and those change often, he said.

There are always strawberries and certain candies such as Snickers. But there also are seasonal candies such as Easter candy and candy corn.

"It ranges on how fresh we can get something and how readily available it is," he said. "It should always be something different with the knowledge that your core toppings will always be there."

Yumz on Randall opened in June 2011, shortly after the first Yumz location opened in Crystal Lake on Thanksgiving weekend 2010. The three owners also have a location in Las Vegas, as well as franchises in various states.

• Amy Williams' column covers all the news of business along the Randall Road corridor from South Elgin to Batavia. Contact her at randallbiz@comcast.net or at (847) 894-5036.