Chozen Yogurt Plans Mall Opening Before Holidays

Chozen Yogurt plans to open a new location inside Eastridge Mall in Casper before the end of 2026. Owner Paul Beck said the new spot will be rebranded as “Chozen” and will offer a menu different from the downtown original. The expansion follows the debut of a mobile concept in a remodeled school bus earlier this year.

Beck said the decision to expand came from a lack of presence on the east side of town. “We don’t have a location on the east side of town, so we thought it would be a good thing to do,” Beck said. The team made exploratory visits to the mall and found a space they liked. “We looked at the spaces and found one that we really like,” Beck said, “and they’re trying really hard to attract some new tenants, so we were able to get a pretty good deal in there.”

Eastridge Mall opened in the early 1980s, a period when large indoor shopping centers became a dominant part of American culture. Suburban growth and the rise of internet shopping later reduced foot traffic. The mall’s food court lost several businesses over the years. It became essentially empty after the owners of Flaming Wok retired in 2025.

Activity in the food court increased when James and Daisy Brady opened Spud Man earlier this summer. Beck noted that the new neighbor helped validate the location. “They seem to be pretty busy every day that I’m over there,” Beck said. “It did help that someone new had just moved in, because after the last place closed it was dead empty.”

The new location will occupy the space previously used by Serendipity Cafe. Beck said the format will differ from the downtown self-serve soft frozen yogurt model. Instead, Chozen will serve hard-packed scoops similar to TCBY. The menu will also include coffee, espresso, soup, pizza by the slice, crepes, and waffles.

Beck said the space is close to turnkey because it was previously an ice cream store. The building already has infrastructure such as an espresso machine. The team is currently painting, installing new equipment, finishing electrical work, and adding standing tables for guests.

Chozen Yogurt recently shared a social media post about the new concept, referencing the nostalgia associated with mall culture. Beck, who is originally from Texas, said he wants to bring that experience back to Casper. “I definitely grew up in my own mall, and we have that same kind of nostalgia for it,” Beck said. “I’d like to see that come back and to have my kids be able to experience it. You go to the Cheyenne mall and see that it’s booming, and it would be nice to see our mall do the same thing.” Beck hopes to be fully operational by the holiday season.