Tunisia is a North African republic of 12.42 million residents, with 72% of these living in urban areas. The median age is 33. It’s a young, city-centered population — exactly the demographic that tends to embrace frozen yogurt culture. However, the economy is recovering slowly after a severe drought in 2023 – 2024. Inflation is high (16.2%), GDP per capita sits at $4,893, and real GDP growth is projected at 2.1%. Tourism remains essential, and Tunisia’s largest cities — Tunis (the capital city with a population of 2,473,428), Sfax (608,293 residents), Sousse (495,877 residents), Hammamet (229,253 residents), and Bizerte (176,615 residents) — are natural hubs for dessert shops.
Politically, Tunisia is highly centralized after President Kais Saied dissolved parliament and rewrote the constitution. This centralization affects business regulation and expansion, but it hasn’t stopped the rise of new dessert shops.
A Country With Ancient Fermented Milk Traditions
Tunisians have been consuming fermented milk for thousands of years. Long before industrial yogurt arrived, Tunisia had rayeb (رايب) — a soft, curdled, spoonable fermented milk made by letting raw or boiled milk ferment naturally in clay or goatskin vessels. Rayeb is the ancestor of modern yogurt culture in Tunisia. It’s rustic, tangy, and deeply tied to Tunisian identity. This long tradition helps explain why yogurt-based desserts feel so natural in Tunisian food culture today.
Jwejem: Tunisia’s Original Yogurt Dessert
Before frozen yogurt arrived, Tunisia already had jwejem, a layered yogurt dessert that is a specialty of Sfax. A classic jwejem includes a tart yogurt base, nuts, fruits, crushed biscuits, dessert sauces, and whipped cream. It’s served in tall glasses. Many jwejem shops now offer frozen yogurt, blending tradition with global froyo trends.
Frozen Yogurt Arrives, and Ci Gusta Leads the Way
Tunisia was the first country in Africa with a branch of Ci Gusta, an Italian dessert brand founded in Italy in 2011. Ci Gusta opened its first Tunisian location in 2013, and over the next decade expanded to 10 shops across the country. Today, four Ci Gusta locations remain. The brand may have been the first to introduce frozen yogurt to Tunisia. Ci Gusta shops serve Italian gelato, pasta, pizza, pastries, and more.
The Italian influence is visible across Tunisia’s dessert shops — even those that aren’t Ci Gusta.
The Froyo Scene Today: 25 Places and Growing
Our research found 25 places in Tunisia where you can get frozen yogurt in soft serve form. Most are gelaterie, dessert bars, or jwejem shops that added froyo to their menus. Only two can be considered primarily froyo shops, Yoli Frozen Yogurt and Elli D’Alfonso. We did not find any self-serve frozen yogurt shops. Many are relatively new, opening in the last 6 years. It is common for dessert shops to have multiple branches.
Places to Get Froyo
- Ci Gusta, Tunis-Carthage International Airport, is an airport branch that opened in 2018.
- Ci Gusta, Av. Mohamed Jmal, Sfax 3062, was the first Ci Gusta branch to open in Tunisia. It opened in 2013.
- Ci Gusta, Sousse, opened in 2014.
- Ci Gusta, Av. Mohamed Ibn Sahnoun, Kairouan, opened in 2019.
- Donatello Gelaterie, Route Kaid Mohamed, Sfax, serves frozen yogurt and gelato. This location may have opened in 2013.
- Donatello Gelaterie, Ben-Gardán, Mednine, opened in 2022.
- Donatello Gelaterie, Carrefour La Marsa, Sfax 3062, is a dessert cart that opened in 2024.
- Elli D’Alfonso, V8MJ+X62, Carthage, is a frozen yogurt shop that may have opened in 2018 or 2019. It is counter-serve.
- Fresco Gelato, Midoun, Houmt Souk, opened in 2020.
- Fresco Gelato, 56 Rue Moncef Bey Houmet Souk Médenine, Djerba, is the oldest location of Fresco.
- Fresco Gelato, VJ75+W49, Sousse, opened in 2026.
- Frozen Land, 7 Avenue Tarek Ibn Zied, Ariana, offers froyo, crepes, pancakes, and bubble waffles. The counter-serve shop opened in 2021.
- Gavroche, 16 Rue Mahmoud Annabi, Ariana 2091, Tunisia, is an Italian dessert shop with counter-serve froyo. It may have opened in 2021.
- Grano, Route du port 4170, Zarzis, serves frozen yogurt and crepes. The first location opened in 2023.
- Grano, VVHF+3M2, Houmt Souk, Grano’s second branch, opened in 2025.
- Iceberg, VJ84+V3H, Hammam Sousse, opened in 2020.
- Iceberg, V764+563, Tunis, opened in 2025.
- Iceberg, G2FR+2G4, Av. de la Corniche, Hiboun, opened in 2020.
- Jwejem Hachicha, QQ54+9FG, Sfax.
- Jwejem Hachicha Menzah, Aouina, Tunis.
- Jwejem Hachicha, Naebul, opened in 2025.
- Jwejem Hachicha, Route Manzel, Sfax, opened in 2023.
- Jwejem Hachicha, 92 Av. Abou El Kacem Chebbi, Gabès 6011, opened in 2024.
- Jwejem Hachicha, Route De Lafrane.
- Yoli Frozen Yogurt, 8090 Av. de Martyrs, Kélibia 8090, sells frozen yogurt, crepes, and fresh juices. It may have opened in 2022.
Closed Shops That Served Froyo
- Ci Gusta, Rue Lac Haroun, Imm. Horizon, opened in 2015. It’s unclear when it closed.
- Ci Gusta, 155 Avenue Habib Bourguiba 2015, Le Kram. The last review was posted in 2023. It is marked as temporarily closed on Google.
- Ci Gusta, V556+7PC, Ariana, opened around 2015 and closed in 2025.
- Ci Gusta, Berges du Lac 2, Tunis, unknown dates of operation.
- Ci Gusta, QQHM+88R, Monastir, was last reviewed in 2019.
- Ci Gusta, R7WJ+4PQ, Rue de la Feuille d’Érable, Tunis.
- Frozz, Rue kamel Ataturk, Nabeul 80000, was a counter-serve froyo shop that may have opened in 2020 and closed not long after.
- Moyo Frozen Yogurt, was a counter-serve froyo shop that likely closed around 10 years ago.
- YOLA, Avenue de la Liberation, Hammamet 8050, was a counter-serve froyo shop that was open from 2015 -2023.
Did we miss any businesses that serve frozen yogurt in Tunisia? Let us know in the comments. We’d love to add it to our list.
To explore the froyo shops of Tunisia, visit IFYA’s Pinterest board, Froyo in Tunisia.
