New Yogurtland Logo

Fro-yo girl here. Here’s a picture of the new Yogurtland sign. They’re coming out with a new tagline too. I’m told that the San Ramon location is the only one with the new sign so far. I also took a picture of their soft, chewy pink and green mochi cubes, made for Yogurtland in Sacramento. They aren’t strongly flavored. The green tastes like lime and the pink is strawberry.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Free Pinkberry Today (5 – 9 PM/ your time zone), New Flavors Only

Fro-yo girl here. I saw the Pinkberry free fro-yo and new flavors tweet hours ago and I apologize for the late update (you have 1 hr, 45 minutes left to get the free fro-yo). The new flavors are coconut and passionfruit. I’m still in shock over Michael Jackson’s passing. I didn’t feel like driving down to Santana Row when I'd rather watch the MJ tributes and eat some Tuttimelon. RIP, MJ.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* PINKBERRY: 3055 Olin Ave, San Jose, CA 95128

Golden Spoon Grand Opening, Free Fro-yo

Fro-yo girl here. Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt is finally opening a store in the Bay Area! To celebrate, they're giving away free fro-yo on July 3, 4 & 5th from 11 AM - 11 PM. Get a free regular-sized frozen yogurt. No purchase or coupon necessary.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* GOLDEN SPOON FROZEN YOGURT: 4065 E. Castro Valley Blvd., Castro Valley, CA

www.goldenspoon.com

New Fro-yo Shop Coming to Downtown Hayward: Yogurt Sugar Shack

Fro-yo girl here. A new fro-yo shop (possibly self-serve) called Yogurt Sugar Shack is about to open its doors in downtown Hayward. Yogurt Sugar Shack is not the same as Yogurt Shack (which has locations in Danville, Concord, Davis, and Lafayette). Construction is still in progress and Oompa thinks she spotted a shack like structure. Thank you to fro-yo tipster, Oompa Lumpia!

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* YOGURT SUGAR SHACK: 22580 Foothill Blvd, Hayward, CA

Sofrais Grand Opening Delayed

Fro-yo girl here. Sorry froyoholics. The grand opening of So Frais Frozen Yogurt Cafe will not be this Saturday, 6/27. There will still be a grand opening celebration but at a later date. Stay tuned for details.

While you're waiting, visit their website: http://www.sofraiscafe.com/

They're going to serve cupcakes too!

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* SO FRAIS FROZEN YOGURT CAFÉ: 5363 Mowry, Fremont, CA

New Items at Culture: Frozen Kefir (the first in the Bay Area), Yo’Wiches, Fro-yo Shakes

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve been curious about frozen kefir for a long time and Culture just started offering it! It’s blueberry flavored and excellent (sweeter/less sour than their original tart). They’re the first shop in the Bay Area to offer frozen kefir.

Culture is also the first in the Bay Area to offer Yo’Wiches (fro-yo sandwiches), a heavenly combination of Mary’s housemade cookies and Alexis’s organic fro-yo ($4.49). They have two flavors right now: Chocolate cookies w/ chocolate fro-yo and Gingersnap cookies w/ vanilla fro-yo.

Fro-yo shakes are now on the menu too! You can even add malt to the mix. Malted fro-yo shakes. Mmm.

Love Mary’s crisps? You can now pre-order the crisps and enjoy them at home.

They still don’t have mochi though. I almost don’t miss it which is saying a lot because that’s usually my favorite topping.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* CULTURE ORGANIC FROZEN YOGURT: 340 S California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94306

Summit: New Line of Premium Fro-yo

Fro-yo girl here. Tom Ostoich has the best job ever. He and his partner, Randy Stoker, develop new products and they offer consulting services for fro-yo, gelato and smoothie shops. They recently launched Summit, a line of premium fro-yo, available through Southwest Traders. The first flavor, acai tart, was recently joined by a new pomegranate tart.

FYG: Describe Summit
TO: Summit Premium Yogurts are flavored with real fruit and berry concentrates which allow you to taste the natural flavors and not leave any artificial aftertaste.

Artificial colors and artificial flavors are synthetic substances that have no nutritional value. In most cases, artificial colors are used to imitate “real” whole foods, such as strawberries, oranges, blueberries, and other colorful fruits.

Artificially colored products are often marketed to children who are attracted to bright, fancy colors. Some of the more common artificial flavors include imitation vanilla (vanillin), cherry, banana, raspberry, lemon, and many other flavors. These are synthetically developed, and are likely to be unhealthy.

FYG: How did you get into fro-yo recipe development?
TO: In August 2007, Tom started Socially Responsible Food Group Inc. after more than two decades on the front lines of food industry management. Socially Responsible Food Group was founded on the philosophy of healthy products for consumers made from local and real ingredients. With that emphasis in mind SRFG has brought to market many perishable items from inception to the marketplace with current distribution in eight states on the West Coast.

Since developing SmoothEZe products, SRFG has introduced many flavors and ways to flavor products such as ice cream, sorbet, gelato, and YES frozen yogurt. The SmoothEZe real fruit smoothie was developed for the California School Lunch program which has regulations on what can and cannot be served for students’ lunch. This would include eliminating the junk food and products that were artificially flavored along with new dietary guidelines for calories and fats per serving.

After numerous food shows and the resurgence of the yogurt culture SRFG saw a lot of yogurt that was being artificial flavored and colored. SRFG took our knowledge from the smoothie industry and our understanding of the child nutrition laws and started working on the Summit Premium Yogurt Products. SRFG wanted to create a product from real ingredients, not from flavored syrups and artificial flavorings.

FYG: Where can I try your acai tart?

Here’s a partial list of Bay Area places that carry Summit acai tart:
* YOSWIRL: 43773 Boscell Rd, Fremont, CA 94538
* NEW RUSSIAN HILL MARKET: 1198 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
* UPHORIA YOGURT: 5009 Lone Tree Way, Antioch, CA 94531

To order Summit, call Southwest Traders: (866) 452-9185

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

For more information about SR Food Group: http://www.srfoodgroup.com/

Free Fro-yo at Blush Dublin on July 1st

Fro-yo girl here. Free fro-yo alert! It’s customer appreciation day at Blush Dublin (and perhaps a belated 1 year anniversary celebration?). Get a small frozen yogurt with two toppings on Wednesday, July 1 from 2pm to 6pm. Swing by and tell Blush how much you appreciate their fro-yo. Thanks, Jonathan!

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* BLUSH ORGANIC FROZEN YOGURT: 4640-A Tassajara Road, Dublin, CA

So Frais Frozen Yogurt Café Grand Opening on Saturday, 6/27

Fro-yo girl here. Mark your calendars, froyoholics. So Frais, a new self-serve fro-yo shop in Fremont (right off the 880 by Farwell Dr.) opens next Saturday. The celebration starts at 1 PM. Choose from 8 flavors of fro-yo. Buy one , get one free during the grand opening.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* SO FRAIS FROZEN YOGURT CAFÉ: 5363 Mowry, Fremont, CA

Future Fro-yo Shop Picture: Coco Swirl Walnut Creek

Fro-yo girl here. Self-serve fro-yo Coco Swirl is replacing Moonstruck Chocolatier in downtown Walnut Creek. The Moonstruck sign is still up and it looks like it will take a few months before Coco Swirl is ready to open. This is their second location (the first one is in Pleasant Hill). I hope they can keep up with the increased demand for their homemade mochi!

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* COCO SWIRL: 1273 Locust St, Walnut Creek, CA

Blush Milpitas Grand Opening Coverage

Fro-yo girl here. I visited Blush today (and yesterday). Friday was their soft opening with free fro-yo from 2 to 6 PM. I met the franchise owners and Jonathan, the founder/fro-yo visionary of Blush Organic Frozen Yogurt. They were so sweet that they had a welcome message for me on their Facebook page (which I could see on their flatscreen monitor).


During the grand opening Jonathan swirled the first cups of fro-yo himself (he’s so dedicated) and he was so busy that I didn’t think he would even notice me. He finally looked up and later came by to chat with us.


I’m happy to report that Blush Milpitas is just as good as Blush Dublin. The fro-yo is flawless and natural tasting and the service is warm and friendly. They offer complimentary water and apple juice and will even give you more toppings if you ask (nicely). The interior design has elements of the original Blush but also a more eco-friendly green look. Jonathan considers it a bridge between the old and new look for Blush. Their Burlingame location is going to be solar powered!

I received my very first fro-yo apron. Isn’t it adorable?

Congrats Blush! Congrats to Ian, Bobbie, Cynthia and Jonathan!

Check out the pics on their Facebook page: http://tinyurl.com/bo7y3e

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* BLUSH ORGANIC FROZEN YOGURT: 489 E. Calaveras Blvd, Milpitas, CA 95035

Blush Milpitas Grand Opening on Saturday, 6/20

Fro-yo girl here. The second Blush Organic Frozen Yogurt location opens this Father’s Day weekend, June 20 - 21. Choose from four fro-yo flavors: Original, Blush (pomegranate-dragonfruit), Strawberry Kiwi and Mango.

Why not treat your father (or someone father-like) to a cup of fro-yo? While you’re there, get a cup for yourself. The fro-yo is buy one, get one free all weekend long at the Milpitas location (for fathers/father like types though). The first 300 customers on Saturday will receive a raffle ticket, with a chance of winning an iPod Touch, $100 Blush gift card, and iPod shuffle.

Can’t wait to try their mango tart! The soft opening is this Friday, 6/19. Score a small fro-yo with two toppings for free from 2 – 6 PM!

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* BLUSH ORGANIC FROZEN YOGURT: 489 E. Calaveras Blvd, Milpitas, CA 95035

Red Mango Walnut Creek Grand Opening Details and Special Father’s Day Event

Fro-yo girl here. Here’s the Red Mango Walnut Creek grand opening flyer with event details.

Buy one, get one free (6/19 – 6/21):
Friday: 11 AM – 10 PM
Saturday: 11 AM – 12:30 AM
Sunday: 11 AM – 10 PM

Father’s Day Sunday Festivities (2 – 5 PM): Meet Yul Kwon AND his father! It’s a special event for fathers and father like figures. Father’s Day festivities include prizes, giveaways, drawing, photo booth, meet the mayor of Walnut Creek, balloons, etc.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

RED MANGO: 1159 Locust St. Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Favorite Time for Fro-yo

Fro-yo girl here. The results are in. Fro-yo cravings are the strongest in the mid-afternoon according to 49% of poll respondents. That’s around the time that most people experience the afternoon slump (http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/16/2.cfm). I know that around 3 PM I feel like I need to boost. I used to get another latte or a cup of coffee around that time because I need caffeine.

A small tart fro-yo qualifies as a healthy snack and a smart way to combat the afternoon slump. And if you have to walk to get your fro-yo, you’ve taken another positive step towards combating the afternoon slump.

Very few respondents have strong fro-yo cravings in the morning but there are places you can go in SF to have fro-yo for breakfast. Jubili will serve you a fro-yo parfait at 8 AM on weekdays or get a fro-yo waffle from Cefiore on New Montgomery at 9 AM on weekdays.

For me there’s nothing like ending the day with a delicious cup of fro-yo (which is why my fro-yo cravings are strongest late at night). For late night cravings, Tuttimelon North Beach is open till 3 AM on Fridays and Saturdays.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* JUBILI: 1515 Fillmore St., San Francisco, CA
* CEFIORE NEW MONTGOMERY: 59 New Montgomery St., San Francisco, CA
* TUTTIMELON NORTH BEACH: 601 Broadway St., San Francisco

Future Fro-yo Shop Pictures: Yogurtland San Ramon, Yogurt GoGo

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurt GoGo on Taraval (SF) just appeared on my radar this week. It’s papered over, so I can’t see what’s going on inside. I’m sure that its Asian owned. The space, a former jewelry store, is not that large, so I’m guessing that it’s not self serve but it’s really just a guess. Self-serve would be popular because of all the high school kids who hang out in that area.

The Yogurtland San Ramon location will have 16 flavors and it’s self-serve of course. They’re supposed to open this month. I snuck inside this week to take this picture.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* YOGURT GOGO: 1119 Taraval St., San Francisco, CA
* YOGURTLAND SAN RAMON: 152 Sunset Dr., San Ramon, CA

Hoarding Tuttimelon’s Mango Tart Fro-yo Special

Fro-yo girl here. Yesterday I went to Tuttimelon Irving to stock up on their limited time, 99 cents for a small mango tart fro-yo special (limit of 5). My first thought was that they created the limit because of Bonnie L. (http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=uMYeoDTZNyBjVQ8tJ5Gvjg) but when I asked if others were stocking up, she said that quite a few people were!

I call the new phenomenon fro-yo hoarding! Get yours before it’s too late. I wish I had a larger freezer!

They’ll still stamp your Tutticard too. While you’re there, sign the petition to support the move of the Irving location to a larger space across the street (it’s on the same block). Once they move, they’ll be able to provide more seating.

My pick: Try mango tart fro-yo with fresh mango cubes for an exquisitely Tuttilicious experience.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* TUTTIMELON: 2150 Irving St, San Francisco, CA

Fro-yo Twittering

Fro-yo girl here. I joined Twitter two years ago (under another name) but I couldn’t find anyone I wanted to follow (granted, I didn’t look very hard) and I didn’t have anything to say either. Things are completely different now that Twitter has caught on with fro-yo shops. If you haven’t joined yet and you like fro-yo, sign up for an account so that you can follow your favorite fro-yo shops or fro-yo shops from all over the world! Typical fro-yo shop tweets include announcing new hours or new flavors.

Fro-yo shops with a Bay Area presence on Twitter include:
Blush: http://twitter.com/Blushdublin
Cefiore: http://twitter.com/cefiore
Culture: http://twitter.com/CultureFroYo
Frozo’s: http://twitter.com/Frozos
Greencup: http://twitter.com/greencupyogurt
Orange Tree: http://twitter.com/OrangeTree_Cup
Penguin Froyo: http://twitter.com/penguinfroyo
Pinkberry: http://twitter.com/pinkberryswirl
Red Mango: http://twitter.com/RedMango
Tutti Frutti: http://twitter.com/tfyogurt
Tuttimelon: http://twitter.com/tuttimelonfroyo
yoCup: http://twitter.com/yocup
Yogen Fruz: http://twitter.com/yogenfruz
Yogurt Park: http://twitter.com/YogurtPark
Yogurtland: https://twitter.com/YogurtlandInc

I think the majority of fro-yo shop Twitter accounts belong to Bay Area shops.

The award for the fro-yo shop that is using Twitter most effectively goes to Red Mango. They’ve announced store openings, celebrity sightings (the Governator recently stopped by for some fro-yo), general fro-yo news, etc. They’ve also uploaded a lovely, appetizing cup of fro-yo as their background image. CEO Dan Kim even has his own separate Twitter account.

Fro-yo fans are also busy tweeting. One of my favorites is a fro-yoholic in Chicago: http://twitter.com/ChiFroYo

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Red Mango Walnut Creek Days Before It Opens

Fro-yo girl here. Here are some pictures that I took of the new Red Mango in downtown Walnut Creek…it’s almost ready. They plan on opening next weekend (Father’s Day weekend, June 20 -21). I couldn’t look inside (it was covered up). Red Mango will be the first true tart fro-yo place in downtown Walnut Creek (Yogurt Park and Yogurt Castle don’t really count because they’re old school).

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

*RED MANGO: 1159 Locust St. Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Grand Opening Coverage of Tuttimelon Cupertino Village

Fro-yo girl here. Congratulations to Tuttimelon (especially Annie and Roy. L) on the new Tuttimelon location at Cupertino Village! The doors opened at noon and the line didn’t let up. The first 50 people received movie passes and the first 500 received raffle tickets (I’m not sure who won the three prizes).

I’ve been to the grand opening of every Tuttimelon thus far, except for the San Rafael one. I think that makes me a super Tutti fan. (Looks like Vancouver will be the site of the next Tuttimelon grand opening!) Roy and Annie let me in early, so I started looking around the beautiful new shop where I spotted their fancy new flatscreen menus, the curvy new spoons (so fun!), the signature wavy white wall, gelato, 6 flavors of fro-yo, and unusual toppings like strawberry coconut jelly cubes and jackfruit. I finally noticed that they had a Tuttimelon bear and Tuttimelon mug made just for me and I didn’t know what to say!!!! I have to show you a picture of the fro-yo creation Roy presented me with – three fro-yo flavors (notice the perfectly symmetrical peaks) with mango, pastel mochi, kiwi, lychee, blueberries and granola. What a work of art!

Later, I spotted the Tuttimobile in the parking lot!

Flavors of the day:
* Original
* Pomegranate
* Mango
* Chocolate
* Lychee
* Taro

If you missed today’s grand opening, be sure to drop by soon. I recommend getting the small original fro-yo for just 99 cents special. They’ve really perfected that flavor and it’s absolutely addictive.

John L., Tracy T., Christina, and Linda W. – thanks for being there for this most special of occasions.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* TUTTIMELON CUPERTINO: 10919 N. Wolfe Road, Cupertino, CA

Tuttimelon Cupertino Village Grand Opening This Saturday, June 6th

Fro-yo girl here with a quick reminder. The grand opening celebration for Tuttimelon Cupertino Village is this Saturday! Get there early (doors open at noon) for free fro-yo (from noon – 2 PM). The first 50 guests receive a free Tuttimelon door prize and the first 500 can enter a raffle for a Wii, iPod Touch and DSI. I can’t wait! I’ve uploaded a picture from the Tuttimelon Evite.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* TUTTIMELON CUPERTINO: 10919 N. Wolfe Road, Cupertino, CA

National Fro-yo Day is Finally Here!

Fro-yo girl here. It’s finally here: National Frozen Yogurt Day (June 4)! Where does this holiday come from? I don’t know (sorry) but probably the National Yogurt Association (www.aboutyogurt.com)? Don’t forget to celebrate today. Here are my suggestions for National Fro-yo Day:

1. Introduce a newbie to fro-yo. Let’s keep up fro-yo demand!
2. Treat a random stranger to fro-yo. Perk up someone else’s day with fro-yo.
3. Meet a friend for a fro-yo date. Get caught up over a nice big cup of fro-yo.
4. Try a new fro-yo shop. Have a list of fro-yo places to try? Knock one off your list today.
5. Return to a favorite fro-yo shop. Support your favorite fro-yo shop and remind them that today is National Fro-yo Day. Looking for a deal? Tuttimelon Irving (SF) and Alameda are currently offering a small cup of mango tart fro-yo for 99 cents.
6. Give the gift of fro-yo gift cards to the ones you love.
7. Buy fro-yo from the supermarket – Haagen Dazs, Trader Joe’s, Dreyer’s and Ben & Jerry’s all have fro-yo products
8. For the truly ambitious: Make your own fro-yo
9. Show your fro-yo spirit. I’m going to wear my fro-yo t-shirt today.

February 6th is also National Frozen Yogurt Day because fro-yo deserves more than one holiday per year.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Source: http://www.tfdutch.com/foodh.htm

* TUTTIMELON IRVING: 2150 Irving St., San Francisco, CA
* TUTTIMELON ALAMEDA: 2402 Central Ave, Alameda, CA

Contest to Win Free Fro-yo (and Other Stuff) From Blush

Fro-yo girl here. Happy National Fro-yo Day! Okay, it’s tomorrow but I’m too excited to wait till tomorrow and I wanted to remind you to eat fro-yo. Eat fro-yo.

Do you want to win free fro-yo from Blush Organic Frozen Yogurt? There’s a contest going on right now that you should know about. It’s easy to enter – just submit a picture of your Blush creation with a brief description to the Around Dublin Blog. Winners will be determined by popular vote. The contest ends on July 4, 2009.

Prizes include (1) two club-level Giants tickets for their August 1, 2009 game against the Phillies plus a $100 Blush gift card, (2) 8GB iPod Touch and (3) $20 Blush gift cards.

While you’re at Blush taking your picture, be sure to check out the new flavor of the month (guava tart) and the topping of the month (Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies).

Vote for my Blush creation.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* BLUSH ORGANIC FROZEN YOGURT: 4640 Tassajara Rd, Dublin, CA 94568

My Blush Creation Photo Contest: http://www.arounddublinblog.com/2009/05/my-blush-creation-photo-contest.html

Yogurt Drinks: Lifeway Kefir, Evergreen, Promise Activ Supershots, Vita

Fro-yo girl here. A few months ago I started buying various yogurt drinks to see if I would like any of them. I’m officially sick of yogurt drinks now and the only ones I like are Lifeway Kefir and Dannon DanActive.

LIFEWAY PLAIN KEFIR: It tastes the most like real plain yogurt only not as thick. Kefir is thicker than milk, creamy and quite sour. The plain flavor is unsweetened with 10 types of live and active kefir cultures with inulin which helps boost calcium absorption. Since it has the N.V. Perricone MD seal of approval, it must be ultra healthy.

Kefir would make a good dip or salad dressing. I enjoyed kefir in parfaits with fresh berries and granola.

* Flavors: Plain, strawberry, raspberry, strawberry banana, peach, cherry, blueberry, vanilla, cappuccino, pomegranate
* Ingredients: cultured pasteurized milk, nonfat milk, inulin
* $3.99, 32 fl. Oz. Purchased from Safeway, plastic bottle
* 4.5 out of 5 stars

EVERGREEN YOGURT DRINK: This is a Korean product that looks and tastes like Yakult (thin, milky, tangy, sweet) but is targeted towards kids (the plastic wrapper has a picture of a kid kicking a soccer ball). It comes in tiny plastic bottles and it’s labeled as a frozen dessert. The small size is nice because I didn’t feel like drinking much of it.

* 5 bottles, 2.10 fluid ounces
* Ingredients: Filtered water, high fructose corn syrup, cultured grade A pasteurized nonfat milk, sugar, dextrose, natural & artificial flavors, potassium sorbate, aspartame, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D3
* 3 out of 5 stars

PROMISE ACTIV SUPERSHOTS: This product is much thicker than DanActive and claims that it can remove cholesterol as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Of course you’ll need to drink it at least once a day to enjoy those benefits. There was no mention of live and active cultures on the product packaging. The sweet, tangy flavor was okay but I found it a bit too sweet. It did taste like it was made with yogurt though. I didn’t like how it was chalky. It reminded me of Ensure (not that I’ve ever tried Ensure).

* Flavors: Vanilla, Peach, Raspberry, Strawberry
* 3.3 fluid ounces per serving
* Ingredients: water, cultured nonfat milk, sugar, plant sterol esters, pear juice concentrate, canola oil, pectin, natural and artificial flavor, phosphoric acid, mixed tocopherols, guar gum, caramel color, carrageenan gum, xanthan gum, maltodextrin, sucralose, tocopheryl acetate, molasses, vitamin A
* Tagline: A simply amazing way to lower cholesterol
* 3.5 out of 5 stars

VITA YOGHURT FLAVORED DRINK: Made in China, these yogurt drinks come in a pack of 4 boxes with attached straws and are meant for kids. The thin, somewhat milky, refreshing drink seemed tangier and sweeter than Yakult. I found it too sweet but it wasn’t bad. I didn’t see any mention of live and active cultures.

* Pack of four, 4.2 fluid ounces each
* Ingredients: Water, sugar, skim milk powder, whole milk powder, citric acid, pectin, artificial flavor, lactic acid, cellulose gum, salt – okay
* 3.5 out of 5 stars

It’s going to be a loooong time before I feel like having another yogurt drink.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.