Chillfactor Yogurt Lounge: First Self-Serve Fro-yo Shop in Downtown San Jose

Fro-yo girl here. It had to happen - downtown San Jose finally has a self-serve fro-yo shop. Chillfactor is a block away from SJSU in a row of businesses in converted Victorian homes (neighbors include Hydration Tea & Coffee and Iguanas). I met with the owner, Tony, to learn about his shop. I was impressed by the decor (it's pretty and clean - serene shades of blue and white, hanging white globes) and the thoughtful touches that make it a great spot to hang out (free wi-fi, iPod docks, two flatscreen TVs, bathroom, tons of seating, pretty cushions). Chillfactor offers 10 flavors of fro-yo a day for just 35 cents an ounce with plenty of toppings. The fro-yo is nice and creamy.


Flavors of the day:
* Watermelon sorbet
* Pumpkin
* Original tart
* Peanut butter
* Pomegranate raspberry tart
* Coconut
* Cookies n’ cream
* Sugar free wild strawberry
* Country vanilla
* Chocolate classic

The frequent buyer card and gift cards are on the way. They offer fundraising opportunities and 10% off for SJSU students.

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

Random Tuttimobile Sighting

Fro-yo girl here. I was driving around (lost actually) and I spotted a Tuttimobile parked outside of Safeway in San Jose. The address on the side was for a not yet open location in Santa Clara by the AMC Mercado 20 and Mission College. This is good news for my friend, Pearl Tea Boy (he works in the area). That part of town needed fro-yo.

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

* TUTTIMELON: 3139 Mission College Blvd., Santa Clara, CA

I Finally Have the New Yogurtland Spoons

Fro-yo girl here. I'm finally grateful for having all the limited edition Tokidoki loves Yogurtland spoons. As spoon fans know, the spoons were supposed to arrive on November 23 but for some reason, shipments to the Bay Area Yogurtland locations didn't contain the spoons till today. The Yogurtland SoCal locations did get the spoons on time. Hmm.



I found my spoons at Yogurtland San Jose on Prospect Rd. They weren't on display and most people didn't seem to know about them. You had to ask for the spoons (Donutella & Captain Coco). They did have a sign with a picture of the spoons and it said that they were sold out of the Mozzarella and Latte spoons.

My favorite spoon is the white Mozzarella one (she's the cutest), followed by Donutella.

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

* YOGURTLAND WESTGATE WEST: 5395 Prospect Rd., San Jose, CA

Happy Fro-yo Thanksgiving

Fro-yo girl here. I had planned on being grateful for the new batch (wave 2) of Tokidoki Loves Yogurtland spoons but I haven't been able to get my hands on the spoons yet (the Bay Area stores are waiting for their shipments to arrive). Sigh. Despite the frustration that I feel, I'm sure I'll have the spoons soon and I know that there are other things to be thankful for on Thanksgiving.

I'm thankful for the following:

1. Some fro-yo shops are open on Thanksgiving Day (Tuttimelon was last year, so I expect they'll be open again. Yogurtland San Ramon will be open and pumpkin fro-yo will be 10% off.)

2. Pumpkin fro-yo is everywhere (along with crushed graham crackers), this year was truly the year of pumpkin fro-yo.

3. Some fro-yo shops offer pre-ordered fro-yo pies. BerryLine in Boston recently announced that anyone who pre-ordered their fro-yo pie for Thanksgiving would receive them free (wow).

4. Though they aren't the newest Yogurtland loves Tokidoki spoons, I do have many Latte and Mozzarella spoons.

5. My ever expanding collection of fro-yo t-shirts

6. The fro-yo friendships I've made and the fro-yo people that I've met (people in the fro-yo business and fans)

Happy Thanksgiving!

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

I'm Grateful for My Twist T-Shirt

Fro-yo girl here. I wanted to express my gratitude to Twist Yogurt for hearing my cry for a fro-yo t-shirt and promptly sending me two of theirs (they included an extra one in a different size out of thoughtfulness). Thank you Twist! I love the shirt. It's so cheerful and cute (love the hand drawn cup of fro-yo topped with a strawberry). Please support Twist (they're obviously awesome, and they support local artists) if you're in the Princeton area.

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

* TWIST YOGURT: 84 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542

http://www.twist-yogurt.com/index.html
https://twitter.com/MrsTwist

Picture of Future Pinkberry at Stanford Shopping Center

Fro-yo girl here. I don't know when it will open but Pinkberry seems to be close to opening at the Stanford Shopping Center. The location faces El Camino and is close to Macy's for Men, Bloomingdale's, and La Belle Day Spa.

They put a help wanted ad on Craig's List three weeks ago, so expect an opening soon: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/fbh/1453131150.html

They aren't listed in the mall directory yet: http://www.simon.com/mall/malldirectory.aspx?id=841

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

Tuttimelon Stoneridge Grand Opening Celebration

Fro-yo girl here. I missed the Ohio State vs. Michigan football game for the first time in years...but Tuttimelon Bear could barely sleep last night and he had to be at the Tuttimelon Stoneridge grand opening today. Of course in Ohio, no one would have a grand opening on the day of the Big Game. The Buckeyes won (yay!!!!)


Back to fro-yo, we arrived a little before Roy (Mr. Tuttimelon) and watched the preparations for the grand opening (e.g., making labels, putting labels on, getting the small cups ready, turning on the flatscreen monitor with the menu, etc.) I even made the label for the vanilla fro-yo :-) but mainly I tried not to get in the way. Plus I spent time taking notes and admiring their illuminated wavy counter and the new orange stools. There was a cute, cozy nook and the pretty hanging white globes.


The first person in line was a guy in a Cal sweatshirt. The door prize for the first 50 people was really cute - pale blue I heart Tuttimelon t-shirts and camisoles. It's nice of them to use American Apparel vs. some crappy brand. They also handed out raffle tickets. I didn't stay till 1:30 PM when they announced the winners but the prizes included tickets to the Kelly Clarkson concert, Nintendo Wii, Apple iPod Touch and Sony PS3.


This was a polite crowd. Most people didn't take that much fro-yo. Probably many of them had never had Tuttimelon before. They had 8 fro-yo flavors (2 sweet, 6 tart), gelato and sorbet.

Roy swirled my fro-yo :-) and made it look pretty.

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

Fro-yo in Boston: Part 2

Fro-yo girl here. On Day 2 in Beantown, I spotted a large fro-yo poster near the Downtown Crossing station. The poster belonged to UFood, a chain of healthy quick food restaurants (sandwiches, salads, smoothies) with locations in several states. They had a separate fro-yo/smoothies counter. They had two flavors of tart fro-yo, original and raspberry. Their Uberry fro-yo was tarter than BerryLine’s and not as “real yogurt” tasting. However it was decent and they have multiple locations, so it’s convenient too.


Wandering through Quincy Market, I spotted one place for fro-yo, Colombo. They had three soft serve machines and no tart flavors. The fro-yo was very expensive ($5.25 for a small, $6.25 for a large). Flavors included vanilla, chocolate, raspberry and cheesecake.


Finally by Fenway Park, I noticed that the Emack & Bolio’s had a poster for soft-serve fro-yo. They carry tart flavors too. The shop was closed though. Earlier I walked by their shop close to the New England Aquarium and that one didn’t have fro-yo. Emack & Bolio’s was across the street from the Regal Cinema and UFood. I think that UFood location had Uberry fro-yo. I was surprised by how many people were out and about late at night by Fenway Park...people that I think would enjoy fro-yo.

Berry Freeze, boYO, Yo! Berry, Chill, and Spun, I’m sorry I didn’t get to sample your fro-yo. Pinkberry and Yogurtland – where are you?

Update: Pinkberry announced a Boston location.

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

* UFOOD GRILL: 530 Washington St., Boston, MA
* COLOMBO: 200 Fanueil Hall Marketplace, Boston, MA
* EMACK & BOLIO’S (w/ soft-serve tart fro-yo): 140 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA
* UFOOD GRILL: 201 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA

Fro-yo in Boston: Part 1

Fro-yo girl here. I missed the grand opening of Red Mango Boston unfortunately (the opening should occur any day now). On my first day in Beantown, we wandered around downtown for hours without seeing any fro-yo. The horror! But I got lost and walked by Café Podima after lunch in Beacon Hill. I think they just have sweet fro-yo. I was too full to get fro-yo.

In the evening I went to the place I’ve been following and dreaming about for years, BerryLine. Locally owned BerryLine currently has three locations. I went to the Harvard Square location which looks like a tiny house. It was quite busy though JP Licks had a larger crowd (JP Licks’ ice cream is very popular even on cold, rainy days).


I like how BerryLine makes its own fro-yo flavors and their store design is ultra cute (vaguely Japanese looking). I enjoyed all the flavors that I tried (original, apple cinnamon, pumpkin). I found them to be smooth, full of flavor and natural tasting. The mochi seemed homemade. I suspect that BerryLine carries the best tart fro-yo in Boston.

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

* CAFÉ PODIMA: 156 Cambridge St., Boston, MA
* BERRYLINE HARVARD SQUARE: 3 Arrow St., Cambridge, MA

The Things You'll Find on ebay

Fro-yo girl here. I've been busy collecting Yogurtland limited edition Tokidoki spoons. The Yogurtland employees also received adorable Tokidoki/Yogurtland t-shirts. The t-shirts aren't for sale (I asked) but one is listed on ebay. The spoons are listed too.

http://tinyurl.com/ykk2tr9
http://tinyurl.com/ygp367z

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

Tuttimelon SOMA Grand Opening Coverage

Fro-yo girl here. I'm looking at the SOMA Tuttimelon postcard announcing today's grand opening. I collect their postcards, of course.

The shop had its soft opening yesterday at 4 PM. Today's grand opening started at noon and the first 50 guests received a $5 Tuttimelon gift card. From 12 - 2 PM, all guests received a raffle ticket and a small cup. The cup entitled the bearer to free fro-yo. I didn't stay for the raffle at 2 PM but they gave away a Wii and iPod touch.

This location has 6 self-serve fro-yo flavors a day (39 cents an ounce). Today's flavors included:
* Mango tart
* Blueberry tart
* Pomegranate tart
* Original tart
* Almond tart
* Pumpkin



I was excited to try their pumpkin fro-yo and also satisfy my almond tart fro-yo craving. Tuttimelon Bear and I shared a cup of fro-yo topped with vanilla and pumpkin gelato, pomegranate seeds, grapes, raspberries, plain mochi and palm fruit (?) He was happy to be the center of attention again and to meet the newest members of the Tuttimelon family. Congratulations Tuttimelon!!!!

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

Tuttimelon SOMA SF Grand Opening on 11/11

Fro-yo girl here. I'm hearing rumors that there will indeed be free fro-yo from noon - 2 PM and raffle prizes at Tuttimelon's grand opening event this Wednesday. The festivities start at noon. It's their second self-serve location in SF. Spread the word, Tutti fans!

I hope they have almond tart fro-yo there...and I want to try the new rose fro-yo. I still need to try their pumpkin fro-yo too.

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

* TUTTIMELON: 199 New Montgomery, San Francisco, CA

Chillfactor Yogurt Lounge Grand Opening Nov. 13

Fro-yo girl here. Just received word that Chillfactor Yogurt Lounge is having a grand opening celebration this Friday (the 13th). It's self serve and they opened last Friday. The lounge part has me intrigued. Plus free wi-fi is great for the students in the area (it's close to SJSU).

Grand opening details:
* FREE FRO-YO from 11 AM - 2 PM
* First 100 customers get free t-shirts (oooh, I want a fro-yo t-shirt)
* Wild 94.9 will be there

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

* CHILLFACTOR YOGURT LOUNGE: 312 S. Third Street, San Jose, CA

http://chillfactoryogurt.com/

Snowee Grand Opening on Nov. 15th

Fro-yo girl here. Consider yourself invited to a fro-yo store grand opening. Snowee's grand opening is Sunday, Nov. 15th. During the grand opening, enjoy 50% off your purchase (regular price is 39 cents an ounce) and snow ice samples. And they'll have a Chinese lion dance at 2 PM.

I spotted flyers at the register with 25% off coupons, good till November 30. They're open for business and right now, you'll get 30% off your purchase.


Snowee is swirling 8 fro-yo flavors a day, including some non-dairy options (sorbets). Do check out the upstairs area with the ladybugs on the wall and the puppets. You'll see my friend upstairs.

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

* SNOWEE: 168 25th Ave., San Mateo, CA

Viva Yogurt Café: Family Friendly New Fro-yo Shop in Pleasanton

Fro-yo girl here. I’m back with another behind the scenes (behind the swirl) report. This time I had the opportunity to chat with Nicole, the general manager and Jiyoung, the CEO of Viva Yogurt Café.

Viva Yogurt Café opened recently in a residential part of Pleasanton, a few minutes from downtown. I can’t say that I know exactly where I was but I know it was by a sports park. During the opening day, it was over 100 degrees and they served thousands of people free fro-yo. The café feels cozy and friendly, more like a coffee shop than your typical fruity, sterile fro-yo shop.

In addition to their self-serve fro-yo (38 cents/oz), they serve coffee, Lupicia tea and jumbo & mini cupcakes. The cupcakes are made by a local baker and they sound really good (flavors include pina colada, lemon dream, rocky road, cookies n’ cream but I didn’t get to see any - they were sold out).

This is the first fro-yo shop for Jiyoung. She searched for the right fro-yo for a long time and selected Frogurt because she liked the creaminess and the fact that it’s all natural. Frogurt, by Wards Ice Cream, is so old school that they don’t even have a website. Jiyoung fell in love with the plain tart Frogurt at Bloomingdale’s famed 40 Carrots years ago while living in NYC…and she’s thrilled to be serving the same product at her shop. Plain tart is still her favorite flavor.

Frogurt doesn’t have as many flavors as other fro-yo brands and they only have one tart flavor. All the flavors that I tried were very smooth, creamy and sweet.

Viva offers catering (sounds like they’ll bring the fro-yo to you) and fundraisers.

Congratulations on the lovely new fro-yo shop and thanks J & N for the inside swirl.

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

* VIVA YOGURT CAFÉ: 3037 Hopyard Rd., Suite C, Pleasanton, CA

Custom Printed Fro-yo Cups

Fro-yo girl here. Fro-yo somehow tastes better when eaten out of a cute, branded cup and eaten with a nice spoon. The plain white cups are so boring. Printed logo cups are an easy, affordable way to build a shop’s brand and help the shop stand out from other fro-yo shops. Stickers are an option but they don’t look as nice especially if the sticker is crooked.


The two main suppliers of fro-yo cups (double poly paper hot/cold food containers) are Karat (www.lollicupstore.com) and CarryOutSupplies (www.carryoutsupplies.com). I’ve examined the Tuttimelon cup (manufactured and printed by Karat) and the cups for Icebee (APO brand, manufactured and printed by CarryOutSupplies). The Tuttimelon cup and Icebee cup have a similar weight and feel. I can’t spot any quality differences. The Yoppi cup Karat and APO cups are priced the same online.


CarryOutSupplies is willing to negotiate on prices and terms. Unlike other companies, they offer free storage so you don’t have to fill your garage with fro-yo cups. Shipping is free on all orders. Free custom printing is offered as well. They can provide custom molds.

I’ve eaten out of the APO cups many times (they supply Menchie’s, Yoppi Yogurt, Yogurt Passion, etc.). These are nice cups.

Special offer: Call Kirby at CarryOutSupplies at 626-262-6819 and tell them fro-yo girl sent you. You’ll receive a free case of colored spoons with your cup purchase. Contact Kirby for details.

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

Halloween Fro-yo Pictures

Fro-yo girl here. Thanks readers, for your Halloween related fro-yo tips. I visited Tuttimelon West Portal first because I like the surprise bag concept (reminds me of Sanrio). I was impressed by the carved pumpkins in the window. Someone had carved Tuttimelon into one of them! The surprise bags were kept in a creepy orange box that looked like a square jack o’lantern and had cobwebs inside.

Their pumpkin gelato is very good, sweet with lots of cinnamon flavor, but my heart belongs to fro-yo.

My bag of treats contained: $5 Tuttimelon gift card, mini Tootsie Roll pop (grape), eyeball eraser, stamper with a smiling dog?, pack of rainbow Twizzlers. Thanks Tuttimelon! Anyone else care to share what they received? Leave me a note.


Later I went to Tuttimelon Chestnut which apparently had the most elaborate Halloween decorations of all the Tuttimelon locations. There was a huge moving witch suspended above the gelato case, blood dripping from the gelato case, and several large ghouls, including one in the window that was holding a Tuttimelon cup. Also, they had a basket of assorted candies by the cash register. Cute!


Did anyone go to Tuttimelon Polk or Alameda yesterday? I wonder what Halloween surprises they had there.

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