Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Fro-yo Hot Spots in 2010


Fro-yo girl here. I'm taking another look back to 2010 and picking the cities in the Bay Area with the most fro-yo activity. Each year I pick out fro-yo hot spots based on three criteria: (1) innovation, (2) quantity of new fro-yo shops and (3) fro-yo quality. Last January 2010, I selected San Jose, Pleasanton, Fremont, and San Mateo.

This year the hot spots are:
* WALNUT CREEK: People in Walnut Creek love fro-yo. Yogurt Park and Yogurt Castle have been there forever. Blush Organic Frozen Yogurt, Tutti Frutti, Yogofina, and Tower 27 all opened in 2010, joining existing fro-yo shops, Yogurt Castle, Yogurt Place, Yogurt Station, Coco Swirl, Yoppi Yogurt, and Yogurt Park.
* OAKLAND: Oakland saw the most fro-yo activity. Multiple new locations of Tutti Frutti and Yogofina led the way. Mr. Green Bubble, iYogurt, and Miam Miam Lounge also opened in Oakland in 2010. Last year was a slow year for new innovative fro-yo shops. The one innovative newcomer of note was Miam Miam Lounge in Oakland.

Honorable mentions:
* BURLINGAME: Harmony Frozen Yogurt opened another branch in late 2009, followed in early 2010 by Blush and Tuttimelon. Cherimoya gave fro-yo a try (for a brief period) and then decided to stick with Vietnamese food.
* DUBLIN: I always think of Blush Organic Frozen Yogurt when I am in the Dublin area. In 2010, Blush was joined by Yogurtland, Yogurt Walk and Tutti Frutti.
* SUNNYVALE: Juicy Berry opened in 2010, and was later joined by Pinkberry and Tutti Frutti.

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

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