Yogurtland Summer Splash Bash

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurtland Burlingame and San Francisco kicked off the summer with the Summer Splash Blast this weekend. Guests were treated to face painting, hourly drawings for $25 gift cards, drawings of frozen yogurt to color, and $1 cups of fro-yo and toppings. The shop was decorated with balloons and vinyl records, a nod to the old fashioned Summer Refreshers frozen yogurt flavors: Root Beer Float, Orangesicle and Hibiscus Passion Fruit sorbet.

I thought about trying to make the world’s tallest cup of frozen yogurt, starting with putting an even layer of toppings on the bottom. I swirled a cup of Madagascar Vanilla Bean frozen yogurt and it turned out looking just like the illustrated cup.

The Summer Splash Blast continues till 3 PM today at the San Francisco location.

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

* YOGURTLAND INGLESIDE: 1250 Ocean Ave., San Francisco, CA

Menchie Makes an Appearance in Berkeley Today

Fro-yo girl here. I spotted Menchie crossing the street today with his friend. He walked onto the UC Berkeley campus spreading smiles and then was crossing back over to his shop when I spotted him. Having Menchie wave at me was the highlight of my day. He has the cutest feet. 

Thanks Menchie’s for the free fro-yo and congrats on your opening!

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

* MENCHIE’S: 1862 Euclid Ave., Berkeley, CA

Los Angeles Froyo: Froyo Waffle Tacos at A Tea Yogurt

Fro-yo girl here. At first glance, A Tea Yogurt looks like a fairly typical Asian owned frozen yogurt and milk tea shop but they’ve invented something that’s like a frozen yogurt version of a Choco Taco. They have about a dozen frozen yogurt waffle tacos ($3.50 and up) with the option to create your own. 

Some interesting frozen yogurt waffle taco creations include:

* Chocolate peanut butter attack: chocolate frozen yogurt, peanut butter, Reese’s peanut butter cups, hot fudge in a chocolate peanut butter waffle taco

* Banana o’ split (their best seller): vanilla, chocolate and strawberry frozen yogurt, sliced bananas, strawberry syrup, crushed pineapple, hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream, boba in a cinnamon banana waffle taco

* Coffee toffee: vanilla frozen yogurt, crushed Heath bars, coffee syrup in a cappucino waffle taco

They make their own waffle taco shells and they come in different flavors like cappuccino, chocolate dipped, cranberry, cinnamon banana and chocolate swirl. The frozen yogurt flavors (basic flavors: vanilla, chocolate and strawberry) are available in a cup or in the waffle taco. The waffle taco shape allows for more toppings than a waffle cone.

A Tea Yogurt opened a few weeks ago. They also operate a food truck called Boba ni Taco and they plan to sell pre-made frozen yogurt waffle tacos from the truck.

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

* A TEA YOGURT: 137 W. Main St., Alhambra, CA 91801

Fage Fruyo Review

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve never liked fruit on the bottom or fruit in a separate compartment yogurt. First, it’s a hassle to mix the yogurt and fruit. Second, the fruit flavor is never evenly distributed unless you spend a long time mixing. Third, the fruit on the bottom looks like a syrupy mess. I was happy to see that Fage had introduced a new line of blended imported Greek strained yogurt. 

Fruyo comes in six flavors: Vanilla, peach, strawberry, cherry, pineapple, pineapple-banana. A six ounce cup is 112 calories. Fruyo is fat free and all natural. The fruit flavors feature pieces of fruit. It’s positioned as a yogurt dessert.

* Vanilla: It was very thick with no visible water, the texture was whipped, the flavor was way too sweet but it still had a nice real yogurt tang and plenty of vanilla bean specks

* Blueberry: I liked this flavor better than the vanilla because it seemed less sweet. There was blueberry flavor throughout, with extra blueberry flavor when encountering the tiny blueberries. The texture was also very creamy, thick and whipped.

I found Fruyo at Safeway. A cup is $1.79 regular price.

4 out of 5 stars.

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

* SAFEWAY: 5290 Diamond Heights Blvd., San Francisco, CA

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Safeway Open Nature Greek Frozen Yogurt Bars Review

Fro-yo girl here. Safeway has expanded its private label Open Nature Greek frozen yogurt line with frozen yogurt bars. Four flavors are available: Blueberry, strawberry, cherry, and vanilla. 

I bought a package of vanilla bars. The bar was soft and very creamy, like ice cream on a stick but with a bit of yogurt flavor. The flavor was too sweet and it wasn't tangy or sour like you'd expect for a yogurt product. However, I did like the texture and the fact that it had some yogurt flavor.

The bars come in a package of six. One bar is 120 calories, 3.5g of fat and 5g of protein. The main ingredients are skim milk, sugar, water, cream and whey protein. The product contains live and active yogurt cultures. A package is $2.79 with a Club card, $3.99 without a card. 

4 out of 5 stars.

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

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Los Angeles Fro-yo: Frog Frozen Yogurt Bar

Fro-yo girl here. Los Angeles, the land of fro-yo, is home to interesting frozen yogurt shops like Frog in Hollywood. Frog has the look and feel of a nightclub and is open late hours to match. I love that it also supports local artists. 

Frog opened its doors last year and its wall has been featured the work of several local artists. The first artist featured was Ryan Graeff of Restitution Press with a graffiti mural of iconic buildings in LA. T-shirts with the Restitution Press design were available for sale with proceeds going to the charity of the artist’s choice. Currently, Frog’s wall features the work of Plastic God, with half the proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. I recognized a few people in the mural of pop icons, including Audrey Hepburn, Rhianna, Steven Spielberg, Marilyn Monroe, Super Mario, etc. I admired Plastic God's work for the 50th Anniversary of Sanrio. Limited edition, numbered and signed prints are available and there will be an auction of the individual portraits that make up the mural. For additional information, contact Frog.

I really like the design of Frog which is sleek and urban and doesn’t have any cutesy frogs around. The little round lights on the ceiling change colors. I love the lacy white tables and chairs. The toppings bar is pristine and overflowing. Sampling is actively encouraged and the customer service is warm and friendly.

I’m currently saving their spoons, which come in two colors, clear and pink and say Frog on them. Rumor has it that new spoons could be on the way soon.

I recently had the chance to learn more about Frog from the owner, Damien B.

FYG: What inspired you to open a frozen yogurt shop? 

DB: I was working 60 hours a week in reality tv production over the past 10 years. When I was home on break from shooting, I would have breakfast everyday across the street from the Frog location. I would stare across at an old photo lab, and I would keep asking myself how much longer can that place stay in business? I would love to put a late-night froyo place there. I was inspired by the resurgence of restaurants and nightlife in the Cahuenga Corridor and wanted to be a part of it. 

FYG: What's your favorite Frog creation?
DB: For my favorite creation I put cinnamon toast crunch in the bottom of the bowl and add cinnamon graham cracker yogurt and top it off with hot caramel sauce and graham cracker dust and cinnamon sugar.

FYG: What's the story behind the name, Frog?

DB: When I first began to conceptualize the name for the store, it was first going to be "Yogurt Love" I thought that was too similar to Yogurtland, so I changed it to "igyo" which looked really cool as a graphic, but may have confused many. Igyo means "cutsie" in korean. One syllable words always seem to be memorable, so was born Frog. From the "fr" in frozen and "og" in yogurt. My only rules for the brand were no green and no frog-like characters. I opted for bright magenta-pink and still we have no frog mascot.

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

* FROG FROZEN YOGURT BAR: 1550 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028

Frozen Yogurt Cup Dividers from Wagner Bartosch

Fro-yo girl here. Were you the type of kid who didn’t like your peas to touch the other food on your plate? Do you own a plate with compartments? Are you horrified by the idea of putting non-complementary frozen yogurt flavors in the same cup? Frustrated by frozen berries or M&Ms dye run off? If you answered yes to any of these questions, The Divider by Wagner Bartosch can help you.

The Divider is a poly-coated, food safe paperboard insert that fits snugly into 16 ounce frozen yogurt cups to create two neat little compartments. Stock dividers are available in four colors (with a fifth one available soon) and custom dividers are available for bulk orders. Frozen yogurt shops that carry the cup dividers offer them to customers for free and the weight (6.6 grams) is taken off by the Point of Sale system.

I like the idea of the dividers because they make it easier to decide on which flavors to get if feel like getting two flavors or to keep toppings separate from fro-yo. The Divider also looks and feels nice. It’s a great way to further customize your cup of fro-yo to your liking. Custom dividers reinforce the frozen yogurt store brand.

According to the16 Handles 2013 State of Fro-yo poll, 89% of participants prefer getting more than one fro-yo flavor. Out of curiosity I looked at all the frozen yogurt that I consumed in 2012 (though I didn’t join Pinterest till February 2012, so my January fro-yo consumption is unaccounted for) and discovered that I had one flavor in my cup 79% of the time, two flavors 18% of the time and three flavors 3% of the time. I did not exceed three flavors in one cup.

Though I prefer having a single fro-yo flavor in my cup, I still like the idea of using the divider to keep my fro-yo and toppings separate. Also, while I would never put tart and sweet fro-yo flavors in the same cup, if I used a cup divider, I would consider doing so. Using a divider is less wasteful than using two separate cups and I’d feel weird about getting two cups for myself.

When I come across a cute custom cup divider, I’m going to add it to my collection.

For additional information about The Divider visit www.yogurtdividers.com

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

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Complete Set of Froyo Spoons from Tutti Frutti

Fro-yo girl here. Last year at about this time of year, select Tutti Frutti locations started carrying signature fro-yo spoons. The spoon handles featured three fruit shapes. The spoon is available in five colors: red, orange, yellow, green and blue.

I finally have a complete set plus some extras. I noticed many Tutti Frutti locations in the Bay Area don’t have the fruit spoons. Many of the locations have TF soybean frozen yogurt signs and/or cups but not the actual frozen yogurt. It’s frustrating because I’d like some soybean frozen yogurt and a cute spoon.

I’ve spotted the fruit spoons at Tutti Frutti Milpitas and Walnut Creek (Palos Verde Mall).

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

New Fro-yo Spoon! Menchie’s Mookie Spoon

Fro-yo girl here. First it was the Menchie, then Chip and now Mookie has joined the list of Menchie character spoons. Mookie, one of Menchie’s sweet friends, is a cow who loves frozen yogurt. Here's a picture of the front and back of the spoon. Aren't both sides adorable?

Mookie spoons are limited edition, so get them while you can. I’m happy to see my fro-yo spoon collection expand.

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

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Yogurt Candy Review: Glico Gummy & Yogurt Candy

Fro-yo girl here. I love my Nijiya Market. Every few months I’ll find a new Japanese yogurt flavored candy in the candy aisle. During a recent visit I found Glico Gummy & Yogurt candy, which comes in a white and green with a picture of aloe resealable pouch. There’s very little English on the package so I’m not even sure what the ingredients are. Luckily, the flavor is listed in English.

The cube is firm like a jelly with two layers. The texture is softer on top and chewier on the bottom. So the bottom layer is probably the gummy layer and the top is the yogurt aloe gel. The cube is covered in sugar. The top layer is very sweet but also very tangy, like a tangy aloe drink flavor. The bottom layer is sweet without much flavor. I liked both the texture and the flavor. It’s not exactly the sour kind of gummy that I like but it is quite tangy and flavorful.

A bag of Glico Gummy & Yogurt candy is $1.99. It looks like this candy comes in other flavors (Strawberry Yogurt, Blueberry Yogurt) but I didn’t see those at my Nijiya.

4 out of 5 stars.

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

* NIJIYA MARKET:1737 Post St #333, San Francisco, CA

Future Fro-yo Shop Pictures: Yogurtland Fremont

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurtland Fremont, which is located across from the Fremont Hub, looks ready to open. It should open “the first week of June.” The chairs have arrived, the fro-yo machines are in place and the signs are up. It’s a good sized Yogurtland that will have 16 fro-yo flavors on tap and ample parking in the back. From the boxes I spotted, I know that the outdoor furniture comes from Emu of Italy, they use Micros as their POS, and the trashcans are from simplehuman.

For updates, check out the Yogurtland Fremont FB page.

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

* YOGURTLAND FREMONT: 4069 Mowry Ave., Fremont, CA

Happy National Frozen Yogurt Month 2013

Fro-yo girl here. It's that time of year, the best month of the year for frozen yogurt, National Frozen Yogurt Month. Thanks to TCBY for declaring and sponsoring National Frozen Yogurt Month, National Frozen Yogurt Week (the first week of June) and National Frozen Yogurt Day (the first "Sundae/Sunday" in June) back in 1993.

Interest in frozen yogurt as measured by search volume, remains greatest in the US. But Greece has come on strong, overtaking Canada for #2. With the surge of interest in Greek yogurt and Greek frozen yogurt, entrepreneurial Greeks have responded by opening frozen yogurt shops in Greece. The top five regions in search volume are: US, Greece, Canada, Hong Kong and Kuwait. Australia, which was #3 last year, fell to #6.

It's no surprise that the city with the greatest search volume is Los Angeles, the city that started the frozen yogurt trend. It's followed by Boston, San Francisco, New York and Seattle. This shows that interest remains high in more mature frozen yogurt markets. It is surprising that by search volume, Boston and Washington DC surpassed California.

In terms of the most popular frozen yogurt search terms, the top three are frozen yogurt recipe, calories frozen yogurt and make frozen yogurt. Many of the most popular search terms relate to making frozen yogurt.

Remember the best way to celebrate National Frozen Yogurt Month is to eat more fro-yo. 

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