Favorite Froyo Flavor of 2014

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve eaten a lot of froyo this year, about 140 cups and I’ve tried my share of new froyo flavors.

My favorite new flavors this year:

• Menchie’s Just the Cookie 
• Menchie’s Zesty Lemon Meringue 
• Pinkberry’s Mint Chocolate Cookie
• Yogurtland’s Black Currant Berry Tart
• Yogurtland’s Cookie Butter 
• Yogurtland’s Flan

It looks like I really like cookie flavors, that is, froyo with bits of cookie in it. I do love tart flavors but there weren’t as many new tart flavors introduced this year.

My very favorite new froyo flavor of 2014 is…Flan by Yogurtland. Flan was part of the Second Annual Flavor Quest, representing Spain, and I described it as “rich, creamy and with an intense caramelized sugar taste, even better than the earlier Creme Brulee flavor (from Yogurtland) perhaps due to the addition of sweetened condensed milk.”

I’m really hoping it comes back as part of the Fan Choice Awards! Fingers crossed.

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.

Froyo Christmas Gifts

Fro-yo girl here. Thank you Santa for adding to my froyo collection.

* Cookie cutters: Chloe’s Kitchen’s set of five cookie cutters are actually cupcake cookie cutters but they look like cups of froyo.

* Shopkins, Season 1, Frozen Edition: Shopkins are tiny collectible figurines inspired by grocery store items. You can view all the Shopkins toys (148) on the Shopkins website. If you create an account, you can track the ones you have and want online. There are two froyo toys called Yo-Chi. Yo-Chi's favorite hobby is swirling around the dance floor and she's known to be well cultured.

#131-1 Yo-Chi features a pink cup, pink spoon, berries

#123-1 Yo-Chi features an orange cup, orange spoon, berries

* Yogurtland gift cards: I visit at least once a week so I could really use these.

Did you receive froyo gifts this Christmas?

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.

2014 Bay Area Froyo Year in Review

Fro-yo girl here. It’s time to look about at the year in froyo in the Bay Area. Since I’ve moved to SoCal, this will be the last Bay Area yearly review.

Closings slightly outpaced openings. Most of the openings occurred in the South Bay (San Jose area), followed by San Francisco openings. New froyo shops continued to replace old ones (e.g., Pure Yum, Yogurt in Love, Over the Moon). With two new San Jose locations opening in 2014, Yogurtland has the most locations in the Bay Area of any chain. They plan to open a location in Mountain View, CA soon. Red Mango opened a location at the San Jose International Airport last month.

Bay Area Openings 

• Easy Breezy Inner Sunset (San Francisco)
• Fusion Mix (Fremont)
• Honeyberry (Oakland)
• Loving Cup Hayes Valley (San Francisco)
• Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt (Oakridge Mall, San Jose & Dublin)
• Over the Moon Ice Cream & Cookies (2 locations, they took over Yogorino’s SF locations and kept the yogurt machines, and they still serve froyo)
• Pure Yum (Fremont, former FreshBerry location)
• Red Mango (San Jose International Airport)
• Souvla (San Francisco)
• YoDo Yogurt (Campbell)
• Yogurt in Love (Los Gatos)
• Yogurtland Brokaw, Cambrian Park, Cottle Rd. (San Jose)
• Yogurtland (Morgan Hill)

Most of the closings occurred in San Jose. Notable closings include Yogurt Delite’s two locations in San Jose. Both locations survived for decades. Tuttimelon closed its flagship Irving St. location (they moved from the original location on Irving St. to a larger location – the larger location closed) and one of its earliest locations on Chestnut St. in San Francisco. Icebee was the earliest self-serve shops in SF and it recently closed. Yogen Fruz opened its first location in the Bay Area at the Embarcadero Center in San Francisco in early 2008, that location closed this year. Tutti Frutti closed several locations this year. The shops that closed were diverse – some were new self-serve shops and others had been around for decades. Some sold froyo only and others like Next Door Sweets and Good Bellies had many offerings plus froyo.

Bay Area Closings

• Cultive (San Francisco)
• Fro-Yo Shoppe (Mountain View)
• Froyo Delight (San Jose)
• Gaga Yogurt (San Jose)
• Good Bellies (Oakland)
• Icebee (San Francisco & San Jose)
• Next Door Sweets (San Francisco)
• Tuttimelon Chestnut St. & Irving St. (San Francisco)
• Tutti Frutti Oak Grove & Palos Verdes Mall (Walnut Creek)
• Tutti Frutti (Milpitas)
• Tutti Frutti Silver Creek (San Jose)
• Yogen Fruz (San Francisco)
• Yogurt Delite (Blossom Valley & Meridian, San Jose)
• Yogurt Village (San Jose)
• Yogurt Walk (Dublin)
• Yotopia (San Francisco)

More froyo shops are on the way in 2015.

Future Openings

• Easy Breezy Castro (San Francisco)
• Yogurtland (Mountain View)

For a comprehensive review of froyo events in 2014, check out IFYA's post on key events in the froyo industry in 2014 post.

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.

Best Swirl of 2014

Fro-yo girl here. I'm about to swirl my last cup of froyo for the year, so it's a good time to look back at all my cups of froyo consumed in 2014.

You can see all my 2014 froyo cups consumed on my Pinterest board, Froyo Consumed by Me in 2014.

After looking at all my cups of froyo that I swirled this year, I picked out the nicest cup of froyo that I personally swirled.

And the winner is...a cup of Flan and Black Currant Berry Tart froyo with praline macadamia nuts, chocolate covered almonds, mochi, strawberries and graham cracker crumbs swirled on March 31 at Yogurtland San Francisco during the 2nd Annual Yogurtland Flavor Quest. I couldn't get enough of the flan flavor and I loved black currant berry tart as well.

It's more challenging to swirl two separate flavors side by side than one flavor. In my best swirled cup, I've achieved two swirls of equal height and diameter, with well defined swirls that point in the same direction. Not easy.

It was interesting to look back at all my cups of froyo to see which flavors and toppings I selected. I found out the following:

* 21% of my cups weren't swirled by me (I went to a full serve froyo shop)
* 18% of my cups contained pumpkin froyo, since it's generally available for 2-3 months, that's a lot of pumpkin froyo
* Over 130 cups of froyo consumed, or more than a cup of froyo every 3 days

Want to make your swirl look nicer? Read IFYA's Froyo Swirling Tips and get plenty of practice.

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.

Spotted at Yogurtland Santa Barbara

Fro-yo girl here. Over the weekend I was in Santa Barbara to do a bit of Christmas shopping on State Street. Yogurtland was so busy that all the tables were taken and people were sitting outside on the sidewalk eating frozen yogurt. I was surprised to see a sign for Premium Hot Chocolate (the beverage) in the window and inside since I’ve never seen any Yogurtland sell a non-frozen yogurt food or beverage item. They had a Mexican Hot Chocolate flavor before but that was frozen yogurt.

I didn’t try the hot chocolate…I’d rather have frozen yogurt.

* YOGURTLAND: 621 State St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101

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: Meiji Yogurt Soft Candy, Senjaku Happy Nikukyu Gummy Candy, Nobel Sours Gummy

Fro-yo girl here. The candymakers in Japan have been busy and yogurt flavored candies are still popular. I found several new yogurt candies on a recent trip to Mitsuwa Market.

Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt Soft Candy Strawberry

Meiji, the maker of Chelsea Yogurt Scotch and Yoglet, now makes Bulgaria Yogurt Soft Candy. Nijiya had one flavor, strawberry. A 33g reseable pouch of Yogurt Soft Candy is $1.89. This was the best tasting candy of the three that I tried. It looks and tastes like a longer, thinner cousin of Mentos. The outer shell of pink strawberry shellac surrounds a firm, chewy interior. It's very chewy and has a slight tartness. It also tastes a bit like bubblegum. The flavor isn't unpleasant but it's not that natural and Mentos tastes better. The candy contains yogurt powder.

Ingredients: Sugar, corn syrup, vegetable oil, gelatin, yogurt powder, sweetened condensed milk, dried strawberry, soy lecithin, sorbitol, acidulant, guar gum, artificial flavor, shellac, vegetable coloring.

4 out of 5 stars.

Senjaku Happy Nikukyu Gummy Candy: Apple Yogurt

These were very cute. The gummy candy is shaped like a kitten's paw. The bottom layer is white and the top layer is a clear pale peach that sparkles. It's firm and chewy like a gummy candy. The flavor seems sweet and bland at first but it becomes more flavorful and has a slight tartness and milky flavor. The apple flavor does not taste natural.  

Each pouch has one flavor of candy. Flavors include peach, cassis, pineapple and apple. A 40g pouch is $1.59.

Ingredients: Corn syrup, sugar, gelatin, milk calcium, powdered oblart (soy), concentrated apple juice, sorbitol, citric acid, artificial flavor, carnauba wax, anthocyanin, carotenoid color.

3 out of 5 stars.

Nobel Sours Gummy: Strawberry Yogurt

Nobel Sours comes in many flavors. I tried their plain gummy yogurt sours in the past and wasn't a fan. The strawberry yogurt flavor is even worse. I don't like the texture because it's too hard. It's more like a hard gelatin than a gummy. The pink rectangles are coated in a powder. The taste is slightly rotten, slightly like berries, and tangy. 

One 45g pouch is $1.79.

Ingredients: Sugar, corn syrup, agar agar, corn oil, strawberry juice, oblaat, acidulant, polishing agent, no animal based artificial flavor, emulsifier, anthocyandin, powdered milk.

2 out of 5 stars.

* MITSUWA MARKETPLACE: 515 W Las Tunas Dr., San Gabriel, CA 91776

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.

Icebee Closes San Francisco Location

Fro-yo girl here. Icebee opened its first location in February 2008 at 829 Mission St. San Francisco, CA 94103. It was self-serve, the first self-serve froyo shop in SF. The location was convenient for mall shoppers. It survived over 6 years which isn’t too shabby because the yogurt wasn’t that good. I always found their frozen yogurt to be icy so I probably went there two or three times total. Icebee closed in late November 2014.

Yogen Fruz San Francisco, which also opened in 2008, also closed this year. The Embarcadero location was the first Yogen Fruz location in the Bay Area. Tuttimelon closed its Chestnut St. Marina location this year and also the relocated Irving St. shop (Irving St. was their first location), both locations opened in 2008.

2008 was the beginning of the froyo boom in the Bay Area.

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.

Meet the Frozen Yogurt Princess

Fro-yo girl here. There is a Frozen Yogurt Princess and it’s not me.

Who is the Frozen Yogurt Princess? 

The Frozen Yogurt Princess is an Adventure Time character. She looks like frozen yogurt (her hair resembles a swirl of vanilla or original tart froyo and her dress looks like an upside down cake cone). She was introduced in an episode called Breezy which aired in June 5, 2014. She dated Finn in that episode. Not much is known about her (hopefully they’ll show more of her on future episodes).

What is Adventure Time?

Adventure Time is an animated TV series that started in 2012 and is about a human boy named Finn and his magical best friend, Jake the Dog. It is shown on the Cartoon Network.

I'm collecting images of the Frozen Yogurt Princess on my Frozen Yogurt Princess Pinterest board: http://www.pinterest.com/froyogirl/frozen-yogurt-princess/

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.

New "Test" Flavor at Pinkberry Glendale

Fro-yo girl here. The other day I strolled into Pinkberry's Americana location to take a break from holiday shopping and I was surprised to see a new froyo flavor that I hadn't heard about.

They just added "Popcorn" froyo. It's a test flavor! The flavor has a sweet base (not tangy). The texture was light and smooth. The popcorn flavor was more sweet and buttery than salty. It wasn't that dominant but you could definitely taste the popcorn. Though it's described as sweet and salty, I didn't notice the saltiness. It reminded me of their Butter Pecan flavor.

They also had caramel (pop)corn at the toppings bar.

I'm not sure how long they'll carry this flavor, so if you're interested, check it out soon. Call first to see if it's there.

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

* PINKBERRY AMERICANA: 759 Americana Way, Glendale, CA 91210

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.

Menchie's Grand Opening Celebration Week Begins in Ventura, CA

Fro-yo girl here. Menchie's opened its first location in Ventura, CA recently and today they kicked off their grand opening week festivities with a ribbon cutting, appearance by Menchie, balloon artist and free froyo.

The first 25 people in line also received a free kid's color in t-shirt. 

The celebration continues all week with special promotions. The first 25 guests on Sunday will receive a free Menchie plushie doll.

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

* MENCHIE'S: 5944 Telegraph Rd., Ventura, CA 93003

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.

Win a Free Spaceman USA 6220 Soft Serve Machine

Fro-yo girl here. Want to win a free soft serve frozen yogurt/ice cream machine? Enter the Spaceman USA's holiday giveaway - the prize is the Spaceman USA 6220 countertop machine. The 6220 is incredibly versatile and portable.

It's easy to enter. Like and/or share Spaceman USA's giveaway posts on Facebook or Linked In to enter. Or you can fill out the entry form on the Spaceman USA website: http://spacemanusa.com/holiday-giveaway/

https://www.facebook.com/spacemanus

LinkedIn

Entries accepted until December 19, 2014. Best of luck!

Contest rules: http://spacemanusa.com/holiday-giveaway/

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.

Winter Yogurtland Promotion Continues with Two New Festive Flavors: Cinnamon Banana Bread & Eggnog

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurtland introduced two new festive flavors as part of the Walking in a Winter Yogurtland winter promotion. Eggnog is a returning favorite and features real nutmeg with a hint of vanilla.

Recommended toppings: White chocolate chips, Speculoos cookies 

Cinnamon Banana Bread froyo is a new flavor made with real banana bread, freshly roasted pecans, bananas and a dash of cinnamon. It does taste exactly like banana bread, with that warm baked flavor.

Recommended toppings: Pumpkin bread, cheesecake, almonds, graham crackers

Both flavors are available while supplies last.

Next up: Sticky toffee pudding returns on Dec. 8, inspired by the traditional English treat.

Remember the Yogurtland gift card promotions. From Nov. 10 – Dec. 23, you’ll get a $5 gift card for every $20 in gift cards that you buy. From November 10 – November 30, customers who purchase $7 of froyo will receive a 5-ounce free card.

#WinterYogurtland

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.

Tis the Season: Menchie's Holiday Spoons Have Arrived

Fro-yo girl here. The newest Menchie's limited edition collectible froyo spoons have been ariving at Menchie's locations. The 2014 Menchie's holiday spoons are red and feature Menchie possibly sitting in a froyo cup that's wrapped with a big bow. The ribbon says "Unwrap the yumm!" The hole on top will make these easy to hang on a Christmas tree (they're definitely going on my tree).

They also have limited edition holiday green cups.

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.

New Winter Yogurtland Flavor: Caramel Macadamia Froyo

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurtland’s winter promotion, Walking in a Winter Yogurtland, introduced a new flavor today: Caramel Macadamia. It's described as "A decadent, delicious holiday treat. Real macadamia nuts are dark roasted for a deep flavor, adding both a hint of salt and a back note of caramel."

From the description it sounds like macadamia nuts are the prominent flavor. I found that the caramel flavor was more noticeable and the back note tasted nutty. The texture was rich, smooth and creamy. It seemed pretty sweet to me but I'm not a caramel fan unless the caramel is muted by other flavors.

Recommended toppings: Speculoos cookies, almonds, white chocolate chips, toffee bits, Cap'N Crunch

Next up: Cinnamon banana bread & Eggnog on December 1.

Remember the Yogurtland gift card promotions. From Nov. 10 – Dec. 23, you’ll get a $5 gift card for every $20 in gift cards that you buy. From November 10 – November 30, customers who purchase $7 of froyo will receive a 5-ounce free card.

Also, look for the new Yogurtland froyo cup ornaments ($2.99 each), available while supplies last.

#WinterYogurtland

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.

Tis the Season: Yogurtland Ornaments Have Arrived

Fro-yo girl here. The holidays are here and so are Yogurtland ornaments! Ispotted these at the Yogurtland in Burbank. They’re made out of ceramic.

These are the first Yogurtland Christmas ornaments. What Yogurtland fan wouldn’t love to have a cup of Yogurtland on his/her Christmas tree? Get yours for $2.99.

I’m hoping to add lots of froyo ornaments to my Christmas tree.

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

* YOGURTLAND: 304 N San Fernando Blvd., Burbank, CA 91502

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.

Lower Your Operational Costs with IFYA's Discounts for Frozen Yogurt Shops

Fro-yo girl here. When I founded the International Frozen Yogurt Association in 2013, one of the main goals was to help current and prospective frozen yogurt shop operators be more successful. When I spoke to frozen yogurt store operators about how the frozen yogurt association might help them, they talked about the importance of saving on operational costs.

We researched suppliers and developed partnerships with top quality suppliers who were willing to offer IFYA member discounts. We are pleased that IFYA members now enjoy savings on a wide variety of products and services. These discounts can save shops thousands of dollars a year. 

Basic IFYA membership is still free. IFYA premium members ($50/year) enjoy access to additional discounts. 

IFYA Premium Member Discounts

• Credit card processing from Green Payment Solutions (GPS): Green Payment Solutions’ new program includes a low rate guarantee and a wide range of other valuable savings, available to IFYA premium members. Green Payment Solutions has provided top quality credit card processing services to local and national merchants for more than 10 years and is recognized with A+ status by the Better Business Bureau. Contact Gene Da Lie from Green Payment Solutions at (818) 564-0577 or gened@greenpayllc.com for a no-obligation rate review of your merchant account. Learn more about Green Payment Solutions online at www.GreenPaymentSolutions.com.
• Comprehensive business compliance solutions from Payality: IFYA premium members can choose from 3 different compliance packages, all discounted more than 20% for IFYA members. The small, medium and large compliance packages come with different features and can be further customized with additional services (Extra Toppings). From Payroll, Human Resources, Employee Benefits, Worker’s Compensation Payment Administration, and Retirement Solutions, Payality’s comprehensive compliance solutions reduce their client’s costs, increase efficiency and streamline operations across the client’s business. Payality also integrates with leading workers comp carriers, including IFYA endorsed Select Marketing Insurance of California, to offer pay-as-you-go premium payments that feature no upfront deposit, premiums paid each pay period based on actual payroll, and the elimination of audit hassles. For additional information on this offer, please visit http://www.payality.com/ifya/

IFYA Member Discounts (for Basic and Premium Members)

• Workers’ Comp Insurance in California: IFYA is pleased to partner with California’s workers’ comp experts, Select Marketing Insurance Services, to offer special group rates to California frozen yogurt shop owners who are IFYA members. SMI’s special group rates are significantly lower than rates small frozen yogurt shops can get on their own. They are known for offering frozen yogurt shops the best combination of price, stability and coverage with A+ rated Preferred Employers Group (PEG). Please contact Steve Feemster, Association Advisor at SMI, at (888) 656-5678 or via email at stevef@smi-insure.com to get started or visit www.smi-insure.com for additional information.
• Special holiday promotion on gift cards: GiftRocker provides best in class gifting and marketing tools for extraordinary shopkeepers including Cups Frozen Yogurt and Pitango Gelato. GiftRocker is offering a FROYO November Offer (use the promo code FROYONOVO) for IFYA members signing up before December 1st. With the FROYONOVO promotion, your first 5 gift cards are free in November and December. After that, you will enjoy the industry’s most Fair & Flexible pricing plan: no monthly subscription and your unit cost decreases as your volume increases. Sign up today!
• Limited time offer on digital signage solution: Oalla, an innovative new venture based on a technology developed by a Stanford University student has a wide library of apps that allow digital signs to showcase curated content from Instagram, Facebook and Yelp, let customers vote for their favorite frozen yogurt flavor, offer customers games to play, etc.
  Try Oalla risk free and at a special low price. This special offer is limited to the first 100 people that sign up. Visit http://try.oalla.com/ifya to sign up for this special deal.

Discounts on Products

• 15% off your first Nanci’s Frozen Yogurt purchase when you mention IFYA and your IFYA username (new Nanci’s customers only)
• Free shipping on all Spaceman USA equipment when you mention IFYA and your IFYA username
• 15% off Jefe toppings dispensers. To redeem, mention IFYA and your IFYA username when you call Forte Supply at (720) 328-1431
• 20% off your FrozenDessertSupplies.com order (discount can only be used once) when you mention IFYA and your IFYA username
• 10% off your first GoDivide order of frozen yogurt cup dividers when you mention IFYA and your IFYA username

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.

Future Fro-yo Shop Picture: Yogurtland Camarillo

Fro-yo girl here. Camarillo Premium Outlet shoppers are about to a Yogurtland. The new location is in a new section of the Promenade (across the parking lot from the original buildings). It will join PizzaRev, Chipotle, Pick Up Stix and Smashburger.

It’s a smaller Yogurtland location with just 6 machines (12 flavors a day).

* YOGURTLAND CAMARILLO: 660 E Ventura Blvd., Camarillo, CA

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.

New Menchie's Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll Froyo & Holiday Sneak Peek

Fro-yo girl here. I finally tried Menchie’s flavor of the month: Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll, featuring Cinnabon Makara cinnamon blended with their signature cream cheese frosting. Menchie’s also offers two new toppings to complement their new flavor:

* Cinnabon morsels: Cookie dough bites mixed with yogurt chips and cinnamon

* Sweet cream cheese icing

While I do enjoy cinnamon, I don’t eat cinnamon rolls with icing because they’re far too sweet. I can’t imagine liking sweet cream cheese icing. Even the Cinnabon morsels sounded too sweet. I do miss the cinnamon streusel topping. As for the Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll froyo, it was, as I imagined, far too sweet. Also the cinnamon flavor was super strong, overpoweringly so. Try it if you love very sweet froyo and cinnamon.

Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll froyo is available this month or while supplies last.

While I was at Menchie’s I spotted the new Christmas design cups. They arrived early and they’re going to be joined to holiday Menchie’s spoons in December!

Menchie’s also has a gift card promotion: Buy a $25 gift card and get a $5 bonus card.

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.

Free Ad-Supported Frozen Yogurt Cups & Dividers are Coming Soon

Fro-yo girl here. Froyo shops, think about how much you could save every month if you could stop paying for frozen yogurt cups. The first batch of ad supported FREE frozen yogurt cups and dividers are coming soon from CarryOutSupplies.com.

How It Works

While ad supported cups and dividers are new to frozen yogurt, they certainly aren’t new to food establishments. Most of you have seen coffee sleeve advertising for years. Coffeehouses often receive the ad-supported coffee sleeves for free. Major companies like Microsoft (for Windows Mobile 6), Yahoo, Southwest, Chevron and CBS have utilized coffee sleeve advertising. Free ad supported frozen yogurt cups work the same way.

CarryOutSupplies.com is building its network of frozen yogurt shops that are interested in ad-supported frozen yogurt cups and dividers. Sign up today.

Ad-supported 16 oz. frozen yogurt cups and cup dividers are free for frozen yogurt shops that sign up for the program. The cost of the cups and dividers are paid for by the placement of ads on the cups. These ads will be family friendly and tasteful. And because these cups will be attractive, it will help elevate the image of your frozen yogurt store while saving your shop thousands of dollars a month.

The ad supported cups and dividers will be high quality food safe paper stock, the same cups and dividers that CarryOutSupplies.com sells to thousands of frozen yogurt stores.

About CarryOutSupplies.com's Yogurt Cups

CarryOutSupplies.com’s frozen yogurt cups begin with high quality USA food grade double poly paper. Both the exterior and interior of the cup are coated with poly film to ensure the cup's structure will not be compromised by frozen treats. The cups are manufactured according to our strict quality control guidelines to produce a sturdy cup that is perfect for the delicious frozen dessert. Designs are printed using food grade soy inks.

Sign up today!

About CarryOutSupplies.com

Since the beginning of the frozen yogurt revolution and boom several years ago, CarryOutSupplies.com has been there every step of the way with our clients. To make the dreams of our clients possible, we established the low minimum order quantity for custom print that shattered industry standards. By shifting the paradigm we enabled businesses of all sizes to harness the powers of their brand and build the foundation they need to grow into franchises. We have seen many clients start from one single store to dozens and hundreds of locations around the world. We have grown with them to become the leading disposable product supplier for the frozen yogurt industry. Nonetheless, we are never content with the status quo, we are constantly seeking for ways to better serve our clients. We are still the pioneers that make the impossible a reality for business owners.

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.

Yogurtland “Froyo Work of Art” Scholarship for CCSF & SFSU Students

Fro-yo girl here. CCSF and SFSU students – are you artsy? Do you love Yogurtland? Submit your froyo work of art to Yogurtland’s San Francisco store. Three artists will receive froyo scholarships (prizes $150, $250 and $500) and have their art displayed at the Yogurtland San Francisco store. 

Submissions must be received by November 24, 2014.

For rules and regulations, see http://yogurtlandsb.com/scholarship/

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.

Walking in a Winter Yogurtland Returns with 8 Festive Flavors & Gift Card Promotions

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurtland’s winter promotion, Walking in a Winter Yogurtland, kicks off today with two flavors, the new Cookie Butter and fan favorite, Cranberry Raspberry Tart. Cookie Butter froyo is made with real Belgium speculoos cookies, cinnamon, nutmeg and baker’s sugar. It’s as good as it sounds. I liked how it wasn’t super sweet and the warm spices (mostly cinnamon) were noticeable but not overpowering. The texture was smooth, dense and creamy. Cranberry Raspberry Tart is made with Ocean Spray juice and it’s really quite tart with an intense flavor of cranberries. I think my favorite #WinterYogurtland flavors are going to be Cookie Butter and Cranberry Raspberry Tart.

I also spotted two new toppings: super crunchy Speculoos cookies and pumpkin bread. The pumpkin bread was dense and moist. Definitely get Speculoos cookies with your Cookie Butter froyo. I also recommend toffee bits. There are new cup designs too, but my Yogurtland didn't have them yet.

The holiday flavor schedule:

* November 10: Cookie butter & Cranberry raspberry tart

* November 17: White chocolate peppermint

* November 24: Caramel macadamia

* December 1: Cinnamon banana bread & Eggnog

* December 8: Sticky toffee pudding

* December 15: Fudge brownie

There are two gift card promotions. From Nov. 10 – Dec. 23, you’ll get a $5 gift card for every $20 in gift cards that you buy. There are two new loadable gift card designs: one with a strawberry and one with a teddy bear. The $5 gift card features a new design with wrapped gifts.

From November 10 – November 30, customers who purchase $7 of froyo will receive a 5-ounce free card.

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

Here's the official Yogurtland press release:

Yogurtland’s Holiday Flavors Offer a Wonderland of Taste and Delight; Inspired by the Flavor Craze, Yogurtland Introduces New Cookie Butter Frozen Yogurt

Today Yogurtland kicks off its annual holiday flavor promotion with eight hand-crafted, custom flavors and two toppings, including new Cookie Butter frozen yogurt that offers a low-fat, delicious option for fans obsessed with the creamy spread. Yogurtland also introduces a holiday gift card bonus promotion.

Irvine, CA - November 10, 2014 - Today Yogurtland kicks off its annual holiday flavor promotion with eight hand-crafted, custom flavors and two toppings, including new Cookie Butter frozen yogurt that offers a low-fat, delicious option for fans obsessed with the creamy spread and Speculoos Cookie topping.

“Real flavors passionately made with real ingredients. That’s what Yogurtland celebrates every day. These flavors capture the holiday season and offer fans a one-of-a-kind frozen yogurt experience,” said Scott Shoemaker, Chief Flavorologist® at Yogurtland.

The following six flavors will be available for two weeks while fan favorites Eggnog and Cranberry Raspberry Tart flavors will be available through Dec. 21.

Cookie Butter - Satisfy your cookie butter addiction with this heavenly rich and creamy frozen yogurt, made with real Belgian Speculoos cookies, cinnamon and nutmeg.

White Chocolate Peppermint - Made with real gourmet white chocolate and refreshing peppermint. This flavor is a winter wonderland in your mouth.

Caramel Macadamia - Real macadamia nuts are dark roasted for a deep rich flavor and combined with a hint of salt and a caramel back note, creating a rich, delicate spoonful of flavor.

Cinnamon Banana Bread – This new flavor is made with real bananas, freshly roasted pecans, a hint of cinnamon and caramelized sugar combine for the best baked flavor ever served frozen.

Sticky Toffee Pudding - A taste of English holiday tradition. Moist, sweet sponge cake, made with chopped dates and covered with rich butter toffee.

Fudge Brownie - Made with rich, smooth dark chocolate fudge and real brownie. This flavor is a chocoholic's dream in a spoon.

Eggnog - Simple, delicious and full of holiday cheer. Real nutmeg and a hint of vanilla combine for a flavor we can all toast to.

Cranberry Raspberry Tart - Raspberry and real Ocean Spray cranberries are delightfully tart yet balanced with natural sweetness.

Gift Cards and Catering Sweeten the Season
Got a froyo lover in your life or need a last minute gift? Yogurtland is introducing themed gift cards just in time for the holidays and special offers including bonus cards and coupons with purchase.

From November 10 – December 23, receive a $5 gift card with the purchase of $20 in gift cards.

From November 10 – November 30, receive a 5-ounce free card when you purchase $7 of frozen yogurt. The 5-ounce free card is redeemable from December 1 – 21.

Yogurtland also offers catering with your choice of pre-frozen cups of yogurt and toppings to go. Perfect for the office, parties, sports events or fundraisers. Details are available at http://www.yogurt-land.com.

The Yogurtland Difference
At Yogurtland Flavorologists make the difference, searching the world for the best flavors in the world, and bringing them to your cup.

The company’s team of flavorologists develops the proprietary recipes for the brand’s more than 100 different and customized flavors. Whether traditional or exotic, each flavor uses real ingredients sourced from their original locations. By controlling the entire frozen yogurt making process, Yogurtland has raised the standards for flavors and quality to new heights and much to the delight of millions of fans.

Naturally occurring calcium makes Yogurtland yogurt a healthful, refreshing treat. All of Yogurtland’s frozen yogurt flavors meet the National Yogurt Association Criteria for “live and active culture frozen yogurt” and are produced in a kosher-certified facility. Yogurtland features non- and low-fat yogurt flavors as well as non-dairy and no sugar added choices.

Presently there 300 locations across the U.S., Australia, Dubai, Guam, Mexico, and Venezuela with more than 50 additional locations scheduled to open over the next six months. For more information, visit http://www.yogurt-land.com or http://www.facebook.com/yogurtland.

# # #

#WinterYogurtland

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.

Kroger Greek Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. My local Ralph’s carries Kroger brand Greek yogurt in blended and fruit on the bottom varieties. I’m not a fan of fruit on the bottom, so I picked out a few of the blended flavors to try.

* Honey: This yogurt tastes so bad that I couldn’t finish the cup. It tastes rotten and artificial. Perhaps they added too much Stevia, which tastes artificial and bitter even though it’s considered a natural leaf extract. The texture is fine: creamy, thick, smooth, but the taste is just horrendous.

* Vanilla: Tastes better than the honey variety but still has an unpleasant artificial flavor.

Kroger Greek blended yogurt comes in 5.3 oz cups and is nonfat and gluten free. One serving is 90 calories. It carries the live and active cultures seal. One cup is $1.29 (regular price). I found Kroger Greek Blended Yogurt on sale for 77 cents a cup.

1.5 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.

2014 Fro-yo Shop Halloween Spirit Award Winner

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve been looking for fro-yo shop Halloween spirit and I haven’t seen Halloween decorations at that many froyo shops (sadly) but at least most of them offer pumpkin/pumpkin froyo. TCBY had cute Halloween/AngryBirds inspired flavor signs this year, including Hal’s Ghoulish Graham Cracker, Piggies’ Pumpkin, and Matilda’s Yummy Mummy Marshmallow. Menchie’s came out with Halloween color changing froyo cups and a new Pumpkin Harvest flavor. SweetXO had many kinds of Halloween toppings, including gummi candy corn, candy corn, pumpkin pretzels, pumpkin spice almonds, gummi body parts, candy bones and more. 

The winner of the 2014 Fro-yo Shop Halloween Spirit Award is...16 Handles. They have a Halloween photo contest called #TrickorTreat, their shops are decorated, had a Fall Festival featuring pumpkin carving, and they make Halloween froyo cakes. I’ve been admiring all the 16 Handles Halloween pictures.

Be sure to check out my Pinterest board, Halloween Froyo & Froyo Shop Decorations: http://www.pinterest.com/froyogirl/halloween-froyo-froyo-shop-decorations/

Happy Halloween!

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.

A Month of Pumpkin Froyo

Fro-yo girl here. Did you know that today is National Pumpkin Day? 

I always think of October as Pumpkin Froyo Month. This year I decided that I would just eat pumpkin frozen yogurt in October, unless the frozen yogurt shop didn’t have pumpkin froyo. I love pumpkin froyo!

Fortunately, Yogurtland brought back fan favorite pumpkin pie froyo on Sept. 15, so I had my first cup of pumpkin pie froyo on Sept. 15. The Pasadena Yogurtland location on Lake St. has fresh whipped cream which is the best topping ever for pumpkin froyo. I always include graham cracker crumbs as well.

I’ve had 14 cups of pumpkin froyo so far this year and my favorite cup has featured:

• Tons of fresh whipped cream – the more the better
• Teddy Grahams
• Graham cracker crumbs
• Crushed Butterfingers

I hope that pumpkin pie froyo doesn’t run out at Yogurtland before Thanksgiving. Happy National Pumpkin Day! Eat pumpkin froyo today!

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

* YOGURTLAND: 415 S Lake Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101

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.

Fro-Yo Girl’s Froyo Guide to Greater Los Angeles

Fro-yo girl here. Los Angeles is where the frozen yogurt trend started and it’s still the home of some of the most interesting froyo shops in the country. Here’s my list of must see froyo shops in LA and Orange County. 

FUN IN HOLLYWOOD

* Frog Frozen Yogurt Bar (1550 N Cahuenga Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028): Hanging out late in Hollywood? Frog’s décor with the rainbow colored overhead lights and the work of local artists keeps the club experience alive. It’s open late and even delivers (the only froyo shop in LA to do so). Frog offers self-serve organic and vegan flavors plus free wi-fi. They’ve added color changing spoons that are worth collecting.

* Yogurt Stop (8803 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069): Sassy but classy, Yogurt Stop in WeHo (West Hollywood) is a celebrity favorite and it has the best names for froyo flavors. Flavors include I’m Comin’Out Cake Batter, Milk My Harvey Chocolate and Orange U a Top? Orange U a Bottom? Their motto is Pump It Yourself.

REAL GREEK FROZEN YOGURT 

* Go Greek Yogurt (425 N Bedford Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210): Most of the Greek yogurt you encounter is Greek style. Go Greek has the real thing. Their yogurt is made in Greece and flown over. They offer Greek refrigerated and triple strained Greek frozen yogurt with authentic imported Greek toppings like sour cherry, quince, rose and carrot. Toppings are healthier and you can serve yourself if you’d like their super thick frozen yogurt. Try the honey froyo.

ENDLESS VARIETY

* SweetXO (5285 Kanan Rd., Agoura Hills, CA 91301, additional locations in Huntington Beach, Thousand Oaks, Manhattan Beach and Arcadia): Admittedly the froyo isn’t the main attraction at SweetXO, but that’s only because they have so many offerings. In addition to 18 self-serve flavors of froyo and over 200 toppings, SweetXO has ice cream, cupcakes, cookies, make your own floats, candy, and a full blown sweets inspired selection of non-edible gifts. It’s a mini department store for your sweet tooth.

* Yogurt Passion (17037 Brookhurst St., Fountain Valley, CA 92708): Looking for the shop with the most frozen yogurt flavors to choose from? Yogurt Passion has 20 flavors of self-serve froyo a day. It’s in an Asian area, so expect to find some Asian flavors and toppings.

KOSHER AND PARVE

* Milky’s Frozen Yogurt (1429 S. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035): Not too many froyo shops can claim to be kosher and dairy-vegan-parve friendly like Milky’s. Milky’s offers 4 kosher parve vegan flavors a day plus 14 dairy flavors. It’s self-serve and even the toppings bar is kosher. Try the vegan soy froyo.

BEST EXTERIOR DESIGN

* Yogurtland CityWalk (1000 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608): Do your LA plans include a trip to Universal Studios? If the answer is yes, you need to check out Yogurtland’s CityWalk location. The exterior of the shop features a giant 3-D fro-yo machine dispensing fro-yo into a fro-yo cup with a green Yogurtland spoon and a big splash of fro-yo. The fro-yo cup and logo are outlined in neon lights. Of course this location also has Yogurtland spoons as door handles.

* Treats Frozen Yogurt (1700 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405): The cutest froyo shop exterior belongs to Treats. Love the giant cone out front and the colors: white, sky blue and silver. It’s not self-serve but that’s what makes it better. Employees carefully craft your treat putting toppings in the middle and on the top of a generous swirl of froyo. You can also get freshly shaved California snow and pretty froyo pies. 

MIX IN STYLE 

A fun alternative to the usual self-serve froyo shop, mix-in style yogurt allows you to create and customize your own froyo flavor (though you don’t do the mixing yourself). You pick the base and the add-ins and they are mixed together by machine or by hand.

* 21 Choices Frozen Yogurt (85 W Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91104, additional locations in Claremont, CA): Each location carries 6 soft serve froyo flavors a day. You can customize any of these with mix-ins and toppings. Your custom flavor is mixed before your eyes on a frozen marble slab. They’re known for unique flavors like Circus Animal and Nutella Cookie Dough. If you love toppings, this is the place for you. Don’t want to add mix-ins? Head to the express line for faster service.

* Humphrey Yogart (4574 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403): Take a step back in time to the 1980s, to the time of the low carb crazy and San Fernando Valley’s valley girls. Humphrey Yogart got its start in 1984. At Humphrey Yogart, yogurt is yog-art. You’re invited to create your own frozen yogurt flavor by choosing a base (tart vanilla, sweet vanilla, chocolate, soy, organic tart or their low carb froyo flavors), choosing your blend ins and/or toppings (fruit, candy, cookies, cream cheese, nuts), and choosing your size. Your froyo & blend ins are mixed together in a blending machine. You can get your froyo in a cup or cone and top it with hot fudge or whipped cream. Interesting blend ins include pumpkin, espresso, malt powder, butterscotch, pistachios, peanut butter, and cinnamon. Try the tart vanilla base for a creamy, tangy treat.

If you can only go to one froyo shop during your visit, make it Go Greek Yogurt.

Enjoy your frozen yogurt and keep your froyo spoon busy!

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.