IFYA Celebrates Turning 2 with a Greek Froyo Maker Giveaway

Fro-yo girl here. The International Frozen Yogurt Association (IFYA) just turned two. The association has nearly 1,000 members from 88 countries. During year two, the IFYA co-sponsored three contests and added even more member benefits, including free Dole Soft Serve starter kits (approximate retail value, $50) from Kent Precision Foods Group.

To celebrate turning two, turning two, the IFYA has just announced its first Facebook caption contest. 

Prize: One winner will receive a home froyo making machine from Dash (retail value $39.99).

The mini Greek froyo maker from Dash features:

•           Makes frozen treats in just 30 minutes

•           BPA-free

•           8 liter capacity

•           Easy one switch operation

•           Add mix-ins and flavors while the unit is in operation

•           Splash guard detaches from motor for easy cleaning

•           Inner bowl fits in any freezer

•           7 watts

Who’s eligible? Any legal resident of the US, 18 years or older. No purchase is necessary. 

To enter, visit facebook.com/froyoassociation, like the Facebook contest post and post your caption by midnight PST on Thursday, August 6 for a chance to win.

Full contest rules, terms  and conditions: http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/froyo-caption-contest-official-rules-terms-and-conditions/

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.

Yoga-urt Grand Opening Pictures

Fro-yo girl here. Congrats to Yoga-urt, LA’s first all organic, vegan froyo shop. The soft serve is also Kosher and gluten free. This past weekend was the grand opening celebration, with $1 soft serve (4 ozs) and 50% off other sizes, plus a prize raffle. On Saturday they ran out of several flavors.

I think my favorite flavor is Vanilla Harmony because I like the nutty almond milk flavor and that clean finish.

Here are a few pictures from the grand opening.

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

* YOGA-URT, 1407 ½ W Kenneth Rd., Glendale, CA 91201

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.

Innovative Froyo Shop Spotlight: Yoga-urt in Glendale, CA

Fro-yo girl here. It’s been quite some time since the last innovative froyo shop spotlight. I’m thrilled to have found a new innovative froyo shop. Yoga-Urt, which just had its soft opening last weekend, July 18-19, combines froyo with yoga and it’s organic, vegan, kosher and soy free. It’s LA’s first all organic non-dairy froyo place.

What makes Yoga-urt innovative is that it’s dairy-free, organic, all natural, and handcrafted.  Their soft serve is made with dairy milk alternatives, mostly almond milk but they also have coconut and cashew bases. They actually make their own almond milk. Plus, all Yoga-urt soft serve has four strains of live probiotics. It’s all natural and good for you. They make their own gluten free vegan cones. Yes, it’s more expensive but the quality is higher.

They've developed nine dairy-free soft serve flavors that rotate. There are six flavors a day and it’s not self serve. The flavor names are influenced by the yoga theme. I saw one tart flavor on the menu (Tantric Tart) but it wasn’t being offered that day. The flavors are true to what they should taste like. Except for Tantric Tart, the flavors aren't tangy.

Toppings include fruit (fresh and dried), granola, coconut, mochi, nuts, chocolate chips and cacao nibs. Even the toppings are healthier. The gluten free waffle cones are made with rice milk and gluten free flour.

Froyo flavors of the day:
* Vanilla harmony: I’m a big fan – it reminds me of Pressed Juicery’s vanilla almond milk soft serve (Freeze) but much better. Vanilla harmony is creamier, less icy and less gritty but it still has that nutty flavor and very clean finish. It tastes less processed/more natural and less sweet. 
* Chocolate bliss
* Salted caramel zen
* Strawberry serenity - tastes so good, like fresh strawberries but creamier
* Ganesha’s sweet greens: Features a thick cashew base, lots going on with kale, spinach and other ingredients but I kept tasting fresh mint which I really liked
* Peanut butter prana: super dense, thick, creamy with lots of peanut butter

Froyo prices: Mini $3.75/ Small $5.25/ Medium $6.75/ Large $8.25, first topping $1, 50 cents for all additional toppings

In addition to froyo, Yoga-Urt has organic smoothies and organic drinks. Cups and spoons are compostable of course. Their products are good for you and they care about the Earth.

Yoga-urt was founded by Melissa Schulman, LA based project manager and certified yoga instructor. Her dream was to provide a healthy treat for her vegan yogi friends. Yoga-urt is in quaint, health conscious Kenneth Village, close to a yoga studio.

Grand Opening July 25-26

Yoga-urt is having its grand opening event this weekend. Mini cups will be $1 and everything else is half off. They’ll be open 10:30 AM – 8 PM on Saturday, July 25 and 11 AM – 6 PM on Sunday, July 26. Also with any purchase during the grand opening weekend, you’ll get one raffle ticket and a chance to win prizes from Kenneth Village businesses.

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

* YOGA-URT, 1407 ½ W Kenneth Rd., Glendale, CA 91201

http://www.yoga-urt.com/, @yoga_urt

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 & Candy Crush Present Sweet Treats Round 2: New Sorbets, New Spoon

Fro-yo girl here. The new Yogurtland & Candy Crush “Sweet Treats” campaign continues with two new Candy Crush inspired flavors, Blue Raspberry Sorbet and Chocotastic Sorbet, and a new limited edition froyo spoon, the teal Candy Bear spoon.

* Blue Raspberry Sorbet: “Found only in the Lollipop Meadow until now, you’re sure to have a Sugar Crush on this flavorful gem! Real raspberries swirl together for a ‘Raspber-rific’ sorbet.” The pale blue color is very pretty. The sorbet had a raspberry candy/sweeter flavor. It beats blue raspberry Icees. Recommended toppings: fresh fruit, popping boba, Fruity Pebbles.
* Chocotastic Sorbet: “We climbed the cliffs of the exotic Chocolate Mountains to scour rich, real chocolate for Chocotastic Sorbet. A delicious dreamful that’s worth the trek!” This was a thick, dense sorbet that tasted like a dark chocolate fudgsicle popsicle. RecCooommended toppings: cookie dough, peanut butter cups, Cinnamon Toast Crunch

The teal Candy Bear spoons are the second of five new Candy Crush spoons. They say Tasty on the spoon handle. The back of the spoon does not show the back of the bear, a departure from previous character froyo spoon designs.

I didn’t spot any new toppings.

The next new flavors come out on August 3: Salted Caramel Gelato and Candy Clouds along with a new spoon, the Purple Flower spoon.

Visit YogurtlandSweetTreats.com for your chance to win free yogurt for a year or an unlimited cup of froyo. Ten people a day win an unlimited cup.

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 Swirling Stars Selected

Fro-yo girl here. The Froyo Swirling Skills contest, sponsored by the International Frozen Yogurt Association (IFYA) is over and two winners have been proclaimed official froyo swirling stars.

The winners and best swirlers are:

First Prize: @db_pottery, https://instagram.com/p/4fQe99CxSz/

Second Prize: @lequarterone, https://instagram.com/p/43G7z0j_Vi/

The two winners were selected based on the Instagram videos that they submitted. The videos demonstrated their froyo swirling skills. @db_pottery is a veteran swirler while @lequarterone used the unicycle method (it’s crazy but it works) to swirl his froyo.

Be sure to check out their winning videos for inspiration.

First prize: 100 ounces of free froyo from Yogurtland

Second prize: 50 ounces of free froyo from Yogurtland

Congratulations to the winners!

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.

Unlimited Cup Lessons

Fro-yo girl here. For Yogurtland Real Reward members, the ultimate reward for eating froyo is the coveted “Unlimited Cup.”

To earn the Unlimited Cup you need to (1) be a Real Rewards member and (2) collect 520 points within a year of the day you first joined Real Rewards (or the anniversary of the day you first joined).

Generally, one ounce of froyo and toppings is equal to one point though sometimes they have double point promotions (most of these are for new Real Rewards members). The free froyo you earn along the way doesn’t earn you any points. If you buy gift cards, the points go to the person using the gift card at the time he/she is paying for the yogurt.

With the free froyo rewards every 36 points, you have to eat way more than 520 ounces to get to your Unlimited Cup. Once you earn the Unlimited Cup, you have a month to redeem it. You can redeem it at any Yogurtland store whenever you want. Whatever fits in the 16 ounce cup is yours, free.

Tips for Building Your Unlimited Cup

• (Pre-planning) Choose a day/time that isn’t busy (generally going when Yogurtland first opens should work) so people don’t get in your way. Bring a tray (e.g., the FreeHand ThumbTray from CarryOutSupplies.com makes it easy to carry multiple cups of froyo).
• (Pre-planning) Be sure to start with the 16 oz cup (if you start with the larger cup, you may have to transfer what’s in it to the 16 oz cup
• (Pre-planning) Survey the available flavors and toppings and decide what you want before you start. 
• Keep in mind that some toppings freeze better than others (e.g., fresh fruit, gummy bears don’t freeze well). Cookies and nuts still taste good when frozen. Nuts are probably the best because they don’t get soggy.
• Pick froyo flavors that will complement each other. Forget using a cup divider. 

You’re ready to start building your cup.

1. Build a base of toppings about 1 inch on the bottom – pack it solid with toppings – cookies and nuts. Use a spoon to mash together and make a smooth, even surface. The toppings base was about four ounces in my cup.
2. Add froyo – no one sees what’s inside the cup. Try swirling to fill the cup (usually I start from the edges and then fill in the center). Don’t exceed the rim of the cup. Once you’ve gotten close to the rim, stop and tap the bottom of the cup hard against the table. This will fill in any air pockets. Add more froyo till you reach the rim. Stop.
3. Add a ring of wafer roll cookies. Make sure the cookies are firmly placed in the froyo. Place them in right next to each other at a slight outward angle (not straight up and down). This will form a wider base for your froyo.
4. Swirl around the outside edges…then start building your froyo towers . Don’t move the cup too much, a gentle back and forth motion will work. Do this 3 to 5 times till you reach the maximum height. Towards the end you can place the cup on the shelf below and move it a little that way. The multiple towers add stability to the overall structure. The goal is to get to 50-70 ounces.
5. Add additional toppings if desired. Redeem your reward. Take plenty of pictures. Grab a few cups to transfer your froyo to so that you can take it home. The tray will come in handy.

For additional inspiration, check out the Pinterest board, Unlimited Cups of Froyo.

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 Candy Crush Launch Party

Fro-yo girl here. I’m back from the Yogurtland Candy Crush launch party at my local Yogurtland. The “Sweet Treats” campaign launches on July 6 and runs through September 13. The party was similar to the preview party I attended at Yogurtland HQ.

Most of the Candy Crush parties took place on Saturday, July 11. Not every party was the same. Some locations gave out free froyo from 11 AM – 2 PM. Others didn’t have free froyo. They all had giveaways related to Candy Crush – including Candy Crush Yogurtland tote bags, temporary tattoos and pins. Some places had face painting and DJs.

The new Candy Crush inspired flavors, Orange Fizz Sorbet and Maple Donut, were present, along with Candy Crush inspired toppings. Plus they had Sodalicious orange Candy Crush spoons.

At my Yogurtland the first 50 people received a Candy Crush tote bag. I also won a Yogurtland t-shirt and Candy Crush tattoos. There were two different games. One was the spin the prize wheel. The other involved dropping a token into a board with pegs and seeing where it wound up.  

Be sure to visit Yogurtland often during the Candy Crush promotion to earn sweet surprises (it's part of the Sweet Challenge) and enter to win prizes at yogurtlandsweettreats.com

Thanks Yogurtland!

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.

Menchie’s Summer Sorbet Extravaganza & Sweet Summer Giveaway

Fro-yo girl here. Summertime is the season for fresh fruit, sorbets and vacations – and it’s the inspiration for Menchie’s Summer Sorbet Extravaganza. Six sorbets are featured this July:

• Dole Soft Serve Lemon (starting July 1): This new flavor from Dole tastes like freshly squeezed lemons. It definitely has a tang that lemon lovers will appreciate.
• Summertime Watermelon (starting July 1): This watermelon sorbet is light and sweet and made with real watermelon. I still found it somewhat candy like in flavor and not as refreshing as real watermelon.
• Fresh Honeydew (starting July 11)
• Dole Pineapple (starting July 11): The beloved Dole Whip flavor that Disneyland has been serving for over 35 years. It’s bright, sweet and tangy. 
• Sweet Pink Lemonade (starting July 21)
• Strawberry Kiwi Twist (starting July 21)

The Sweet Summer Getaway is a new Menchie’s contest. The winner gets a 7-day Caribbean cruise for four on Princess Cruises. To enter, use your registered MySmileage card when you visit Menchie’s. Limit one entry per day. You’re entered automatically when you use your MySmileage card. You can also enter online at http://menchiespansweeps.pgtb.me/62SLTB (no purchase necessary).

Dole Soft Serve is cholesterol free, fat free, gluten free, lactose free, dairy free/vegan and made with natural colors and real fruit flavors. International Frozen Yogurt Association members can request a FREE starter kit from Dole Soft Serve, which contains 2 samples of Dole Soft Serve, Dole bucket with lid & a wire whisk (approx. retail value $50). To qualify, you must operate three or more frozen yogurt shops. Offer good until 9/15/2015. Please complete the contact form to request your Dole Soft Serve starter kit. Join the IFYA for free at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.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.

626 Night Market Dessert Roundup

Fro-yo girl here. This was my second visit to the 626 Night Market, “the original and largest Asian-themed night market in the United States.” It’s as crowded and crazy as ever but there is food everywhere and so many desserts. What’s nice about the 626 Night Market is that it has become a showcase for new Asian food/dessert trends. The trendy foods are the most popular.

Most of the desserts featured ice cream but in different forms and it was clear that the crowds appreciated novelty. Here’s an overview of the ice cream/froyo offerings: 

• Choctal: prepackaged chocolate and vanilla single origin ice creams
• Crescendo Ice Cream: nitrogen infused ice cream isn’t that novel any more but they also had Singaporean style “ice cream bread.” Ice cream bread features ice cream served with a slice of soft bread. You’re supposed to fold the bread around the ice cream. In Singapore they like using rainbow colored bread with a block of ice cream. Crescendo used plain white bread.
• Dolcissimo: ice cream macaron sandwiches – these were popular of course, the Cookies & Cream one sold out first.
• Frach’s Fried Ice Cream Truck: a decadent creation – ice cream in the middle, cake shell and a crispy fried batter
• Ice Cream Garden: I knew that potted drinks were a trend but now there’s potted ice cream. I don’t really get it. They’re cute I guess.
• Matcha Mochi: Froyo! Matcha Mochi had two flavors, matcha green tea and English Earl grey. You could get a cup ($4) or add toppings (Chinese chewy boiled rice balls, red bean paste, fan waffle cookie) for an additional $2. Both froyo flavors were nice – strong tea flavor, creamy, light texture. The yogurt flavor was overwhelmed though. 
• Melting Fire: crossnut ice cream sandwich (a croissant donut ice cream sandwich)
• Ridges Churro Bar: different kinds of churros plus churro ice cream
• Three Twins: organic prepackaged ice cream
• UniqCone: ice cream J shaped hooks – this strange looking double-ended creation features a corn puff cone that’s filled with soft serve vanilla ice cream (but could easily be filled with froyo). The design eliminates drippy cones. UniqCone makes its own cones and the soft serve machines are modified to make it easy to fill the cones. The J-shaped “Jipangyi” cones started on the streets of Korea…like so many food trends.

None of the dessert or boba places was as popular as Main Squeeze lemonade; people wanted the light up mason jars. RAMNUTS (ramen donuts made with horchata marinated deep fried ramen noodles, stuffed with cream cheese, chocolate or strawberry fillings, iced and  topped with sprinkles) and potato tornadoes on a stick were also extremely popular. 

On the savory side, shark tacos, frog fries, pig feet on a stick, and pho waffles sounded intriguing.

The next 626 Night Market dates are August 7-9 and September 4-6 at the Santa Anita Park (the racetrack). Free parking. Admission is $3. 

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 Sweet Treats Sodalicious Spoons

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurtland’s Sweet Treats” campaign launched on July 6. The first of five new collectible limited edition Candy Crush spoons is available now. It’s an orange spoon that says Sodalicious on it and is topped with an orange soda bottle. The Sodalicious spoon is a perfect match for the new Orange Fizz Sorbet.

Four more collectible Candy Crush spoons will be part of the campaign and they’ll be released every two weeks. The release dates are July 20 (Blue Candy Bear Tasty spoon), August 3 (Purple Flower Candy Sweet spoon), August 17 (Red Candy Fish Divine spoon) and August 31 (Blue Round Candy Sublime spoon).

Here’s a picture of the Sodalicious spoon (front and back, of course).

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 & Candy Crush Present Sweet Treats

Fro-yo girl here. The new Yogurtland & Candy Crush “Sweet Treats” campaign just launched today and the summer just became much sweeter.

First up, the two new flavors are Maple Donut froyo and Orange Fizz sorbet.

Maple Donut: “We took the warm, doughy magic of a maple donut and one-upped it, transforming this classic indulgent flavor into froyo form.” A warm, sweet maple flavor; I didn’t sense too much of the donut but it did taste like maple frosting. It tastes better than donuts because it isn’t as sweet.

Recommended toppings: Frosted donuts, almonds, chocolate chips, whipped cream

Orange Fizz Sorbet: “Swap your straw for a spoon and dip into a delicious Orange Fizz Sorbet. Made with real oranges and packed with vitamin C for Sugar Crush flavor.” Sweet and summery, it tastes like orange soda but not as sweet - the fizz is there but it’s not overpowering.

Recommended toppings: Condensed milk, yogurt chips, mochi, blue raspberry candy bears

The Candy Crush inspired toppings are: Chocolate Wafer Wharfs (wafer roll cookies), Sugary Squirms (sour gummy worms), Blue Raspberry Candy Bears (gummy bears) and Frosted Donuts.

The new collectible limited edition spoon is orange. It says Sodalicious on it and is topped with an orange soda bottle.

The new cup design is pink and has images from Candy Crush like a big blue raspberry candy bear, a donut dragon and a girl probably on Lemonade Lake.

Visit YogurtlandSweetTreats.com for your chance to win free yogurt for a year or an unlimited cup of froyo.

Check out the Pinterest board, Yogurtland Candy Crush, for #YogurtlandSweetTreats pictures

The next new flavors, Blue Raspberry Sorbet and Chocotastic Sorbet, arrive on July 20.

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.

Final Days: IFYA's Instagram Video Contest Seeks Froyo Swirling Stars

Fro-yo girl here. Are your froyo swirls worthy of admiration? Can you show others how to improve their froyo swirling skills? The International Frozen Yogurt Association (IFYA) is looking for you. The IFYA is looking for froyo swirling stars to inspire others to improve their swirling skills.

The two lucky winners will win free froyo (1st prize: 100 ounces of froyo, 2nd prize: 50 ounces of free froyo) and receive official recognition as Froyo Swirling Stars.

HOW TO ENTER

1. Make an Instagram video that shows how to make the perfect froyo swirl. Be sure to explain how to achieve that perfect swirl (you can describe your technique in your Instagram caption) and clearly show that your swirl looks picture perfect. 
2. Follow @intlfroyoassn on Instagram and tag your videos #FroyoSwirlingSkills. Share your video by July 7, 2015 - time is running out.

THE PRIZES

• First prize: Gift cards for 100 ounces of free froyo from Yogurtland
• Second prize: Gift cards for 50 ounces of free froyo from Yogurtland

ELIGIBILITY AND RULES No Purchase is Necessary. 

You can enter as many times as you’d like. The video you submit should be your own, a video that you created for this contest.

The contest ends July 7, 2015 at 11:59 PM PST.

Contestants must be at least 18 years old.

For complete rules, see: http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/official-rules-for-the-froyo-swirling-skills-contest/

Good luck!

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 Berry Fresh Flavors at Pinkberry: Blueberry and Strawberry Margarita

Fro-yo girl here. Pinkberry has declared it a “berry good summer” and introduced two new berry fresh flavors. Hello new flavors!

Strawberry Margarita (it’s non alcoholic) is described as fruity + citrus and is “swirled, not shaken. It’s made with real strawberries, lime juice sprinkled with triple berry salt topping for a fun margarita like experience.” The berry salt wasn’t available at my Pinkberry (it’s on the way though). This flavor is  intriguing – it tastes like strawberries and a carbonated citrusy flavor – not straight strawberry + lime, there’s something else going on. It’s got a definite tang, stronger than most Pinkberry flavors.

Blueberry: “Blueberry Pinkberry is made with real blueberries and offers a fresh and fruity flavor that is bound to be a new summer favorite .” I’m happy that they finally make a Blueberry flavor and it’s very good. You can see bits of blueberries. It’s light, smooth and sweeter (yet still tart based).

Suggested toppings: Fresh berries, shortbread cookies, yogurt chips, mochi, almonds

They didn’t have new toppings (except the berry salt which hadn’t arrived yet) or new shakes, but I learned that the shortbread cookies and popcorn are going away soon.  I love the shortbread cookies…they have a slight saltiness that goes so well with froyo.

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.

Expansion of Ralph’s Westwood Village Includes Self-Serve Froyo

Fro-yo girl here. Where can you find the largest Ralph’s supermarket in California?  The answer is Westwood Village, at the former location of Bullock’s, on the edge of the UCLA campus. This location is a monster – it looks like a merger of more than one market because one side looks different from the other.  That’s because it was expanded by 40,000 square feet in November 2014.

The Ralph’s of the future/Ralph’s 2.0 is open 24 hours and includes a several prepared food bars (including an organic salad bar), Cork & Tap wine and beer bar with flatscreen TVs, walk in wine vault, Murray’s Cheese counter, staffed sushi bar with counter dining and the Dessert Bar.

The Dessert Bar had its grand opening on Friday, June 26. The staffed area features gelato, cupcakes, a self-serve froyo bar and toppings. It’s the first Ralph’s with a self-serve  froyo bar. There are 10 flavors on tap (housed in five Electro Freeze machines) and a middle handle to swirl two side by side flavors together. The froyo is from Dannon. The flavor signs have nutritional information. The yogurt had a nice creamy, smooth texture (the same Dannon yogurt at Rite Aid, which uses Stoelting machines, was icy and gritty). They had sorbets and no sugar added options as well.

The toppings bar is smaller but they offer some healthy items like hemp seeds, pecans, almonds and fresh fruit, along with candy, cookies, marshmallows, chocolate chips and syrups (even Nutella). Froyo and toppings are 45 cents an ounce.

They’ve done a nice job with the Dessert Bar. Having it staffed helps a lot. The staff person was friendly and offered samples. Plus he kept the area clean.

This Ralph’s also has an excellent select of fresh yogurt and packaged frozen yogurt – it’s like they’re trying to carry everything. 

Get two hours free parking in the parking lot with validation.

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

* RALPH’S FRESH FARE: 10861 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles (Westwood Village), CA 90024

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 Candy Crush Sweet Treats Campaign Preview

Fro-yo girl here. I’m back from the Yogurtland Candy Crush preview party at Yogurtland HQ! The “Sweet Treats” campaign (#YogurtlandSweetTreats) launches on July 6 and runs through September 13. I’ll have the full scoop later but I have lots of details already.

New Candy Crush inspired flavors: The new flavors are inspired by the Candy Crush game. Every two weeks Yogurtland will introduce two new flavors (on Mondays…mark your calendar). The new flavors with release dates are:

• Orange Fizz Sorbet (July 6)
• Maple Donut (July 6)
• Blue Raspberry Sorbet (July 20)
• Chocotastic! Sorbet (July 20)
• Salted Caramel Gelato (August 3) – it’s cultured
• Candy Clouds (August 3)
• Lemonade Lake (August 17)
• Cupcake Carnival (August 17)
• Butterscotch (August 31)
• Minty Meadow (August 31)

Candy Crush inspired toppings: Sugary squirms, candy fish, color bombs and blue raspberry candy bears, frosted donuts and chocolate wafer wharfs 

New collectible spoons: There are five new designs. I don’t know the names but the spoons are topped with items you see in the Candy Crush game. There’s a blue candy, teal bear, orange soda bottle, red candy fish and a purple flower candy.

New collectible cups: You’ll see two collectible cup designs. Look closely at my pictures. You’ll see the cups and the new spoons.

Launch parties: Select Yogurtland locations will have launch parties! I’ll share the locations once I have that info.

Sweet Treats Sweepstakes: You’ll have a chance to win instant prizes like free froyo for a year and the unlimited cup of froyo

Preview party: The preview party at headquarters was attended by various bloggers, mostly lifestyle/mom bloggers. Yogurtland had most of the new flavors on tap, gift bags, temporary tattoo station, photo booth and prize wheel. Attendees received a Yogurtland Platinum card too (I got mine years ago!). 

All of the flavors were very good. My friend and I liked Maple Donut froyo best – it’s not as sweet as a real donut and had a lovely, warm maple flavor. I was pleasantly surprised by Cotton Clouds – it tastes way better than cotton candy because it’s not cloyingly sweet and has more flavor than cotton candy. Orange Fizz Sorbet brought back memories of drinking orange soda as a child. Salted Caramel Gelato had a subtle amount of salt and richer, denser texture. The frosted donut was too much…too sweet…

The temporary tattoos featured Yogurtland and Candy Crush. The photos said Sweet Treats on them. I love the cute Candy Crush socks – they won’t be sold at Yogurtland but they don’t say Yogurtland on them so I’m not too devastated. Yogurtland staff wore green Candy Crush Yogurtland t-shirts.

I started playing Candy Crush a few weeks ago because I wanted to understand the new campaign. I get it – even the toppings are inspired by the game. It’s cuter now that I understand the references.

Check back for more info on the #YogurtlandSweetTreats #YogurtlandCandyCrush campaign and find more pictures on Pinterest, @froyogirl

Thanks Yogurtland for the party!

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.