Chobani Flip: Review of New Flavors

Fro-yo girl here. Greek yogurt sales are on the rise again, with Chobani Flip doing particularly well. It is #1 brand of mix in yogurt. The four new flavors are Peppermint Perfection (limited batch), PB&J, Sriracha Mango and Chipotle Pineapple. What’s notable about these new flavors is that they include the first sweet and spicy offerings. http://www.chobani.com/products/flip

One serving is 5.3 ounces and lowfat. Chobani is all natural, rBST free, gluten-free, Kosher, with no preservatives.

* PB&J: Strawberry lowfat yogurt, peanut butter clusters, honey granola and honey roasted peanuts. The strawberry yogurt was creamy with the strawberry blended throughout. It was mildly tangy and not super sweet but somewhat bland. I liked the crunchy peanutty toppings better than the yogurt. Nutritional information: 200 calories, 6g fat.* Peppermint Perfection (seasonal, limited batch): PP features vanilla lowfat yogurt with dark chocolate cookies, dark chocolate and peppermint white chocolate chunks. The yogurt was creamy and tangy but bland. I liked the toppings better than the yogurt - crunchy cookies and creamy chocolate bits. Nutritional information: 200 calories, 6g fat.

* Sriracha Mango: Mango lowfat yogurt, Srirachca coated rice crisps, mini sesame sticks, roasted and salted cashew pieces. This one initially sounded odd to me but I’m glad I tried it because it wound up being my favorite of the new flavors. For some reason I expected the sriracha to be in the yogurt but it wasn’t. I think the mango yogurt was the best. It had chunks of mango in it that tasted like fresh mango. It was creamy, fruity, sweet and tangy. The Sriracha flavor isn’t strong, it hits you after you eat the rice crackers. I really liked the toppings – crunchy, nutty and a good level of salt. Nutritional information: 190 calories, 6g fat.

* Chipotle Pineapple: Pineapple lowfat yogurt, chipotle granola, smoked almonds, pumpkin seeds. It’s similar to Sriracha Mango but not as good. The pineapple yogurt had tiny pieces of pineapple and a sweet, tangy flavor profile. The chipotle spice is not strong or overpowering. Toppings are deliciously crunchy. Nutritional information: 190 calories, 6g fat.

I found three of the flavors at my local Target (regular price $1.39) and the fourth at Vons (regular price $1.60). For some reason multiple Target locations did not carry the Chipotle Pineapple flavor. A lot of places that carry Chobani didn’t have the new flavors.

The Chobani Flip product line has really good toppings and not just one kind of topping but a good crunchy blend of toppings. Key Lime Crumble is still my favorite Flip but Sriracha Mango is second.

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.

Westchester County, NY/CT Froyo Report

Fro-yo girl here. Westchester County is a huge county in the suburbs of New York City, covering 450 square miles. I visited various small towns but didn’t see most of the county. During my visit, I noticed that most small towns had at least one froyo shop but a fair number have closed. Peachwave was the chain that I saw the most often though some of their locations like the one in Mount Kisco, NY had recently closed (permanently).

Rural Connecticut was similar with nicer towns like Greenwich sporting a Pinkberry. The Pinkberry at Woodbury Commons Outlet Mall had just opened.

Here’s a list of froyo shops in other cities that I visited:

• Ridgefield, CT: Peachwave, Swizzles (closed)
• Danbury, CT: Peachwave, Yogen Fruz, 21 Taste (closed)
• Bethel, CT: Peachwave
• Greenwich, CT: Pinkberry, Rosie’s, Yogurt City
• New Canaan, CT: Swirl, Peachwave (closed August 2015), Red Mango (closed August 2014)
• Port Chester, NY: Bubbles & Berry

A 2011 article about frozen yogurt in Westchester Magazine has a list of frozen yogurt shops by the year that the shop opened. I’ve looked into which shops are still open.

Opened 2011

• Frannie’s Goodie Shop, Mount Kisco: I visited the shop and it’s nice, they have many toppings and lots more besides frozen yogurt, including cupcakes, cookies, muffins, donuts, etc.
• Nuts About Yogurt, Eastchester: Closed permanently
• Pearl Yogurt, White Plains: Closed permanently
• Yogo Berry, Tarrytown: Closed permanently

Opened 2010

• Go Greenberry, Dobbs Ferry: Name changed to Go Greenly
• Go Greenberry, Scarsdale: Name changed to Go Greenly
• Red Mango, Larchmont
• Treat Frozen Yogurt, Cross River: Closed permanently
• Yogo Berry, Larchmont 
• Yogo Berry, Mount Kisco: Closed permanently
• Yogo Joy, Scarsdale: Closed permanently

Opened 2009

• Yogo Berry, Scarsdale: Closed permanently
• Yogo Joy, Rye: Closed permanently

The majority of the shops in the article have closed for good, though new ones have opened since the article was published. I noticed most of the small towns now have juice shops.

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.

Washington DC Froyo Report

Fro-yo girl here. It’s been a long time since I’ve visited Washington DC. I wanted to try local chains like Tangysweet and Sweetgreen but Tangysweet closed for good and Sweetgreen stopped offering froyo. Fortunately the cute and quirky local favorite Mr. Yogato is still open (1515 17th St. NW, Dupont Circle) and it offers interesting flavors like chai, mojito and even a mystery flavor. Mr. Yogato was founded by a rocket scientist in 2008 and it has a funny, geeky feel. Answer trivia questions or meet challenges like reenacting Michael Jackson’s Thriller dance and you can get a discount off your froyo. Order a froyo for 30 consecutive nights and they’ll name a flavor after you (many have accomplished this feat). I liked how they had quirky free toppings like oregano, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It's a fun place.

NYC’s GRK (1140 19th St. NW) opened up shop in DC and has a good Greek froyo. They carry one flavor only and have some tasty Greek toppings. Since I've visited the one in NYC, I didn't visit the one in DC. They also serve Greek food and Greek yogurt that isn't frozen but I haven't tried either.

DC is the home to froyo chains such as Pinkberry, FroZenYo, Menchie’s and Sweetfrog. You can get Pinkberry at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Pinkberry had other locations before but they've closed.

The Walgreen’s flagship location (801 7th St. NW) in Chinatown also has UpMarket froyo and it’s open 24 hours. The West Wing Café (1 Thomas Circle NW) has self-serve froyo machines and carries Tutti Frutti frozen yogurt though only one out of three machines was operating when I visited.

I didn’t see as many froyo shops in DC as in NYC and Boston. I guess DC doesn't like froyo as much.

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.

Light Up Tutti Frutti Froyo Spoons Are Back

Fro-yo girl here. Quick froyo spoon alert: The light up Tutti Frutti spoons are BACK at the Tutti Frutti in La Crescenta, CA (. They had all four colors: Red, green, blue, and yellow. Each spoon has a battery. Twist the top to activate the light. The spoons are extra long and transparent. They’re topped with a round flat disc with the Tutti Frutti logo. Make sure yours works before you leave because they don’t all light up.

The froyo spoons were 50 cents each or free with a $10 purchase. If you’re interested hurry up and get your froyo spoons.

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

* TUTTI FRUTTI: 3731 Foothill Blvd, La Crescenta, CA 91214, phone (818) 236-3857

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.

The Death of the Croiffle

Fro-yo girl here. Last May, I shared my Yogurtland breakfast/expanded menu experience with you, after trying several of their new menu items at two locations that were testing breakfast items. They were clearly still testing because I encountered different versions of the Cinnaffle (cinnamon roll waffle) and they were still adding new menu items. Because the test locations weren’t close to me, I wasn’t able to visit on a regular basis. 

The testing of the new menu items began at the Lakewood, CA location in February 2015. It was then expanded to include the Irvine location on Jeffrey and later the Fullerton, CA location. I sampled the breakfast items in April/May 2015. I liked the juices and the Cinnaffle was really good too.

New items include freshly squeezed juice, Fresh-Yo fresh yogurt, yogurt parfaits, Illy coffee, build your own acai bowls and pastries. The pastries are the Croiffle (croissant and waffle combo) and the Cinnaffle (cinnamon roll and waffle combo). Other pastries included butter croissants, strawberry croissants (croissants with pastry cream and fresh strawberries), Danish, and Danish bites.

The Croiffle trademark registration has expired. The breakfast pastries have been discontinued.

I have seen some of the test items at other locations, including the Awesome (acai) Bowl, Fresh-Yo Greek yogurt and the premium sauces.

Something strange is going on with the Fullerton, CA location, the original Yogurtland location (501 N State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA 92831). It’s marked as closed on Yelp but it’s still listed on the Yogurtland website, and the FB page was updated last month. The phone number still works though no one answers. Apparently it just closed? Or perhaps it's a temporary closure? I hope it's temporary. 

Update: It's temporary. The Fullerton location is being remodeled. Yay!

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 Yogurtland Master Shifu Spoon and New Honey Graham Flavor

Fro-yo girl here. The last of the Kung Fu Panda 3 Yogurtland collectible spoons was released on February 15, Master Shifu’s green spoon. The front shows Master Shifu’s face and the back says Kung Fu Panda 3.

There’s also a new froyo flavor, Master Shifu’s Honey Graham. It’s lowfat with real honey graham crackers. “The toasty flavor of graham crackers and sweet honey work in perfect harmony so you can achieve instant and delicious inner peace.” The new flavor is deliciously creamy and smooth and tastes just like honey graham crackers. It’s sweet of course but not overwhelmingly so. Graham crackers go with every topping but I like to add something crunchy and fruity.

Recommended toppings: Fresh fruit, nuts, Nilla wafers, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chips

The spoons and new flavor are available while supplies last. Flavor Pandamonium continues till Feb. 28.

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.

Valentine’s Day Froyo Offers

Fro-yo girl here. Happy Froyo Valentine’s Day! I hope your Valentine’s plans include froyo. Here are some sweet Valentine’s froyo deals that you can share with your loved one:

• 21 Choices Frozen Yogurt (Old Town Pasadena): Free red velvet cake on Valentine's Day
• Awesome Yogurt: Buy one, get one free on Valentine's Day when you mention that you saw the offer on Twitter 
• FlavorBerry: Enjoy a buy one, get one free offer on Valentine's Day
• Forever Yogurt Panama: Free hot toppings for Valentine's Day
• FroyoWorld has a free Valentine’s treat bag for you with a minimum $5 purchase from Feb. 12- Feb. 16, 1 – 5 PM, while supplies last
• J.Co Indonesia has a buy 2 single size froyos, get 1 free on Valentine's Day, say #ILOVEJCOOL to the cashier to redeem
• Menchie’s in Willamsburg, VA is offering a buy one, get one free deal on Valentine’s Day, find the coupon at: http://www.williamsburgfamilies.com/
• Menchie's UBC Vancouver has a buy one, get one 50% off deal for Valentine's Day
• Orange Leaf has a buy one, get one free deal all Valentine’s Day
• Pinkberry Edmonton has a buy 2 small, medium or large Pinkberry frozen yogurts for $9.90 Valentine’s special
• Pinkberry Kuwait The Avenues location has heart shaped frozen yogurt pops (swoon) for a limited time
• Pinkberry Thailand’s offer runs from Feb. 8 – 22, buy two cups of Pinkberry and get 14% off
• Red Mango Club Mango members get double points during Valentine’s weekend
• sweetFrog Southend-on-Sea’s location has a buy one, get one free deal during Valentine’s weekend
• sweetFrog Danville, VA: Buy 2 cups on Valentine's Day and get 25% off, arts and crafts and a photo booth all weekend long
• TCBY (North Carolina): Buy one, get one for 50% on Valentine's Day
• Yo-chi: Free chocolate hazelnut and sour cherry bark on Valentine's Day
• Yoga-urt (Glendale, CA) is offering a buy one, get one half off deal on Valentine’s Day
• Yogurt Paradise: Buy one, get one free Friday - Sunday, Valentine's Day
• Zebra Treats: $1 froyo cones on Valentine's Day

You could order a Valentine’s Day froyo cake from Menchie’s, Qoola, 16 Handles, TCBY, Loreta's or other places that have froyo cakes.

There’s still time to print out a Valentine’s card from Yogurtland and get a gift card to go with it. It’s sure to make a froyo lover smile or even swoon.

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.

Pinkberry’s International Flavors

Fro-yo girl here. On a recent trip to Pinkberry in Little Tokyo I found a “new” Pinkberry flavor, Green Apple. Green Apple Pinkberry hasn’t been released across the US but it was introduced to their stores in India back in 2013. It was around this time last year that I tried the unreleased test flavor, Pink Champagne (later reformulated and renamed Pink Bubbly), at the Little Tokyo location.

The Green Apple Pinkberry froyo flavor is good, lighter and smoother than ice cream, the flavor is tart and tangy (quite tangy) with lots of bright apple flavor and a sweet finish that seems to have a hint of pear. The yogurt flavor is in there but not prominent.

Recommended toppings: Caramel sauce, honey, agave nectar, almonds, cinnamon crumble

I also ran into their Just Fruit Strawberry dairy-free flavor for the first time. It’s made with just fruit so it tastes like strawberries. I wasn’t too excited by it though it tasted fine. It’s not as smooth as their dairy based products. Dairy makes it taste better.

Recommended toppings: Popping boba, fresh fruit, granola

I’ve also had Pistachio Pinkberry froyo at the Farmers Market. The flavor was first introduced exclusively to the Pinkberry Kuwait location in June 2014. It’s been spotted stateside at a few locations. The flavor is richer and denser than your typical Pinkberry flavor. The smoothness and density with the sweet nuttiness make for a satisfying treat. It’s sweet but not too sweet. The pistachio flavor isn’t that strong.

Recommended toppings: Almonds, shaved milk chocolate, dark chocolate crisps, brownie bites

Pinkberry Kuwait offers frozen yogurt pops. The pops are customizable with dips and toppings. They have heart shaped ones for Valentine's Day. I would love to try one. They also offered a Mint Lemonade Pinkberry flavor that I’ve never tried.

Unfortunately, none of the new test(?) flavors show up on the PinkCard app.

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

* PINKBERRY LITTLE TOKYO: 332-A E. 2nd St., Los Angeles, CA 90012

* PINKBERRY FARMERS MARKET: 6333 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90036

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.

Fifth Annual National Frozen Yogurt Day Celebration at Yogurtland

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve just returned from Yogurtland’s fifth NFYD celebration, featuring free froyo and toppings, the limited edition Hershey’s collectible spoon, and two Hershey’s flavors: Hershey’s Chocolate Milkshake and Peppermint Pattie. The line was long and people were excited about NFYD or free froyo (or both) but the line moved quickly because Yogurtland handled the line efficiently (moving chairs and tables out of the way, letting only a certain number in at a time, handing out cups to people in line, handing out spoons and coupons at the register).

The fifth NFYD celebration felt just like the fourth NFYD: same Hershey’s flavors, same co-sponsors, same spoons and even the cups looked the same.

The coupons were new though: 3 ounces off with a minimum purchase of $5 (or about 10-11 ounces worth).

Thanks to Yogurtland for all the NFYD goodies! Remember to return next Monday for Master Shifu’s Honey Graham froyo and spoon.

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.

Palo Alto Froyo Update

Fro-yo girl here. I have a special place in my heart for Palo Alto, CA since I used to live there and they were also way ahead of the froyo curve with Fraiche and Culture Organic Frozen Yogurt. It’s been awhile since I posted an update on the froyo scene in Palo Alto. Much has happened. Red Mango closed and reopened with Auntie Anne’s at Stanford Shopping Center, Pinkberry opened at Stanford Shopping Center in 2010, Yogurtland opened in 2011, and L’Amour, Yoppi Yogurt and Culture (so sad, it still hurts) have closed. 

Today there are five frozen yogurt shops in Palo Alto: Fraiche (the local froyo spot that makes its own yogurt and has two locations in Palo Alto), Pinkberry, Red Mango, and Yogurtland. Fraiche and Pinkberry are counter-serve while Red Mango and Yogurtland are self-serve. 

I hadn’t visited the Fraiche location on the Stanford campus for maybe a year and there have been changes. They remodeled in May 2015 and they added a new savory menu that includes salads, vegan soup, avocado toast, lox tartine, and egg white wraps. These savory items are currently only available at the Stanford location. The items are healthy and “made from scratch with simple recipes that highlight wholesome ingredients.” The items looked really good (I had to get my SF Chronicle special w/ froyo and steel cut oatmeal though). I tried their dairy-free almond milk soft serve for the first time – the chocolate hazelnut flavor was apparent but the texture was rather icy and it was also pretty sweet. I like their soy froyo better but I like soy better than chocolate.

The Axe & the Palm Cafe on the Stanford campus stopped serving froyo (why bother when Fraiche is steps away?) but it now has boba drinks, popcorn chicken and macarons.

Prices have gone way up at Yogurtland. It’s 52 cents an ounce now. It seems like the ownership may have changed.

Pressed Juicery’s Palo Alto location is one of the few in the Bay Area that offers their Freeze dairy-free soft serve. It’s not froyo but it’s refreshing and clean tasting. 

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

* FRAICHE STANFORD: 459 Lagunita Dr, Stanford, CA 94305

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 is Testing Freshly Made Waffles

Fro-yo girl here. Menchie’s University in Encino is where Menchie’s tests new products and flavors and provides training. Recently they were testing a new dairy-free flavor, dark chocolate made with coconut milk. I headed over less than a week later and the flavor was nowhere to be found. I guess the test flavors aren’t there long. I heard they were testing a Marshmallow Peeps flavor next. If I lived closer to Menchie’s University, I’d certainly go there regularly.

During my visit they were testing a new product: freshly made waffles. They’re sold by the weight for the same price as froyo and toppings. Head to the Menchie’s team member and ask for a waffle. The waffle iron is kept next to the round waffle iron they use to make waffle bowls.

A team member pours the batter onto the waffle iron. After a few minutes the hot waffle is ready. The waffle is rectangular (6 squares long, 3 squares wide). It’s a light waffle with deep pockets. The texture is soft and slightly crispy. It is not a liege waffle; the denser liege waffle would hold up to froyo better. Froyo gets absorbed into the Menchie’s waffle and quickly makes it soggy. Pro tip: Put your froyo on the side, not on top of your waffle.

The waffle flavor was okay but not better than those waffles you can make for yourself with a waffle iron at a hotel. The fact that the froyo makes the waffle soggy is a big negative. 

My two cents: If Menchie’s wants to offer waffles, they should make the batter more interesting and make a denser waffle that doesn’t get soggy so easily. Flavored waffles (made with flavored batter) like peanut butter or chocolate sound much more appealing than plain waffles. Or offer waffle bites dipped in different kinds of chocolate, peanut butter, etc. 

I actually like Liege waffles but they’re pretty filling so I probably wouldn’t get one plus add froyo to it.

Menchie’s University is also selling snacks by Brookside, IceBreakers Mints, IceBreakers Ice Cubes and Hershey’s Kisses Deluxe.

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

* MENCHIE’S UNIVERSITY: 17245 Ventura Blvd., Encino, CA 91316

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 NFYD 2016

Fro-yo girl here. Menchie’s celebrated National Frozen Yogurt Day at its US locations on February 1, giving out free froyo (6 ounces per guest) from 4-7 PM. Plus they made the day even sweeter with 20% off coupons and two new limited time flavors: Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar, made with Nestle Butterfinger Pieces, and Chocolate Candy Bar, made with Nestle Crunch. 

The location that I visited had the new flavors. PB Chocolate Bar tastes just like Butterfinger, the peanut butter in Butterfinger has a distinct taste and that taste is in the frozen yogurt flavor. The texture was smooth. I liked how the pb flavor was stronger than the chocolate flavor. Chocolate Candy Bar froyo had a rich, deep chocolate taste and though I didn’t see the crisped rice, the flavor did have a different taste. I’m not a fan of chocolate froyo but this flavor was better than average. It didn’t taste like fudgsicle like most chocolate flavors do.

I topped my Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar froyo with Butterfinger and a brownie.

Thanks Menchie’s!!!

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 Yogurtland Kung Fu Panda 3 Spoons: Tigress

Fro-yo girl here. The new Tigress spoons, part of Yogurtland’s Flavor Pandamonium collectible Kung Fu Panda 3 spoons have arrived. The fourth of five new froyo spoon designs features Tigress’ face on an orange spoon. The back of the spoon says Kung Fu Panda 3. Tigress’ flavor, Big Pop Sorbet, is a returning favorite. The sorbet’s colors are similar to Tigress.

The last spoon, Master Shifu’s green spoon, arrives on February 15.

Don't forget that next Monday, Feb. 8th, is Yogurtland's National Frozen Yogurt Day celebration, free froyo and toppings from 4-7 PM. Hershey's Chocolate Milkshake will return along with Hershey's toppings.

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.