The IFYA Turns 3, Froyo Poem Contest Winner Announced

Fro-yo girl here. The International Frozen Yogurt Association (IFYA) just turned three on July 29, 2013. Since its founding, the IFYA has:

• Grown its membership base to nearly 1,400 members in 104 countries. The majority of members are frozen yogurt shop operators.
• Built a social media presence that includes over 2,000 Twitter followers on Twitter, over 1,000 followers on Pinterest, nearly 700 followers on Instagram and over 500 Facebook fans.
• Secured a wide variety of member discounts, including discounts from new ones from FrozenSolutions.com, Café Pofferazzi, FrozenYogurtParts.com and Soft Serve Solutions 

The IFYA also sponsored a froyo poetry contest to commemorate its third anniversary. The winning poem was submitted by @db_pottery:

‘Twas the night before the new promo
and I could hardly wait

to rush out to Yogurtland
and anxiously find out my fate.

New flavors and special toppings
all waiting just for me;

which one would be my favorite?

The time was getting close to see.

My heart danced with glee
as I skipped into the store;
this is what I live for after all,
special promos...give me more!

With eyes wide and sample cup in hand
I certainly wasted no time;
after all there was something tasty
and it was soon to be mine.

Once the sampling was complete,
my mind was made up;
I knew exactly which temptations
I wanted to have in my cup.

Some cookie dough and Reese's
along with a few chocolate chips;
this was sure to be pleasant
once it finally hit my lips.

And of course one last thing

I couldn't leave out... lots of fluffy whipped cream;
it's something I never go without!

The final order of business
now that the creation was complete,
was to pull out my Real Rewards card
and happily pay for my treat.

The moment was finally here
with one more special surprise;
a new collectible spoon
presented to me before my very eyes!

Like a child at Christmas
this had been the best day;
me and my beloved fro-yo... Hooray! Hooray!

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 & Nintendo Game On New Flavor & New Spoon: Princess Peach Tart

Fro-yo girl here. A new Nintendo inspired froyo flavor is now swirling at Yogurtland, Princess Peach Tart. Since I love tart, fruity flavors, I was excited about the new flavor. Yogurtland already has a Juicy Peach Tart flavor that I like and I believe Princess Peach Tart is the same as Juicy Peach Tart, only with a new name.

Also, the new Princess Peach spoon arrived today. It’s pink and fit for a princess.

* Princess Peach Tart: According to the flavor card, “Princess Peach brings the flavors of summer to the Kingdom with this refreshingly fruity tart. It combines real, fresh-picked peaches for a lightly tangy taste with natural sweetness and vitamin C.” It’s made with real peach. It’s one of the sweeter tart flavors though it still has a mild tang and a juicy, refreshing quality. Recommended toppings: Popping boba, sour gummy worms, fresh strawberries, raspberry puree

Princess Peach tart is available while supplies last. Mark your calendar for the next new flavor, Donkey Kong Banana Cream on August 5.

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 Testing Gelato Sandwiches

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurtland is currently testing a new offering, gelato sandwiches. They’re sold by the box, with four vanilla gelato chocolate chip sandwiches per box, for $5.95. There’s just one flavor at the moment and you can find them in the freezer at Yogurtland CSUF (Cal State Fullerton) and Seal Beach, CA. 

The chocolate chip cookies were thin and soft. For some reason my cookies were also wet and soggy – perhaps because it took two hours for me to transport them home (but I had them in an ice chest and they didn’t look like they melted). I liked the firm crunchy chocolate chips. I cranked up the freezer and tried the sandwich again – the cookies were still very soft and even oily but not as soggy. They’re like big cookie dough discs which is great if you like cookie dough. The vanilla gelato wasn’t smooth in texture, which is unusual since Yogurtland’s yogurts and gelato are always smooth. It was gritty/sandy; the flavor was fine though pretty sweet. The flavor of the chocolate chip cookies dominated the flavor of the gelato. The flavor of the sandwich was fine but the texture wasn’t what I expected.

Each sandwich is 4.8 fl oz. One sandwich is 300 calories, 12g of fat, 32g of sugar and 6g of protein. The vanilla gelato has live and active cultures.

Ingredients: Cultured gelato (pasteurized & cultured milk, skim milk, sugar, cream, dextrose, whey, stabilizer (mono & diglycerides, locust bean gum, guar gum), vanilla extract), Cookie (enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate (Vitamin B1), riboflavin (Vitamin B2), folic acid), brown sugar, chocolate chunks (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, dextrose, soy lecithin an emulsifier, vanilla), palm oil, sugar, butter, eggs, invert syrup, salt, natural flavor, whey, baking soda.

Has anyone else seen or tried Yogurtland Gelato Sandwiches?

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 Turns One with a New Flavor and New Menu Item

Fro-yo girl here. This time last year, I attended the soft opening of Yoga-urt, LA’s first all organic, non-dairy, vegan, kosher, soy free frozen yogurt shop. Here’s the story from last year, http://froyogirl.blogspot.com/2015/07/innovative-froyo-shop-spotlight-yoga.html

This past weekend was the first anniversary weekend at Yoga-urt. To commerorate the special occasion, Yoga-urt introduced a new menu item, dairy-free, organic yogurt parfaits made with coconut meat and almonds and a new flavor, Radiant Golden Rose made with rosewater, turmeric and saffron. During the anniversary weekend they offered a $1 discount from 2-5 PM. They also have an Yoga-urt Turns One Instagram photo contest that combines yoga and froyo, the two things that inspired the business.

The shop has a new look with yummy looking pictures of their products on the walls.

* Radiant golden rose: This unique flavor has a beautiful rich yellow color and tastes mostly like saffron with a hint of rosewater. The texture is thick and dense and yet it’s still light and refreshing. It’s sweet and not tangy. Radiant golden rose reminds me of a Middle Eastern inspired dessert – so good! So different too.

Congrats to founder, Melissa Schulman!

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.

Find Waldo Local, Waldo Hiding at Yogurtland Pasadena

Fro-yo girl here. I was at my local Yogurtland (415 S. Lake Ave., Pasadena, CA) the other day when I spotted the Find Waldo passport by the door. Find Waldo Local in Pasadena is being hosted by Vroman’s Bookstore. As part of the scavenger hunt, your task is to find Waldo at local businesses in July. Yogurtland Pasadena is one of the 15 participating businesses. When you spot Waldo, tell the store and get the store stamp or signature. Once you’ve collected 10 stamps, bring your passport to Vroman’s to claim an “I Found Waldo” button (for the first 125 spotters) and be entered into the prize drawing.

Vroman’s is hosting a Where’s Waldo party and prize drawing on Friday, July 29 at 5 PM.

This is the fifth Find Waldo Local event. The nationwide event is co-sponsored by Candlewick Press and the American Booksellers Association. Two hundred fifty bookstores participate every year.

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 & Nintendo Game On Flavor: Goomba’s Iced Coffee

Fro-yo girl here. Goomba’s favorite froyo flavor has arrived at Yogurtland, Goomba’s Iced Coffee.

It’s the latest Nintendo inspired froyo flavor at Yogurtland.

I love coffee flavored froyo like Yogurtland’s Caramel Macchiato and Sumatra Coffee, so I was looking forward to this flavor.

* Goomba’s Iced Coffee: The flavor card says, “There’s no Goomba that wouldn’t want to take a bite out of this iced coffee froyo that blends together real Sumatra coffee and espresso for a lightly sweet and creamy guilt-free treat.” Goomba’s Iced Coffee is a No Sugar Added flavor that’s non-fat. It tastes very similar to Yogurtland’s Sumatra Coffee only it’s NSA; the Sumatra coffee gives it a distinctive taste but it's not harsh or bitter. I like crunchy chocolate with my coffee froyo. Recommended toppings: Chocolate shell, almonds, white chocolate chips, toffee bits

There was a new topping, sour twin cherries gummy candies. I don’t think sour twin cherries complement coffee froyo but I would add them to Plain Tart.

Goomba’s Iced Coffee is available while supplies last. The next new flavor is Princess Peach Tart which comes out on July 29, along with the Princess Peach 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.

New Fage Line: Crossovers Review

Fro-yo girl here. In the yogurt world, the competition is heating up for the snack market with a new wave of savory yogurts. Fage’s new line which was launched in May, Crossovers, promises “chef level snacking” with distinct, delicious flavors, lowfat Greek strained yogurt and crunchy toppings. The seven flavors are:

* Olive thyme with roasted almonds

* Carrot ginger with roasted pistachios: Interesting, with bits of carrot and bits of ginger, mixed with tangy not too sweet yogurt, the carrot adds texture, seemed thick and smooth, filling

* Caramel with honey roasted salted almonds: This was nice because the caramel wasn’t too sweet or overwhelming, the tangy yogurt flavor was still the star and the honey roasted salted almonds were crunchy and deliciously salty, sweet and nutty

* Coconut curry with cashews: Not a big fan of coconut but I really liked this flavor because the curry flavor is so distinctive yet not strong, it was still creamy and sweet with bits of coconut and the roasted cashews were so good

* Tomato basil with almonds: Very interesting and possibly my favorite, remember that tomatoes are a fruit, this yogurt plays on that. The tomato flavor isn’t strong but it’s lightly sweet with pops of basil flavor. I liked how the yogurt was tangy and not too sweet nor too salty

* Maple syrup with granola: The maple flavor wasn’t strong, the cinnamon and tangy yogurt flavors were stronger, the crunchy ancient grain granola was great too – with millet, amaranth, chia seeds, quinoa flakes

* Coconut with dark chocolate

The all natural yogurt is Greek strained and lowfat. The toppings are kept separate using the split cup container. You can fold the split cup over to easily add the toppings to the yogurt side.

I like yogurt and nuts as snacks and yogurt in savory applications (e.g., tzakiki, raita), so this seemed like a product that I would like. The combinations sounded good to me though the sweet ones were less interesting/less novel.

One serving is 5.3 ounces. The carrot ginger variety has 210 calories, 9g of total fat, 260mg of sodium, 13g of sugar and 15g of protein.

I really liked all of the flavors that I tried because the flavors were different and interesting, the tangy flavor of yogurt was still present and the yogurt wasn’t too sweet or too salty. The combinations were thoughtful and balanced. All of the toppings were delicious.

I found Fage Crossovers at Sprouts but they didn’t carry all 7 flavors. They were priced at $1.79 each. Ralph’s had Crossovers for $1.59 each regular price and 10 for $10 on sale.

Find crossovers with the store locator tool: http://usa.fage.eu/yogurts/fage-crossovers

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

4.5 out of 5 stars.

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 Chino Hills Nintendo Launch Party/Guest Appreciation Event

Fro-yo girl here. I’m back from today’s Yogurtland Chino Hills Nintendo Launch Party/Guest Appreciation event. It was my first time at the Yogurtland in Chino Hills and I have to say that I’m very impressed. The people in and around Chino Hills are lucky to have such a well-run Yogurtland with a franchisee who really cares about his customers.

The day started with the VIP Platinum Card Holder Event. The doors opened earlier than usual at 10:30 AM. Platinum card holders with RSVPs received a cup of free froyo to fill up as much as they desired and a VIP Yogurtland gift bag. The gift bag contained many gifts, including a full set of the Nintendo Yogurtland spoons (even the ones that haven’t been released yet!!!), a Mario fan, Yogurtland water bottle, Yogurtland bracelet/wristband, Yogurtland lanyard and a dozen Yogurtland coupons. Ten of the coupons featured 10 different designs, one for each of the characters being featured in the Game On Nintendo promotion.

This wasn’t the first platinum card event at Yogurtland Chino Hills. The owner had a party for VIP platinum card holders two years ago (partnering with Charming Charlie), followed by a black tie event last year. He’s planning another platinum card holder event for this September. Other YL locations should learn from YL Chino Hills and show some extra love to their platinum card holders.

I wasn’t able to stay for the entire event (it’s all day) but here’s the schedule (there’s still time to go).

• 12 PM – 3 PM: $5 unlimited cup, first 100 people in line get a free gift
• 3 PM – 9 PM: Prize wheel
• 5 PM – 8 PM: Face painter
• 6 PM – 10 PM: $5 unlimited cup, first 100 people in line get a free gift

Nintendo costume contest: Come dressed in your best Mario or Luigi costume for your chance to win Yogurtland and Nintendo prizes.

Be sure to visit the Yogurtland Chino Hills Facebook page to see pictures from the event, including the costume contest winners.

P.S. If you’re not a Yogurtland Chino Hills Platinum Card holder yet, you should be.

Thanks Yogurtland Chino Hills for the invite and for making it such a special event!

* YOGURTLAND: The Commons, 4505 Chino Hills Pkwy, Chino Hills, CA 91709

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 & Nintendo Game On New Spoon & New Flavor: Yoshi’s Honeydew & Yoshi Spoon

Fro-yo girl here. There’s a new Nintendo froyo flavor at Yogurtland stores today: Yoshi’s Honeydew. According to the flavor card, “Honeydew melons are sweet, juicy, delicious and packed with vitamin C, just like Yoshi’s creamy honeydew flavor yogurt.” Yoshi’s Honeydew froyo is non-fat, gluten free and vitamin C fortified.

* Yoshi’s Honeydew: The yogurt was very thick and creamy (and yes, it’s non-fat). It does taste like honeydew melon (and the honeydew flavor is strong, there wasn’t any natural tangy yogurt flavor) and it’s sweet but it had a bitter gum like aftertaste that might have been the guar gum. It’s also strange to experience a creamy, rich honeydew dessert. Maybe a sorbet would have been better? Multiple people told me that they really like the Yoshi's Honeydew so it could just be my sensitivity to guar gum. Recommended toppings: Popping boba, honeydew, mochi

The new green Yoshi spoons are adorable. The spoon only shows part of Yoshi.

Yoshi’s Honeydew is available while supplies last. The next new flavor is Goomba’s Iced Coffee which comes out on July 22.

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.

Nintendo Launch Parties at Yogurtland Westgate West (San Jose) and Chino Hills

Fro-yo girl here. A few weeks ago I attended a Nintendo launch party at Yogurtland CSUF in Fullerton, CA. Additional Nintendo launch parties have since been announced for Saturday, July 16 at Yogurtland Westgate West (San Jose, CA) and Chino Hills, CA.

Both parties will have invite only VIP events, followed by a launch party for the general public.

Yogurtland Westgate West, 5395 Prospect Rd., San Jose, CA 

• Date: July 16
• Time: 2 – 4 PM
• Details: Enjoy buy one, get one free froyo, win prizes by spinning the prize wheel, take pics in the photo booth. Dress up as your favorite Nintendo character and enter the ultimate costume contest. They’ll also have raffles, temporary tattoos and more.

Yogurtland Chino Hills, 4505 Chino Hills Pkwy, Chino Hills, CA

• Date: July 16
• Time: 12 PM – 10 PM 
• 12 PM – 3 PM: $5 unlimited cup, first 100 people in line get a free gift
• 3 PM – 9 PM: Prize wheel
• 5 PM – 8 PM: Face painter
• 6 PM – 10 PM: $5 unlimited cup, first 100 people in line get a free gift
• Nintendo costume contest: Come dressed in your best Mario or Luigi costume for your chance to win Yogurtland and Nintendo prizes. 

Be sure to collect your Nintendo spoons while you’re there and try the newest flavor, Yoshi’s Honeydew.

Remember that fans of Nintendo and Yogurtland can also enter a sweepstakes with cool prizes, including the Wii Usystem and one year of free frozen yogurt. Enter at yogurt-land.com. By entering the contest, fans are also eligible for instant giveaways, including unlimited frozen yogurt cups, Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games, as well as shiny new Nintendo 3DS systems that come with one game.

Update: I found out that Yogurtland Murrieta and Manhattan Beach are also having Nintendo launch parties on July 16.

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.

Cheap Eats: Froyo in Los Angeles

Fro-yo girl here. Froyo prices have been rising lately; it’s difficult to find any shop that charges less than 40 cents an ounce. Remember when most Yogurtland locations charged 30 cents an ounce? Those were the froyo golden years.

Most of the self-serve froyo shops in the Los Angeles area are charging between 40 to 50 cents an ounce.

There are a few shops that charge less than 40 cents an ounce, including:

* FASHION FRUIT YOGURT (4125 Whittier Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90023): Fashion Fruit Yogurt opened recently in East LA with 8 self-serve flavors a day and toppings for 39 cents an ounce. They serve Honey Hill Farms froyo.

* FRUIT YOGURT (2355 Foothill Blvd., La Verne, CA 91750): Fruit Yogurt opened back in 2011, two years before Yogurtland opened a few blocks away (also on Foothill Blvd.). When they first opened, Fruit Yogurt charged 30 cents an ounce and I believe that they now charge 36 cents an ounce. They have 16 self-serve froyo flavors a day and the fruit looked particularly fresh. Check in on Yelp to get 50% off your second cup. 

* GREEN APPLE FROZEN YOGURT (10815 Valley Mall, El Monte, CA 91731): Green Apple opened in 2015. They serve Dannon YoCream frozen yogurt, with 10 self-serve flavors a day, for 35 cents an ounce.

* ML YOGURT (5025 E Florence Ave., Bell, CA 90201): I haven't been here but it's self-serve and 38 cents an ounce. Check in on Yelp for three ounces free,

* YOGURTLAND PASADENA (S LAKE): If you can make it to Yogurtland Pasadena (415 S Lake Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101) on Tuesdays before 3 PM, there’s a 25% discount off the 46 cents an ounce price, making it 34.5 cents an ounce. On Wednesdays before 3 PM, they have a buy one, get one for $1 offer (the more you get, the more you save). Or if you check in on Yelp, you’ll get 3 free ounces.

If you're feeling like a dainty froyo snack, try Spread Mediterranean Kitchen (334 S Main St., Los Angeles, CA) in DTLA. They serve one flavor of plain housemade froyo and it's just $2 for a mini and the price includes your choice of toppings. Top yours with beet salt & citrus powder, chai halva crumble or harissa dry spice & pita chip.

Have I missed any bargain froyo shops? I know that I haven’t been to every froyo shop in Southern California.

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 & Nintendo Game On New Flavor: Toad’s Rocky Road

Fro-yo girl here. The newest Nintendo froyo flavor arrived in stores today: Toad’s Rocky Road. Toad’s Rocky Road is a non-fat flavor described as a “decadent combination of real cocoa and roasted almonds swirled together with creamy marshmallow flavor in every bite.”

* Toad’s Rocky Road: It was sweet and creamy with a mild chocolate cake/brownie flavor. It’s not as intense as their Chocolate Gelato. I think the marshmallow mellows out the chocolate. The almond flavor is very subtle. Recommended toppings: Anything chocolate, whipped cream, chocolate shell, almonds

The next new flavor is Yoshi’s Honeydew, which comes out on July 15.

I didn’t spot any new spoon designs; they’re still giving out Bowser and Mario froyo spoons.

The promotion runs from July 1 – September 8.

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.

Organic Froyo Shop Coming to Fullerton, CA

Fro-yo girl here. I don’t have details but I spotted a “coming soon 1st in O.C.! Organic frozen yogurt” sign in downtown Fullerton at the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce building. I thought I saw Joe’s in the window of a future shop. It’s at the corner of Harbor and Chapman. 

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.

IFYA Launches Froyo Poetry Contest for Froyo Fans

Fro-yo girl here. The International Frozen Yogurt Association (IFYA) wants to hear about how much you love frozen yogurt – in poem form. Frozen yogurt fans are invited to submit their original poems about frozen yogurt for a chance to win a froyo prize package that includes a $25 Menchie’s gift card, 2 Yogurtland Kung Fu Panda 3 keychains, and other frozen yogurt items.

Here's how to enter:

Write an original froyo poem (one that mentions frozen yogurt) and post it to Instagram with the tag, #froyopoem by the contest deadline, midnight Pacific Time on Friday, July 22, 2016. Contestants can also submit froyo poems by emailing info@internationalfrozenyogurt.com

Entrants must be 18 years or older and reside in the United States. You can enter as many times as you'd like. The contest is void where prohibited by law. 

The winner will be announced by July 31, 2016.

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER

For complete rules, see: http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/official-rules-ifyas-froyo-poetry-contest-2016/

Good luck!

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

About the International Frozen Yogurt Association

The International Frozen Yogurt Association (IFYA) serves as an unbiased source of support and information for current and prospective frozen yogurt store operators. The Association sets and promotes standards to elevate the quality of frozen yogurt stores through the Swirl of Honor™ program. IFYA represents frozen yogurt shops, suppliers and consumers across the world. Visit the IFYA website, http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/, for additional information.

21 Choices Pasadena (Temporarily) Closed, Building Undergoing Earthquake Retrofit

Fro-yo girl here. Bad news, Pasadena froyo eaters – 21 Choices is closed indefinitely while their building undergoes earthquake retrofitting. The closure affects the other tenants that share the building as well: Father Nature Lavash Wraps and Sunglass Hut.

A sign in the window of 21 Choices says “we are told that we will have to close for about 4 months.” They list their other locations in Claremont. They’ll be back and the building will be safer than ever. It will be a long four months though. Miss you already, 21 Choices.

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

* 21 CHOICES: 85 W Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91105

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 Partners with Twentieth Century Fox for New Ice Age: Collision Course Promotion

Fro-yo girl here. The summertime froyo/movie partnerships continue with Menchie’s latest, which promotes the upcoming animated fim, Ice Age: Collision Course, opening in theaters on July 22.

The Menchie’s Ice Age: Collision Course promotion launched on July 1st. The promotion includes two new flavors, two exclusive cup designs, two limited edition spoons featuring Sid and Scrat, Ice Age stickers, Ice Age toppings, and Sid’s Alaskan Adventure Sweepstakes.

New flavors:

Ice Age Blue Blast Sorbet: Scrat’s favorite flavor is blue raspberry. The bright blue color is as fun as the flavor, which reminds me of blue raspberry ICEE only not as sweet. Recommended toppings: White chocolate chips, popping boba

White Freeze Sorbet: Sid’s favorite flavor is described as a fruity and frosty flavor. It tastes like a sweet combination of white grape and apple. It’s white. Recommended toppings: Nerds, peach rings

The Ice Age chocolate asteroids look like white, silver, ice blue and light purple chocolate pearls.

The Sid spoon is white and the Scrat spoon is ice blue. They’re detailed spoons and when you turn them over, you can see the back of each character. One cup is black and shows Scrat in outer space. One is blue and shows the movie characters with glaciers and a volcano. The stickers feature five characters from the movie.

Sid’s Alaskan Adventure Sweepstakes will award a 3-day vacation to Alaska for four. To enter, just use your registered my Smileage account when you visit 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.

Yogurtland & Nintendo Game On Launch Party, New Flavors

Fro-yo girl here. The newest Yogurtland promotion, Yogurtland & Nintendo Game On, started today. I don’t play Nintendo games like Mario Kart 7 and New Super Mario Bros. 2, but I’m still excited about the new Nintendo character spoons and flavors. Nintendo is promoting its 3DS games for their hand-held systems and reaching families in a new way.

Yogurtland CSUF (the first Yogurtland location, by Cal State Fullerton) had a launch party today with photo opps, free froyo for the first 50 guests and a prize wheel (customers can spin the wheel all day today). Yogurtland associates had red Nintendo t-shirts and hats. There wasn’t any Yogurtland/Nintendo merchandise for sale.

There are ten Nintendo inspired flavors during the promotion, with release dates indicated.

• Mario’s Chocolate Gelato (July 1): “What better way for Mario to fuel up than with this decadent chocolate gelato. We combined real chocolate, rich cocoa, and a hint of vanilla for a creamy blend of chocolatey goodness.” The gelato has live and active cultures. It was creamy and rich…tasted like a fudgsicle. Recommended toppings: Cap’n Crunch or Cinnamon Toast Crunch, chocolate chips
• Bowser’s Dragon Berry Tart (July 1): “Real dragon fruit, raspberries and blueberries come together to create a lightly tart, vitamin C packed treat. Even Bowser can’t say no to this berry refreshing flavor.” I can see why Bowser likes this flavor; it’s really fruity. Raspberries and blueberries are some of my favorite berries. You can see bits of fruit in the mix. It’s creamy, tangy and berry flavorful. Recommended toppings: Berries, blueberry puree, popping boba
• Toad’s Rocky Road (July 8)
• Yoshi’s Honeydew (July 15)
• Goomba’s Iced Coffee (July 22)
• Princess Peach Tart (July 29)
• Donkey Kong Banana Cream (August 5)
• Shy Guy’s Pineapple Lime Coconut Sorbet (August 12)
• Koopa Troopa’s Lemon Cupake (August 19)
• Luigi’s White Chocolate Pistachio (August 26)

The new cup design features five Nintendo characters that also have their own character spoons: Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi and Bowser. The first two spoons released belong to Mario (red) and Bowser (yellow). There was a new topping: red, white and blue star shaped candies called Starzmania.

Fans of Nintendo and Yogurtland can also enter a sweepstakes with cool prizes, including the Wii Usystem and one year of free frozen yogurt. Enter at yogurt-land.com. By entering the contest, fans are also eligible for instant giveaways, including unlimited frozen yogurt cups, Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games, as well as shiny new Nintendo 3DS systems that come with one game.

The promotion runs from July 1 – September 8.

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.