Red Mango Livermore Grand Opening on June 3

Fro-yo girl here. Red Mango’s new Livermore location has announced its grand opening celebration to be held on Saturday, June 3 from 1PM – 4 PM. The celebration will include free froyo, goodie bags for the first 25 customers, $5 gift cards for the first 50 customers, raffles and face painting.

The free froyo details aren’t clear from their flyer but you can sign up for a free froyo with two toppings on the LocalGruv site, http://localgruv.com/deal/red-mango-4/

* RED MANGO LIVERMORE: 101 E Vineyard Ave., Suite 111, Livermore, CA 94550

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.

Memorial Day Frozen Yogurt Specials

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve been seeing a lot of Memorial Day froyo specials. Here are a few:

• 3 SPOONS WACO: All military get 50% off one cup of froyo on Memorial Day Monday with proof of service
• BERRY BEAR CLARKSVILLE: US military & family members get 15% discount on Monday, May 29
• CRAZY FOR YOGURT: 6 oz free with military ID on Memorial Day
• D'ILISHI: 10% discount with military ID every day
• THE MIX VALDOSTA: Military & their children receive 4 free ounces on Memorial Day Monday
• PURPLE PENGUIN: Military & immediate family members get 10% off with ID from 12 - 3 PM, double stamps from 6-9 PM
• RED MANGO MCALLEN: Military get 20% off on Memorial Day
• SWEETFROG DANVILLE VA: 50% off for military on Memorial Day
• TJ’S FROYO: $3 off your purchase with a military ID on Memorial Day (Monday)
• TRAILSIDE TREATS: 50% off with a military ID on Memorial Day
• TUTTI FRUTTI SAN CARLOS: Vets and their families get 10% off on Saturday, Sunday & Monday (Memorial Day weekend)
• YAGOOT: Get a free small cup with a military ID on Monday, Memorial Day
• YODELICIOUS: 50% off from 3 – 6 PM on Saturday, Sunday & Monday (Memorial Day weekend)
• YOGO CRAZY: Past and present military with a valid ID will get a free 8 oz of froyo on Monday, May 29
• YOGO FACTORY ROWAN: $5 all you can fill cups 5/26-5/29
• THE YOGURT SHOPPE: Free froyo for active and retired military every day
• YOGURTLAND ONTARIO: Active and retired military receive 50% off everyday (not just Memorial Day)
• YOGURTLAND BURBANK: Show your military ID on Memorial Day to get a free 16 oz cup of froyo
• YOGURTOLOGY: Buy one, get one half off on Memorial Day
• YOTOPIA EVANS: 20% off for all veterans and active military on Memorial Day
• ZUMBERRI: 50% off with a military ID on Memorial ID

Yasso is on sale at Target right now, 3 for $10.

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 Eagle Rock Grand Opening

Fro-yo girl here. The grand opening week celebration at Menchie’s Eagle Rock kicked off today. The doors opened at 11 AM with free kids t-shirts for the first 25 kids in line (12 and under) and free froyo (8 oz cup) from 11 AM – 1 PM. A little before 11 AM Menchie’s cut the ribbon. There was a good turnout for the free froyo and they added some new flavors, like Nutella.

Guests received an 8 ounce cup that they could fill up (there was no weight limit). This location has 12 self-serve froyo flavors a day and the typical Menchie’s toppings for 51 cents an ounce. They make waffle bowls on site and also offer froyo cakes, with custom cake designs availabble. You can also buy Menchie’s merchandise like lip gloss, pencils, etc. Earn free froyo by joining My Smileage.

The store opened last Tuesday, May 23.

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

* MENCHIE’S EAGLE ROCK: 4929 N Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90041

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.

Brothers Products Lebneh

Fro-yo girl here. Brothers Products is one of several Southern California vendors of hummus, dips and yogurt that frequent farmers’ markets (others include Mom’s, Aris, Bonjour). Brothers is based in Garden Grove, CA. 

They had ten flavors of lebneh (yogurt) in 8 oz tubs. Flavors included za’atar, plain, mango, chocolate, strawberry, fig, caramel, raspberry, coconut, and lemon. The list of ingredients was short – nonfat pasteurized milk and the flavoring (e.g., fig jam, strawberry jam). One tub was $5 or 3 for $12.

* Strawberry lebneh: The texture is very thick and a bit whipped. The flavor is quite tangy with a sour edge but a sweet finish. The strawberry flavor is noticeable but the yogurt flavor is stronger. It’s surprisingly thick and rich for a nonfat milk product.

* Lemon twist lebneh: The same super thick, whipped, rich texture, with quite a bit of tang and sourness. The lemon puree tasted like a tangy lemon curd. This one was my favorite.

* Fig lebneh: Crazy thick with bits of fig, this flavor was much sweeter than the strawberry and lemon twist lebneh though sugar is not listed on the label. The sugar has to be part of the fig jam? I was sweeter than what I personally prefer.

Visit their website to find out where their schedule: http://www.brothersproducts.com/

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.

Yogurtland Santa Barbara’s Eighth Anniversary Celebration on May 24

Fro-yo girl here. A friend of mine just sent in a froyo tip that involves free froyo. Yogurtland Santa Barbara is celebrating its 8th anniversary tomorrow with a day full of specials.

The first eight customers of the day will receive a bounce back coupon for a free yogurt and a Yogurtland gift bag.

The first 8 ounces are free from 11 AM – 2 PM. Customers have the chance to spin the Yogurtland wheel of fortune all day to win prizes and they can also enter to win a flatscreen TV.

It’s been awhile since I’ve been to Santa Barbara but I have been to the Yogurtland there. I found a picture that I took there from 2010, back when I still struggled with my froyo swirling skills.

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

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

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.

Pressed Juicery Introduces Matcha Almond Freeze

Fro-yo girl here. Pressed Juicery introduced several new matcha products last week, including Matcha Tea, Matcha Almond, Matcha Lemonade and Matcha Almond Freeze. Matcha Tea and Matcha Lemonade are made with probiotics. All of Pressed Juicery’s matcha products are made with Panatea’s ceremonial grade matcha from Japanese tea leaves.

I love matcha everything, so I wanted to try Matcha Almond Freeze as soon as I heard about it. However, the Pressed Juicery that I went to ran out of both the Matcha Almond Freeze and Matcha Almond Milk. I had to go back after they received a shipment.

* Matcha Almond Freeze: I could taste the matcha though it wasn’t a strong matcha flavor (it’s more muted and subtle). The texture wasn’t as gritty as the last time I ordered Freeze but it was icy as usual. The flavor isn’t too sweet and it has a very clean, natural flavor – but it also doesn’t have that much flavor and the texture is decidedly icy. It melted quickly. The flavor of the toppings (almonds, almond butter drizzle, dark chocolate chips) overwhelmed the flavor of the Freeze. Matcha Almond Freeze is made with matcha, kale, spinach, romaine, cucumber, almonds, dates, and vanilla bean.

* Matcha Tea (matcha, probiotic, maple syrup, lemon): this was okay but didn’t have enough matcha flavor for me

* Matcha Lemonade (lemon, matcha, probiotic, maple syrup, mint): the mint flavor dominated which wasn’t what I expected, there wasn’t even much lemon flavor

* Matcha Almond (matcha, almonds, dates, vanilla bean, cinnamon): this was the best matcha drink but the matcha flavor still seemed muted

I was surprised that Matcha Almond Freeze replaced the Greens Freeze because that means that all the Freeze flavors have nuts. But apparently Greens Freeze will return with an improved texture.

3.5 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.

Menchie’s Eagle Rock (Los Angeles, CA) Opens on May 23

Fro-yo girl here. Menchie’s Eagle Rock is now swirling in the plaza anchored by Sprouts. Today was the first day. They’re still in soft opening mode, with a grand opening celebration scheduled to begin this Saturday, May 27. The festivities will last for a week with free froyo from 11 AM – 1 PM on May 27. Menchie made an appearance today and he will return this Saturday for the ribbon cutting.

There are 12 self-serve froyo flavors a day for 51 cents an ounce. They make waffle bowls on site and also offer froyo cakes, with custom cake designs availabble. You can also buy Menchie’s merchandise like lip gloss, pencils, etc.

Earn free froyo by joining My Smileage. They didn’t have Nut Job 2 cups or this month’s featured flavors (Oreo) but that’s because they just opened. They did have Nut Job 2 sticker sheets though.

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

* MENCHIE’S EAGLE ROCK: 4929 N Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90041

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.

Tuttimelon’s Last Locations

Fro-yo girl. I’ve written many blog posts about Tuttimelon and I used to go there all time, several years ago. I recently read that their last San Francisco location, the one on Broadway in Chinatown, had closed for good.

Tuttimelon opened its first location on February 2, 2008 at 2015 Irving St. in San Francisco. I was there on day one when they only had one flavor, original tart. By Feburary 2010, they had 16 locations in the Bay Area and one in Canada. By August 2010, they had 25 locations. The next year they opened more locations in the US and added locations in Hong Kong and the Philippines. At one point, it seemed like there was a Tuttimelon in almost every neighborhood in San Francisco. They had more locations in San Francisco than any other froyo company (a record that still hasn’t been broken).

Sad times followed as locations started to close. What happened? I can only speculate. The frozen yogurt tasted great and they developed their own flavors. Their gelato was good too. 

The main reason that so many Tuttimelon locations closed is probably legal. The California Corporations Commissioner ruled that Yoogo Corporation violated Corporations Code section 31110 by selling franchises which they called trademark license agreements but that were franchises under California law. A desist and refrain order was issued in October 2011 whereby Yoogo Corporation was ordered to desist and refrain from the further offer or sale of Tuttimelon franchises, or any other franchises, unless and until the offers have been duly registered under the Franchise Investment Law, or exempted thereunder. The Yoogo Corporation has been dissolved. The fees and penalties associated with selling a disguised franchise are quite high and likely this is what led to Tuttimelon and Teaway's demise. Interestingly, Tutti Frutti was also found in violation of franchising laws though they offered licensing agreements to shop operators.

As a customer, I noticed two other factors:

(1) Lack of marketing and community involvement beyond the grand opening. Their grand opening celebrations always attracted big crowds and they were generous about giving out free froyo and prizes. But after the grand opening, I didn’t notice much marketing. I didn’t hear about community outreach and involvement either. They stopped updating their Facebook page for Tuttimelon and Teaway in 2013. Their website looks like it hasn't been updated in years.

(2) Inconsistent customer experience and product quality. I noticed that some locations didn’t accept coupons and gift cards from other Tuttimelon locations and the stamp cards only worked for certain locations. There wasn’t a consistent policy across locations. I also started to notice that the fruit and toppings weren’t always fresh. The Chinatown location froyo texture always seemed runny. I assume that they grew so fast that they weren’t spending enough time on quality control.

I went to Tuttimelon in Alameda, CA last year and had a cup of the Original Tart. It was still tuttilicious, so that made me happy.

The remaining Tuttimelon locations in the US are:

• Alameda, 2402 Central Ave, Alameda, CA 94501 (also a Teaway)
• Fairfield, Solano Town Center, 1350 Travis Blvd F13, Fairfield, CA 94533
• Novato, Vintage Oaks At Novato, 132 Vintage Way #F-9, Novato, CA 94945
• Ontario, Ontario Mills, 4449 Mills Cir, Ontario, CA 91764

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 Eagle Rock Grand Opening Week

Fro-yo girl here. The Menchie’s Eagle Rock grand opening details have been revealed. The week long celebration begins on Saturday, May 27 with a ribbon cutting ceremony featuring Menchie, free froyo from 11 AM – 1 PM, free kids t-shirts and a balloon artist.

See the picture for the schedule of events. The bottom of the flyer isn't shown.

• Wednesday: 11 AM - 1 PM, half off lunchtime yum
• Thursday: 3 PM: free dodge balls while supplies last
• Friday: 8 PM - close, buy one get one free

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

* MENCHIE’S EAGLE ROCK: 4929 N Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90041

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 Shop Warning Signs

Before I visit a froyo shop for the first time or taken a bite froyo, I already have an idea of whether the froyo is going to be good or bad. After visiting hundreds of froyo shops, I’ve noticed some patterns. In general, I have my doubts about the quality of froyo if I see any of the following:

• Selling froyo isn’t their primary business. If they sell many things besides froyo, then they probably aren’t spending enough time perfecting their froyo operations. I haven’t had much luck with froyo at gas stations and supermarkets but I have had great froyo from quality restaurants (good food and good froyo).
• Old fruit or lack of fruit offered as toppings. If the fruit isn’t fresh, I doubt the froyo is fresh. The shop doesn’t care about freshness.
• Dirty, rundown look. If they haven’t invested in the shop, they probably haven’t invested in good froyo and proper machine maintenance. They’re probably cutting corners in other ways.
• More than one machine isn’t operational (is out of order) or the toppings bar looks empty. See the previous point.
• Machine hasn’t been cleaned in a long time. With certain machine models, you can tell how many days it’s been since the machine has been cleaned. If the machine isn’t cleaned regularly, it isn’t being properly maintained and this affects the frozen yogurt quality.

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 Love Follow Your Heart, New Flavor: Pairings & Sharings Strawberry Basil Lemonade Sorbet

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurtland’s LOVE Follow Your Heart promotion launches a new flavor today, Pairings & Sharings Strawberry Basil Lemonade Sorbet. It’s the last of the new LOVE Follow Your Heart flavors and the only new sorbet flavor. Since there were no new tart flavors (sad face), the lemonade is the only hope I had for some tangy tartness.

Strawberries and basil go well together, so this flavor sounded promising. I’ve had fresh strawberry basil lemonade and it’s delicious. The flavor is described as “created by combining two varieties of strawberries, basil, and just a hint of tangy lemon. We used real basil in this flavor to give it a fun twist!” It’s good for a sorbet because I really like fresh basil and you can taste the basil and the strawberry. I was expecting a stronger lemon flavor (this was before I read Yogurtland’s hint of lemon description). The flavor is sweet and just a little tangy. Recommended toppings: strawberries, condensed milk, popping boba

Flavors are available while supplies last.

I noticed that Yogurtland didn’t have a Flavor Quest promotion this year (it usually runs from March – May). Sad face again. It was my favorite promotion that didn’t involve fancy new character froyo spoons. Speaking of collectible froyo spoons, Yogurtland and Menchie’s haven’t come out with a new design yet in 2017. Why?

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 Eagle Rock to Open on May 23

Fro-yo girl here. Back in March, I shared some pictures of the future Menchie’s in Eagle Rock, CA, a neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles.

Employee training commenced on April 29. This week they announced that the shop would be open for swirling on May 23. The date of the grand opening celebration has yet to be announced but I’ll update this blog once I learn that date. Fingers crossed for free froyo.

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

* MENCHIE’S EAGLE ROCK: 4929 N Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90041

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.

Mother’s Day Froyo Specials 2017

Fro-yo girl here. I can’t think of Mother’s Day without thinking of TCBY’s longstanding free froyo for mom’s promotion. On Mother’s Day, participating TCBY locations give moms a free cup or cone of froyo (up to 6 oz). From my research, it looks like this promotion started in 2009.

In recent years, many froyo shops have had Mother’s Day froyo specials. Here’s a list of places that have Mother’s Day froyo specials this year (this list will be updated as I learn about new specials):

• Alpine Chill (Alpine, CA): Free 16 oz cup of froyo for moms on Mother's Day
• Arctic Ape (Windcrest, TX): Free 8 oz for moms, all day on Mother's Day
• Bluspoon (Melbourne, Australia): Special rose petal frozen Greek yogurt returns on Mother's Day
• CherryBerry (Buffalo, MN): Buy an 8 oz or larger cup and mom gets an 8 oz cup free from 5/12-5/14/2017
• Froco (Lakeway, TX): $4 flat rate for moms
• Froyo Earth (Washington): Buy one, get one 50% off or buy two, get one free on Mother's Day
• Froyo Heavenly Cafe (Menifee, CA): Bring mom and get 25% off your purchase on Mother's Day
• Froyo House (Maryland): Free froyo (up to 6 oz) for moms on Mother’s Day
• Golden Spoon (Glendora, CA): Buy one $25 gift card, get a free regular size frozen yogurt from now until Mother’s Day
• HighFive Frozen Yogurt (Mt. Dora, FL): Moms receive a free cup of froyo (up to $5) on Mother's Day
• House of Yogurt (Costa Mesa, CA): Moms get 5 ozs free on Mother's Day
• Menchie’s (Boone, NC): Half off for all moms on Mother’s Day
• Menchie's Day Creek (Rancho Cucamonga, CA): Moms get a free cup (with a mininum 3 cup purchase) on Mother's Day
• Menchie's (Gilbert, AZ): Buy one, get one free on Mother's Day
• Orange Leaf (Eagle, ID): Free beginner froyo cup for moms on Mother's Day
• Orange Leaf (The Woodlands, TX): $3 off mom's cup of froyo on Mother's Day
• Orange Leaf (Kentucky): Free small cup for moms or $2.99 off a larger size on Mother's Day
• Orange Leaf (Galveston, TX): Free cup of froyo for moms on Mother's Day
• Orange Leaf (Kokomo, IN): Moms get 50% off cups from 12-7 PM on Mother's Day
• Qoola Frozen Yogurt (Canada): Buy one, get one 50% off for mom, from 11 AM - 1 PM on Mother's Day
• Red Spoon (Australia): Mums get 50% off on Mother's Day
• The Skinny Dip Ghent (Norfolk, VA): On Mother’s Day, tell the cashier how special your mom is to you and she’ll get a free bowl of froyo
• Sweet CeCe’s: Free cookie for mom or $1 off her cup of froyo on Mother's Day
• sweetFrog (Guilford, CT, Martinsburg, WV): Moms get a card good for a free small cup of froyo to be used on a future visit with every purchase on Mother's Day
• Swirl It (Gilbert, AZ): Moms receive 6 oz free on Mother's Day
• Swirls & Nibbles (Skippack, PA): Buy one, get one free on Mother's Day (of equal or lesser value, limit 1)
• Tasti D-Lite (Santa Monica, CA): Free 6 oz all you can swirl cup for moms on Mother's Day
• Tutti Frutti (Canada): Buy yours on Mother's Day, get hers 50% off on hers 
• Tutti Frutti (Denham Springs, LA): Bring your mother and buy your froyo, get 50% off hers on Mother's Day
• Tutti Frutti (Australia): Buy your froyo, get mom’s froyo 50% off on Mother's Day
• Twist (Portland, OR): Buy one, mom gets 5 ozs free on Mother's Day
• Yoga-urt (Glendale, CA): Moms get to choose one free topping on the Mother's Day special Banana-nana split
• Yogen Fruz (Merida, Mexico): Free cone for moms on Mother's Day
• Yo-Get-It (Australia): Buy one, get mom's froyo free on Mother's Day
• Yogurt Beach (Kennewick, WA): Buy a cup off froyo on Mother’s Day and get mom’s cup free
• Yogurt Breeze (Lake Nona, FL): Get 3 oz free with purchase Mother’s Day week
• Yogurt Heaven V (San Diego, CA): Free froyo for moms (up to $3) on Mother's Day
• Yogurtland (Alameda, CA & Pinole, CA): Mom’s cup is free with a minimum $10 purchase and special surprise for every mom on Mother’s Day
• Yogurtland (Artesia, Century City, Montebello, Old Town Pasadena, Westchester, CA): $5 off your purchase from May 15-21
• Yogurtland (Logan, UT): Buy one, get one free May 12 - May 14, 2017, mention Instagram post
• Yogurtland (Singapore): 20% off for moms on Mother's Day
• Yogurt Shoppe (CA): Free froyo for moms on Mother's Day
• Yogurtys (Canada): Bring mom and get 50% off her froyo on Mother's Day
• Yotopia (Iowa): Free froyo for moms on Mother's Day with purchase! (Freebie of equal or lesser value up to $4) 
• Yo Waf (Gilbert, AZ): Buy one for you, get one free for mom on Mother's Day
• Yum Yogurt Bar (Marksville, LA): Moms get 50% off on Mother's Day
• Zoyo Yogurt (AZ): 6 free oz for moms on Mother's Day

Many shops announce Mother's Day specials on Mother's Day so check back for updates or call your local shop to see if they have any special deals.

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.

Innovative Froyo Shop: ICE-YO in West Hollywood

Fro-yo girl here. Iceyo opened in West Hollywood at the end of last year. They call themselves a “fresh yogurt boutique.” I was intrigued by the menu and their claim that “after three years of trial and error, ICE-YO has developed a special yogurt smoothie base that is less tart and rich in flavor.”

ICE-YO is different from most froyo shops. It’s not self-serve but they take their time to make your froyo look nice. The froyo is organic, gluten free, kosher and has live and active cultures. They have four flavors a day ($4, extra cost per topping). They have some interesting toppings like cotton candy, caramel popcorn, macarons, and organic honey cubes. Other toppings include chocolate chips, sprinkles, brownies, syrups, mochi, fresh fruit, mango poppers, cheesecake, whipped cream, cereal, almonds, walnuts and Oreos.

The froyo appears in various drinkable forms: yogurt smoothies, yogurt floats, and yogurtade.

It’s a bit strange that they only offer one size of froyo and it’s huge. I recommend sharing it unless you’re really hungry.

I was impressed with the amount of froyo and raspberries that I received. They drizzled the top with “yogurt sauce,” which seemed to be a plain, refrigerated yogurt. It enhanced the taste of the frozen yogurt by bringing out the natural yogurt flavor. Their plain tart is refreshing and light with a sweet finish.

The décor is quite nice and they even have a lovely seating area, overlooking Sunset Blvd., outside. It’s in a strip mall so they actually have free parking! And there’s free wi-fi and a bathroom.

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

* ICE-YO: 8555 W Sunset Blvd., Ste E, West Hollywood, CA 90069, IG: iceyosunset

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 ShakeTracker Mystery

Fro-yo girl here. Do you save your froyo receipts? I do, of course, and I noticed something interesting on the most recent Yogurtland receipt that I received this week. In the rewards section of the receipt, they’ve added a new line that says ShakeTracker. Does this mean that shakes are coming to Yogurtland soon? Will they be like the Yogurtland Zoom product that I tried last year in West Covina?

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.

Happy Froyo Cinco De Mayo 2017

Fro-yo girl here. Happy Cinco De Mayo froyo fans! I’ve seen Yogurtland’s Churro flavor at multiple locations lately. I’m guessing that it’s there for Cinco De Mayo. I have a big tub of it in my freezer. It was introduced as part of Flavor Quest 2015 and last year they had the new Horchata flavor during Flavor Quest 2016. Check the Yogurtland Flavor Finder feature on their website or Real Rewards app to see if your local Yogurtland is carrying Churro froyo.

Here are some Cinco De Mayo inspired specials and froyo flavors that I found:

• Arctic Ape in San Angelo, TX, is offering a $5 flat rate cup
• Ayelada in Pittsfield, MA, just whipped up a batch of housemade Mexican chocolate frozen yogurt.
• Le Blueboy in Montreal makes fresh churros that you can add to your froyo or you can start with a churro cup and fill it with froyo to make a churro sundae.
• Fill up your cup for $5 at Menchie's Charleston Commons in Las Vegas, NV, Menchie's Gilbert, AZ and Menchie's El Paso, TX (Sunland, The Fountains, Rojas, Northeast) all day on Cinco De Mayo.
• Mention their Instagram post and get 4 ozs of froyo free at Myo Frozen Yogurt in Seaside, Monterey, Salinas and Walnut Creek, CA
• Peachwave in Simsbury, CT will bring out three dice for Cinco De Mayo. Roll a 5 for 5% off, roll two 5's for 25% off, or roll three 5's for a free cup.
• Sweet CeCe’s in Lebanon, TN (224 W Main St.) is offering 2 cups of froyo for $5.55 if you mention the code SWEET CINCO on Cinco De Mayo.
• Cinco de Froyo is back at sweetFrog with $5.55 16 oz cups, all day on Cinco De Mayo
• At Swirl Fiesta in Riverside, CA, you can get froyo with a side of elotes and esquites. Someone even put Hot Cheetos on their froyo! Maybe they’ll bring back their Horchata froyo for Cinco De Mayo? On Cinco De Mayo, enjoy a $5 flat rate cup.
• Trailside Treats in Connellsville, PA will have a $5 cup of froyo special on Cinco De Mayo
• Tru in Kelowna, British Columbia, created two flavors for Cinco De Mayo, Mexican cinnamon spice and Dulce de leche.
• Yogolandia in Chicago regularly has Mexican frozen yogurt flavors like churro, flan, cucumber and arroz con leche. They also offer some Mexican toppings.
• Fill an orange cup for $5 on Cinco de Mayo at Yogurt Beach in Naperville, IL
• Yogurt Frenzy in Bushnell, FL has a $5 flat rate cup special for Cinco De Mayo

Be sure to check out the IFYA’s Pinterest board, Cinco De Mayo Froyo, for Cinco De Mayo inspired froyo images.

Happy Froyo Cinco De Mayo!

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 Pinkcard Mobile App is Back

Fro-yo girl here. One day several months ago, the Pinkberry Pinkcard app disappeared from my phone and I couldn’t download it again because it was no longer available in the App Store. Fortunately, Pinkberry could still keep track of my purchases with my phone number and I continued to earn loyalty points.

The good news is that as of last week (April 27, 2017), the Pinkberry loyalty app is back. Prior to that, the last update was on November 25, 2013.

The new version has a new look but similar functionality to the version that it replaced. With the app you can track your reward points, send egifts, reload your card, find locations, get directions to locations, find flavors, etc. It is true that the hours of operation have disappeared, finding the flavors is now more effortful, and apparently the new version doesn’t work with Apple Wallet…but hey, at least it works. Find it using the search term, Pinkberry.

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 New Nut Job 2 Cup and the Return of Oreo Flavors

Fro-yo girl here. Menchie’s has a new exclusive cup design that promotes the upcoming animated film, Nut Job 2 Nutty by Nature. Nut Job 2 is scheduled to be released on August 18, 2017. I only spotted one cup design. It features a lot of animal characters, including squirrels, dogs, a mouse, etc. 

Oreo Just the Cookie and Just the Crème are back for a limited time only as well. I have a hard time deciding which one I like better but I’m leaning towards Just the Cookie. They taste better together.

P.S. A few months ago, the price went up at Menchie’s South Pasadena went up to 52 cents an ounce.

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 New Spring’s Simply Sweet Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares Froyo

Fro-yo girl here. The names of the new Yogurtland flavors are getting longer and longer. Today, Yogurtland locations are swirling the new flavor from the LOVE Follow Your Heart promotion, Spring’s Simply Sweet Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares. It’s a no sugar added flavor that’s gluten free and made with real peanut butter.

I do love peanut butter and marshmallow squares. In fact, I’ve added peanut butter to my homemade marshmallow squares in the past. But from the picture, it doesn’t seem like they’re talking about Rice Krispies treats. Too bad!

* Spring’s Simply Sweet Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares froyo is described by Yogurtland as “real peanut butter and fluffy marshmallow flavors unite for a nutty, creamy and sweet treat.” I did like the flavor because it tastes like their regular peanut butter with a hint of marshmallow. The marshmallow flavor isn’t too strong. Recommended toppings: Peanut butter sauce, peanuts, mini Nutter Butters, Reese’s Pieces

The next new flavor is Pairings & Sharings Strawberry Basil Lemonade Sorbet starting May 15.

Flavors are available while supplies last.

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.