My Best Swirl of 2017

Fro-yo girl here. I’ll probably have some frozen yogurt on New Year’s Eve, but I think I’m done doing my own swirling for the year. So, I’m ready to look back at my year of froyo and pick my best swirl of the year.

I predict I’ll end the year with 187 cups of froyo consumed, slightly less than my 2016 total of 197 and down from the peak consumption year of 2015 when I hit 200 cups. Two hundred cups of froyo is a lot of froyo. I did share some cups with Mr. Froyo, especially the ones that I took home and put in the freezer, but very few.

You can see all the froyo that I consumed on my Pinterest board, 2017 Froyo Consumed by Me.

I took a close look at all my cups of froyo consumed to find my best looking swirl. My best swirl happened on International Frozen Yogurt Day (February 6, 2017) at Yogurtland Pasadena. The swirl looked better before I added toppings to it. While I didn’t leave room for toppings, the swirl did look perfect.

I also like to look at flavors and toppings that I selected. I found the following:

• Self-swirled (64%) of cups vs not swirled by me (36%)
• Single flavor (89%) vs. more than one flavor (11%) in the cup
• Dairy (69%) vs. non-dairy (31%)
• Yogurtland (31%) vs. other shops (69%)

This year I went to several places more often, including Pinkberry, Yoga-urt, Pressed Juicery and eateries that serve baklava as a froyo topping. I also ate a lot more non-dairy soft serve. But, I stayed loyal to Yogurtland. And I still don’t like having more than one flavor in my cup. I’m going to more non-self-serve places than in the past and I’m definitely happy about that.

Want to make your swirl look nicer? Read IFYA's Froyo Swirling Tips and get plenty of practice. Practice does help because you need to swirl with precision but also have a relaxed wrist. For inspiration, check out the IFYA’s Pinterest board, Best Looking 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.

My Favorite Froyo Flavors of 2017

Fro-yo girl here. I still love trying new froyo flavors. New flavors and collectible froyo spoons are the best way to draw me into a froyo shop. And of the new flavors that I tried in 2017, the following ones were my favorites.

Best Tart Froyo: Pinkberry’s Blueberry Muffin frozen yogurt

I was really impressed with Pinkberry this year, because they introduced multiple tart flavors and they were all delicious. It was hard to choose a favorite one. Black Raspberry was the tartest of the new flavors and I love all things lemon, including Pinkberry’s Meyer Lemon, but the Blueberry Muffin frozen yogurt stole my heart. I think that the blueberry muffin topping put it over the top.

Best Sweet Froyo: Yogurtland’s Rare Madagascar Vanilla frozen yogurt

If you blinked, you might have missed the best new sweet froyo flavor of the year. Yogurtland only offered Rare Madagascar Vanilla frozen yogurt for a week, from June 26 – July 1. Storms affected the supply of Madagascar’s vanilla beans. Yogurtland’s Rare Madagascar Vanilla frozen yogurt, was made with pure bourbon Vanilla extracted from choice Madagascar vanilla beans using a cold process method and fresh California milk. It was creamy, sweet, and exquisite.

Best Vegan Froyo: Yoga-urt's Purple Power frozen yogurt

It’s no surprise that the best vegan froyo flavor was produced by Yoga-urt in Glendale, CA, yet again. Their product quality is simply amazing. They make their own vegan base with housemade cashew and almond milk. Purple Power was created for Yoga-urt’s second anniversary. It’s made with cherries, raspberries, blackberries, pomegranate, spinach, beets, coconut milk, cashews, basil and more. The flavor has no added sugar, which gives it an extra star from Mr. Froyo. I think I like every flavor with fresh spinach and fresh herbs. Yum.

For a list of new frozen yogurt flavors that were introduced in 2017, see http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/news/new-froyo-flavors-2017/

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.

Froyo Life Closes Los Feliz Location, One Location Left

Fro-yo girl here. Froyo Life Los Feliz has closed. While the last day of business isn’t clear,  the phone number no longer reaches the shop and the froyo machines have been listed for sale. It closed this month.

The self-serve frozen yogurt shop first opened in 2010 in Los Feliz. It started out well but had been in a state of decline for the last few years. Many reviewers mentioned that many machines weren’t working, machines sputtered or exploded, the shop was filthy, and service was indifferent. Back in the day, they were one of the few froyo shops where you could get almond milk froyo, coconut froyo, Nutella, fresh figs, low carb froyo, etc. They also had a lovely patio, lots of toppings, board games, magazines to read, free wi-fi, and real bowls that you could use for froyo.

Froyo Life opened its first location in 2008 in downtown Montrose (Glendale, CA). They opened a second location in Moorpark in 2009. The Moorpark location was the first Froyo Life location that I visited, back in 2009. They started franchising at some point, and opened additional locations in Hermosa Beach, Pasadena (opened in 2014), Beverly Hills (opened in 2010), and Los Feliz (Los Angeles). Both the Beverly Hills and Los Feliz locations closed this year. The sole remaining location is in Montrose. The Montrose location usually looks busy when I walk by and it’s the only froyo place in the downtown area.

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

* FROYO LIFE: 1924 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027

* FROYO LIFE: 2301 Honolulu Ave. Montrose, CA 91020

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.

Painful Froyo Shop Closures of 2017

Fro-yo girl here. Sure, many frozen yogurt shops close every year. Some closures hurt a lot more than others and I wanted to take a moment to remember some of my favorite shops that closed in 2017.

* Blush Organic Frozen Yogurt in Walnut Creek, CA: I remember going for the grand opening back in May 2010. The location wasn’t convenient for me, but at the time, I was addicted to Blush (especially the original Dublin location).

* Fraiche Yogurt in San Francisco and on the campus of Stanford University: I’ve been to both locations multiple times. The one in SF was the one I went to regularly though, especially when the pumpkin yogurt returned. It was even a nice place to do some laptop camping. And they had the best housemade mochi topping.

* Yogurtland Berkeley locations: I went to the one on Shattuck quite a few times. The other Berkeley location was too small. I can’t believe there isn’t a Yogurtland in Berkeley now!

* Pinkberry in Koreatown (Los Angeles): This was the first Pinkberry to offer Pinkbee’s ice cream and they even had afternoon tea. The decor was different too. It always seemed innovative.

* Yogurt Oasis (Lancaster, CA): I never made it there or to Lancaster, but the shop just closed after 20 or so years in business, so it's sad.

* Nubi Yogurt (Sloat Blvd., San Francisco, CA): This was never my favorite froyo shop, but it was close to where I used to live, so I used to go fairly often. It was the first Nubi location in San Francisco.

Farewell, old friends. You are missed.

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.

California Froyo Shop Openings and Closings in 2017

Fro-yo girl here. California is a large state and it’s the one with the most frozen yogurt shops. There’s a great deal of froyo activity going on throughout the year. This makes it challenging to track every froyo shop opening and closing. The openings are easier to track because shops make an effort to get their name out there. They usually have a Yelp listing and a presence on Facebook and/or Instagram. Shops generally close quietly, often with no announcement.

There are also non-traditional frozen yogurt locations – places that have frozen yogurt but it isn’t their main line of business (e.g., restaurants, convenience stores). Tracking frozen yogurt that’s served at non-traditional locations is even more challenging.

There are other non-traditional frozen yogurt formats. I consider frozen yogurt trucks, froyo vending machines and a large froyo section within another business as froyo shops because they appear to be standalone operations.

When existing frozen yogurt stores change ownership but not names, I don’t consider this to be an opening or a closing. When existing frozen yogurt stores change names and ownership, I consider this to be a new shop.

Here’s my attempt to track froyo shop openings and closings in California this year.

Openings:

1. 21 Choices, Pasadena (reopened after remodeling) 
2. All American Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Moreno Valley
3. Bella Yogurt, Los Angeles
4. Big Kahuna, Modesto
5. Big Kahuna, Sanger
6. Blondies Yogurt, Colfax
7. Bloomfield Creamery, Pasadena
8. Cali Yogurt, Lemon Grove
9. Cherries N Berries Sweet Shop, Paramount
10. Chillbox, Sacramento
11. Chillz Frozen Yogurt, Riverside
12. CoffeeWalk Yogurtalk, Los Angeles (moved from Crenshaw)
13. Cookies & Yogurt, Eureka
14. Corner Café & Froyo, Murrieta
15. Cuppa (was RockIt Swirl), San Francisco
16. Daddy’s Best Froyo #2 (froyo truck) 
17. Fit Fro, Yorba Linda
18. Friza Frozen Yogurt, Torrance (formerly Cups)
19. Frobot, Santa Clara (multiple locations in Levi’s Stadium)
20. Froyolicious Buzz (froyo truck), Fontana
21. Fruity Tart, Moreno Valley
22. Go Greek, Santa Monica
23. Golden Spoon, Poway
24. Golden Spoon, River Oaks Valencia 
25. Golden Spoon, Valencia Copper Hill (closed, reopened under new management and ownership)
26. Golden Spoon, Calabasas (closed, reopened under new management and ownership)
27. Jefferson’s Flavors, Yreka
28. Joy, Shell Beach
29. Loving Cup, Union St., San Francisco 
30. May Cafe, Hawaiian Gardens
31. Meme’s on Main, Red Bluff
32. Menchie’s, Eagle Rock, Los Angeles 
33. Menchie's, Fresno, Park Crossing Shopping Center
34. Menchie’s, Glendale 
35. Menchie’s, La Mesa
36. Menchie’s, Marina
37. Menchie’s Rancho Cordova
38. Menchie’s, Rialto
39. Menchie’s, Sacramento
40. Menchie’s, Universal Citywalk
41. Mo’s Frozen Yogurt (inside Mission Oaks Café), Camarillo
42. Pinkberry, Anaheim ARTIC
43. Rainbow Sprinkles, South Lake Tahoe
44. Red Mango, Livermore
45. Scoops, Colfax
46. Spoon Me Yogurt, Orange
47. Spoons Frozen Yogurt, Porterville
48. Sweet Kream Froyo, Chula Vista
49. The Sweet Swirl, Claremont
50. Sweet Retreat, San Jose
51. Swirlz Soft Serve Parlor, San Marino
52. Uptown Frozen Yogurt, Whittier (technically opened on 12/31/2016)
53. Whipp’d (moved into Fat Tomato on Highland)
54. Yellow Yo, Citrus Heights
55. Yogurt 101, Solana Beach
56. Yogurt Hub, Brea
57. Yogurt Pizazz, Martinez
58. Yogurtland, Baldwin Hills
59. Yogurtland, Brentwood
60. Yogurtland, Lincoln, Santa Monica 
61. Yogurtland, Menifee
62. Yogurtland, Tustin
63. Yogurtland, West Hollywood
64. Zooies, Los Angeles

Permanently Closed:

1. All American Ice Cream & Yogurt, Moreno Valley
2. Almaden Yogurt Factory, San Jose
3. Beachside, Imperial Beach
4. Berries Frozen Yogurt, Glendora
5. Berry Delicious, Novato
6. Berry Fresh Wellness Café, La Habra
7. Big Kahuna, Modesto
8. Big Kahuna, Selma
9. The Blissery, Pasadena
10. Blush Organic Frozen Yogurt, Walnut Creek
11. Buona Vita Yogurt, Berkeley
12. C&M Café, Sherman Oaks
13. Cherry on Top, Little Tokyo, Los Angeles
14. Chillbox, San Diego
15. CoffeeWalk, YogurTalk, Los Angeles (Crenshaw)
16. Coolberry, Glendora
17. Crème Bee, Alhambra (stopped carrying froyo last year though)
18. Crepe N Berry, Rancho Cucamonga
19. Crush Frozen Yogurt, Manteca
20. Culture Shock Yogurt, Grass Valley
21. Cups, Torrance (replaced by Friza)
22. Forbidden Yogurt, San Diego
23. Forever Yogurt/Bee & Tea, Walnut Creek
24. Forever Yogurt/Bee & Tea, Morgan Hill
25. Fraiche Yogurt, Stanford Campus
26. Fraiche Yogurt, San Francisco 
27. Freeze Style Frozen Yogurt, Hanford
28. Froplay, Los Angeles
29. Froyo, Fillmore
30. Froyo Heavenly Cafe, Menifee
31. FroyoLife, Beverly Hills
32. FroyoLife, Los Feliz
33. Frozen Yogurt & Deli, Montebello
34. Frozen Yogurt Castle, Fresno 
35. Golden Spoon, Brea
36. Golden Spoon Beach/Warner, Huntington Beach
37. Golden Spoon, Calabasas
38. Golden Spoon, Glendora
39. Golden Spoon, Stevenson Ranch
40. Golden Spoon, Valencia Copper Hill
41. Golden Spoon, Valencia Magic Mountain Pkwy
42. Golden Spoon, Chula Vista
43. Green Apple Frozen Yogurt, El Monte
44. Guava Lava, Oceanside
45. Hollywood Rock Café, Hollywood
46. Ice-Yo, West Hollywood
47. Joe's Organic Frozen Yogurt, Fullerton
48. Krave It Frozen Yogurt, Thousand Oaks
49. Kiwi Blast, Chico
50. Love Berry, San Francisco
51. Lulu's Froyo, Sylmar
52. Melado's, Sylmar
53. Menchie’s, Irvine
54. Menchie’s, Rancho Santa Margarita 
55. Mickey's Frozen Yogurt, Fresno
56. Mmm Yogurt, Delano
57. Moo Greek Yogurt, Los Angeles
58. My Yogurt, San Diego
59. Nubi Yogurt, Sloat Blvd., San Francisco
60. Nubi Yogurt, 16th St./Mission, San Francisco
61. Nubi Yogurt, Millbrae
62. Oopa Yogurt Bar, Folsom
63. Pinkberry, Huntington Beach
64. Pinkberry, Koreatown, Los Angeles
65. Pinkberry, Hermosa Beach
66. Planet Yogurt, Santa Clarita
67. Razz Frozen Yogurt, Woodland
68. Razzlicious, Redding, Dana Drive
69. Razzlicious, Redding, Eureka Way
70. Razzlicious, Anderson
71. Razzlicious, Red Bluff
72. Red Cup, Oceanside
73. Robot Yogurt, Bakersfield
74. Rockit Swirl (renamed Cuppa)
75. Surf 'N Yogurt, Camarillo
76. Sweet Retreat, Los Gatos
77. Tommy K's 4 Alarm Yogurt, Red Bluff
78. Tutti Frutti, Los Angeles (Santee Alley)
79. Tutti Frutti, Concord (Sunvalley Mall)
80. Tutti Frutti, Irvine
81. Verylicious Yogurt, Hawthorne
82. Whipp’d, West Hollywood (moved to Highland Ave. in Hollywood)
83. Yogurt Zone, Bakersfield
84. Yoppi Yogurt Fillmore, San Francisco
85. Yogofina, Berkeley
86. Yogurt Bee, Hawaiian Gardens
87. Yogurt Creations, San Luis Obispo
88. Yogurt Farms, Windsor
89. Yogurt Hub, Brea
90. Yogurt Oasis, Lancaster
91. Yogurt Zone, Bakersfield
92. Yogurtland Bancroft, Berkeley
93. Yogurtland Shattuck, Berkeley
94. Yogurtland, Morgan Hill
95. Yogurtland, Little Italy, San Diego
96. Yogurtland, 2nd St./Belmont Shore, Long Beach
97. Yogurteria, Stevenson Ranch
98. Yogurtouille, Fremont
99. Yummy Yogurt, Solana Beach

Closed for Remodeling (or Temporarily Closed):

• 21 Choices, Claremont (Foothill) 
• Big Kahuna Frozen Yogurt, Reedley
• Boxcar Eats, Sacramento
• Yogurtland, 7th St., Long Beach

Coming Soon:

1. Big Kahuna, Ceres
2. Blitzer’s, Menifee 
3. Loop Neighborhood, Union City
4. Menchie’s, Arleta
5. Menchie's, El Centro
6. Menchie’s, Hanford
7. Menchie’s, Mission Viejo
8. Menchie’s, Mission Hills
9. Menchie's, Sacramento, Delta Shores
10. Menchie's, Van Nuys, Sherman Square 
11. Morsey's Farmhouse Kitchen, Los Altos
12. Popbar, Concord
13. Yagoot, Hollywood
14. Yogurtland, Bakersfield
15. Yogurtland, Irvine

Under New Ownership:

• Golden Spoon, Lakewood
• Tutti Frutti, Sylmar (closed then reopened)

Not Mainly Froyo But Opened and/or Started Serving Froyo:

1. Clifton’s Republic, Los Angeles (carries Pinkberry)
2. Forty Carrots, Century City (inside Bloomingdales)
3. IKEA, Burbank
4. Jeni’s Ice Creams, Calabasas
5. Jeni’s Ice Creams, Venice
6. Jeni’s Ice Creams, Larchmont Village, Los Angeles 
7. Kali Greek Kitchen, Palo Alto (carries Fraiche Yogurt)
8. La Boulangerie, Sutter St., San Francisco (carries Loving Cup)
9. Loop Neighborhood, California St., San Francisco
10. Loving Cup, inside La Boulangerie de Sutter
11. N Gelato, Azusa 
12. The Plant Organic Café, Montgomery St., San Francisco serving Easy Breezy
13. The Plant Organic Café, Steiner at Chestnut, San Francisco serving Easy Breezy
14. Poki Yo, Buena Park
15. Poki Yo, Santa Monica
16. Souvla, Valencia, San Francisco 

Not a Froyo Shop but Had Froyo and Now Closed or No Longer Serves Froyo:

1. Dr. Bob’s, Roseville
2. Freshii at Target, West Hollywood
3. Freshii at Target, Pasadena
4. Freshii at Target, Culver City
5. Freshii at Target, Valencia
6. Freshii at Target, Woodland Hills
7. Freshii at Target, Brea
8. Freshii at Target, Irvine 1
9. Freshii at Target, Irvine 2
10. Gill's Old Fashioned Ice Cream, Farmers Market, Los Angeles (80 years old)
11. Stick Station, Pasadena
12. Walgreens, San Francisco (removed yogurt machines)
13. Walgreens, Los Angeles (removed yogurt machines)
14. Yo! Boba, Los Angeles

So, there were 64 openings of froyo shops in California vs. 99 closings in 2017, significantly fewer openings and closings than in 2016. Frozen yogurt shop closings outnumbered openings. Closures occurred for new and old, longtime froyo businesses. Some shops like Ice-Yo, All American Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, and Buona Vita did not last a year. Sadly, some cities now have no frozen yogurt shops. 

Menchie's opened 8 new locations in California, while Yogurtland wasn't far behind with 6 new locations. Golden Spoon had the most closings; seven this year, though two of those have reopened under new ownership. Menchie's closed 2 California locations, Yogurtland closed five, and Pinkberry closed three. The two Forever Yogurt locations in California closed this year. I didn't make it to either though I have been to Forever Yogurt in Chicago. I've been to 17 of the new froyo shops, including 7 grand opening celebrations.

The Freshii at Target concept didn't last long. All Freshii locations inside Target stores in Southern California have closed. Walgreen's ceased offering self-serve frozen yogurt at all locations. On the positive side of the non-traditional locations, Loop Neighborhood continues to add new convenience stores with self-serve froyo and Frobot, the froyo robot vending machine, is now at Levi's Stadium. Rite Aid still has self-serve froyo at its Fresh Day Cafe. Reis & Irvy are actively recruiting froyo robot franchisees in California. And restaurants have started to partner with froyo shops like Easy Breezy, Fraiche, and Loving Cup to offer their yogurt at several restaurants like The Plant Cafe Organic, Kali, and La Boulangerie.

Since I always wind up finding out about new openings and closings after publishing my post, I’ll keep updating this post. Did I miss any openings or closings? Let me know.

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 Flavor at Yoga-urt, Mint Mania

Fro-yo girl here. Lots has happened at Yoga-urt lately. They brought back sundaes for the month of December. We spotted some new picture signs outside the shop. And there’s a brand new flavor, Mint Magic.

• Mint Magic: Mint Magic is “made with our cashew/almond base, real mint leaves, spirulina, probiotics and......avocados.” I didn’t notice the avocados but the mint leaves make this flavor super fresh and very, very minty. I like mint, so I liked this flavor. It’s like a fresher version of peppermint candy canes. The texture was smooth and thick, without being icy. It was sweet but not overly so. I’m sure that it would go well with Chocolate Bliss. I loved it swirled with Vanilla Harmony.

Yoga-urt’s probiotic, dairy-free soft serve is hand-crafted, made from scratch, organic, kosher, soy free, and probably some other things that I’m forgetting. It tastes fresh, handmade, and way better than your typical soft serve/froyo. In fact, Mr. Froyo won’t eat froyo anywhere else.

Yoga-urt is open on Christmas Eve (12 PM – 6 PM) and Christmas (2 PM – 7 PM). Today is the last day to buy a gift card of $25 or more and get a free mini.

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.

Nomad Ice Pops of San Gabriel, CA

Fro-yo girl here. Nomad Ice Pops opened this past summer in downtown San Gabriel, CA. The owner uses fresh, whole fruits and showcases them in seasonal ice pops that are low in sugar and all natural. The handcrafted pops were inspired by the paletas he countered in Guatemala.

Most of the 14 ice pops flavors that were being offered the day of my visit were vegan. There were fruit flavors like Strawberry Mint, Mango Chili, and Berry Peach Lemonade, and non-fruit flavors like Coffee with Almond Milk, Salted Peanut Butter & Honey, and Pumpkin Pie. Each pop is about 3 oz, the standard ice pop size. Only one of the pops had yogurt, Honey Blackberry. Prices weren’t posted but they’re under $4 each. The chocolate dipped ones are a bit more expensive.

* Honey Blackberry ice pop: The pop didn’t look like it had yogurt, because the color was super dark, like the color of blackberries. I liked the tartness of the pop. It didn’t taste like much sugar or honey had been added and it tasted like it was made with a lot of blackberries. However, I didn’t taste the yogurt. I assume it was in there but just a small amount.

I wasn’t a fan of the salted peanut butter pop because the chocolate coating tasted like cocoa powder and coconut and it was sweeter than I expected. The popsicle wasn’t creamy (probably because it was vegan?). The vanilla coconut blueberry popsicle was better – the coconut cream was rich and complemented the blueberry.

* NOMAD ICE POPS: 415 South Mission Drive #A, San Gabriel, CA, 91776

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

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Furuta Blueberry Yogurt Sand Cookies Review

Fro-yo girl here. Furuta Blueberry Yogurt Sand Cookies are imported from Japan. I found them at 168 Market in San Gabriel, CA, for $1.50. One box is 3.06 oz. Each box has ten servings. One serving is 45 calories with 2g fat, 6g sugar and 6g carbohydrates.

These are sandwich cookies. The cookies are small, round and thick. They’re crispy, sweet and taste healthier because of the wheat flour. I really liked the cookies. However, the filling wasn’t as good, though fortunately there wasn’t much filling in each cookie sandwich. The blueberry yogurt filling had a sharp tang and mild blueberry flavor. It tasted like they put too much citric acid in it. It wasn’t the natural tang of yogurt.

Ingredients: Wheat flour, sugar, shortening, lactose, vegetable oil, high fructose starch syrup, salt, yogurt powder, blueberry juice powder, calcium bicarbonate, baking powder, citric acid, flavor, soya lecithin, beet powder, pectin, water.

The cookie tastes better if you don’t eat the cream separately from the cookie, but since I prefer the cookie, I think I’ll scrape off the cream.

3 out of 5 stars.

* 168 MARKET: 933 E Las Tunas Dr., San Gabriel, CA 91776

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

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Loving Cup at La Boulangerie

Fro-yo girl here. On November 28, the news broke that La Boulangerie’s owners had invested in San Francisco based Loving Cup, with the goal of franchising and opening 100 locations in the next few years. Loving Cup has opened a pop-up inside the Financial District’s La Boulangerie (222 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA) with more locations expected inside other La Boulangerie locations.

According to Loving Cup’s Facebook post,

“Loving Cup ❤️ La Boulangerie. So much so that we've decided to partner with them to bring you all the deliciousness of Loving Cup and the scrumptiousness of La Boulangerie under one roof! We're moving into a few of their existing locations and growing with them as we open new locations together. First up: FiDi!”

The November 28 announcement says,

“The La Boulangerie team is helping Loving Cup with menu items like a brownie option and a chocolate sea salt cookie that will be incorporated into the menu, as well as sold retail. Some of the sauces the shop makes will also be sold retail, (co-owner Liz) Fielder said.”

I’ve been going to Loving Cup since the days when they had just one location on Polk St. It’s different from other froyo shops because the froyo is mix in style and it’s not self-serve. You choose size, a base (chocolate, vanilla or non-dairy) and your mix-ins and they hand churn everything together using a machine. With mix-in style custom blended yogurt, you design your own flavor.

While a custom blended frozen yogurt can be tasty as it distributes the toppings so that there are toppings in every bite, it does change the flavor of the frozen yogurt (which can be good or bad). Sauces and candy are good mix ins. If you want a tangy yogurt, add berries. Some toppings don’t taste as good when they’re blended – for example, graham cracker crumbs become gritty when blended into the frozen yogurt, and mochi isn’t transformed, it just becomes smaller.

I visited the Loving Cup pop-up at Sutter St. La Boulangerie to see how it compared to the other four Loving Cup locations (it’s the first “mini” Loving Cup location). I’ve been to all the SF locations now but not the one in Marin. The Sutter St. pop-up is not that different from the other Loving Cup locations. You can get their rice puddings there and the yogurt offering is essentially the same (same prices, same mix ins, same bases as the Union St. location). 

However, I did notice that the Sutter location had housemade brownies, green tea matcha latte froyo and pumpkin 5 spice froyo. I’m not sure if the other Loving Cup locations offer these new additions. The new flavors sound more sophisticated and complex, so I see them as a good sign of things to come.

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 Holiday Flavors, Part Two: Sea Salt Caramel Latte, Mookie’s Cookies ‘n’ Cream

Fro-yo girl here. It took awhile for me to track down the featured flavor of December, Mookie’s Cookies ‘n’ Cream frozen yogurt made with Golden Oreo cookie pieces. It tastes like vanilla frozen yogurt with a hint of Golden Oreo/cookie flavor. The texture was nice and creamy. Mookie’s Cookies ‘n’ Cream is lowfat, made with real sweetened condensed milk and contains no artificial colors or partially hydrogenated oils. Recommended toppings: white chocolate chips, Nilla wafers, Oreos.

Menchie’s has just introduced Sea Salt Caramel Latte frozen yogurt (scheduled release date of December 16). It’s lowfat and made with real sea salt and real caramel. I love coffee frozen yogurt flavors and I really liked this new flavor. The salt and the caramel flavors weren’t too strong but the coffee flavor was strong. The texture was smooth and creamy. Recommended toppings: Heath, malt balls, chocolate shell, and almonds.

I still haven’t seen any holiday spoons but I picked up some Menchie’s holiday coloring sheets.

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 Toasted Coconut Crunch Test Flavor, Fruit Purees

Fro-yo girl here. While I was at Menchie’s University in Encino, CA, I noticed a new test flavor called Toasted Coconut Crunch. It’s made with Mrs. Thinster’s Cookie Thins (the Toasted Coconut Cookie Thins) and has no artificial flavors or colors, no high fructose corn syrup and no partially hydrogenated oils.

* Toasted Coconut Crunch froyo: The texture was creamy and smooth but it tasted like coconut without cookies. I do love cookie froyo flavors, though I’m not a big fan of coconut froyo. So, this flavor was okay for me but a pass because the cookie flavor isn’t noticeable.

I also noticed chilled fruit purees in squeeze bottles in blueberry, strawberry, and passionfruit. I don’t think that I’ve seen these at other Menchie’s locations, so maybe fruit purees will be carried soon at more locations. Yogurtland added fruit purees in June 2016.

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.

Trader Joe’s Adds Icelandic Yogurt and Yogurt Cheesecake

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve mentioned Icelandic stye yogurt (known as skyr) on this blog quite a few times, because I’ve been a fan since the first time I tried Siggi’s in 2010. Since then, I’ve tried every brand of skyr that I’ve run across. Skyr is strained until it’s rich and thick.

Trader Joe’s has two flavors of skyr, Plain and Strawberry. Both are nonfat. The 8-ounce cups are $1.39 each. Trader Joe’s describes the product as follows, “Just like traditional skyr—which has been a staple of the Icelandic diet since it was brought over from Norway a millennium ago—our Icelandic Style Nonfat Yogurt is strained so that it’s exceptionally thick and creamy. It’s reminiscent of nonfat Greek yogurt, but even smoother and with slightly less bite.”

* Strawberry Icelandic yogurt: This is a blended style yogurt. One container is 190 calories with 0g fat, 26g carbs, 24g total sugars and 20g protein. TJ’s version has more sugar than Smari or Siggi’s, but it’s still got a sourness to it that I like. It’s tangy, sour and pretty sweet at the same time, with intense yogurt flavor. The texture is smooth and thick. Since it has more sugar and isn’t quite as thick as Siggi’s, it doesn’t seem different from Greek yogurt to me. I wish it had less sugar.

Ingredients: Nonfat milk, cane sugar, strawberry puree, strawberries, water, natural strawberry flavor, fruit pectin, locust bean gum, carrot extract (color), streptoccus thermophilus (culture), lemon juice concentrate.

I also noticed that Trader Joe’s now has Chocolate Swirl Icelandic Style Yogurt Cheesecake. It’s huge (650g), so I probably won’t get it but it does sound good, if it’s tangy and not too sweet. You can find this new cheesecake in the frozen foods section with the other frozen pies, cakes, puddings, etc.

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.

Yogurtland Brings Back Eggnog Froyo and Introduces a New Topping

Fro-yo girl here. Eggnog lovers must be enjoying all the eggnog froyo that has returned to froyo shops. Eggnog is one of Tutti Frutti Canada’s winter flavors, one of Menchie’s November featured flavors and now it’s back at Yogurtland, for a limited time.

Yogurtland describes Eggnog froyo as “simple, delicious, and full of holiday cheer. Real nutmeg sprinkled in for a flavor that’s worth a toast.” I don’t like eggnog, so I can’t say that I like Yogurtland’s eggnog froyo. But, I did try a sample and I would pair it with whipped cream, Ghirardelli caramel chips, and graham cracker crumbs.

Speaking of toppings, I did spot a new topping at Yogurtland: Mint & fudge cookies! Yum! These cookies are covered in chocolate.

P.S. I also heard that they’re bringing back Frosted Cookie 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.

Menchie’s Holiday Flavors, Limited Time Flavors Available in December

Fro-yo girl here. Happy December! It’s also time for December’s featured holiday flavors at Menchie’s. They are (with scheduled launch dates):

• Spiced Gingerbread Cookie (December 1): I’ve had this flavor before, last December and December 2015 as well. I think it tastes like it did before – more like gingerbread spices (cinnamon, ginger) than gingerbread cookies. The texture was smooth and creamy. Recommended toppings: almonds, chocolate shell, brownies
• Sea Salt Caramel Latte (December 16)
• Mookie’s Cookies ‘n’ Cream made with Golden Oreo cookie pieces (December 1 – available all month)

For some reason, it’s rare for the Menchie’s locations in my area to actually have the new flavors on time. I still haven’t found Mookie’s Cookies ‘n’ Cream, even though it’s supposed to be available all month (December) and I really want to try it.

I didn't see any holiday spoons.

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.

Kirby’s Premium Frozen Yoghurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. I can always count on Gelson’s for carrying hard to find, new brands. On a recent trip, I found Kirby’s Premium Frozen Yoghurt. Kirby’s is all natural, with live and active cultures and probiotics. One serving is 160 calories, 4g fat, 23g sugars, and 5g protein.

* Strawberry: The frozen yogurt was dense, firm and creamy. It had a pleasant natural strawberry taste but I didn’t taste tang or yogurt flavor. It was more like an ice cream but an icier, lower fat one. The strawberry flavor wasn’t intense but it was noticeable. I prefer tangier froyo that tastes like yogurt, but Kirby’s is a good choice for those of you who like a sweeter froyo that tastes natural.

Gelson’s had four flavors: Strawberry, Vanilla, Chocolate and Coffee. The pints were $6.99.

Ingredients: Milk and milk solids, strawberries, sugar, strawberry puree, cream, corn syrup, stabilizer (locust bean gum, carrageenan, dextrose), cultures.

For more information, visit http://www.kirbysyogurt.com/

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

4 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.

South Lake Avenue Holidayfest Recap, Yogurtland Update

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve just returned from South Lake Avenue’s Holidayfest. It’s very much kid-focused but they do have a fun scavenger hunt that people of all ages can enjoy and some amazing raffle prizes that you can enter if you complete the scavenger hunt. Yogurtland donated a certificate for catering for 15 people. Other raffle prizes included gift certificates from Celestino, Dunkin’, Float, Nick’s, Salad Farm, Urban lates and The Counter, gift baskets, etc.

I also spotted roaming holiday characters (Olaf from Frozen, Abomindable Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, a toy soldier), free popcorn, free cookies from Corner Bakery, cookie decorating with Williams Sonoma, live music, Santa (available for photos) and horse and carriage rides.

Yogurtland was one of the scavenger hunt locations and they had a special promotion, 3 oz of free froyo with a minimum 8 oz purchase from 12 PM – 5 PM. I also found out that Yogurtland is bringing back to holiday flavors, Eggnog and Frosted Cookie.

I do really like the new topping, Ghirardelli mini caramel chips. They’re crunchy and not too sweet.

For full details, see: http://www.southlakeavenue.org/events/calendar/south-lakes-2017-holidayfest-12-5pm/

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.