Revele, Maker of the World’s First Vegan Chocolate Covered Frozen Yogurt Bars, Is No More

Fro-yo girl here. It just struck me that I haven’t seen anything from Revele in over a year. Based in Huntington Beach, California, the dessert start-up launched the world’s first vegan chocolate covered frozen yogurt bars in late 2019. I first heard about Revele, at that time called Revele Gelato, in late 2017, when they introduced whipped gelato pints. Made with real milk, cream, and sugar, Revele Gelato was a better-for-you, low calorie treat (80-90 calories per serving, with no sugar substitutes). They didn’t have froyo at the time, so I wasn’t too interested.

During the summer of 2018, they introduced a new line of products, whipped frozen Greek yogurt bars. They were hard to find but I finally tracked them down in early 2019. I didn’t like them.

Then, in October 2019, Revele (no longer Revele Gelato), they introduced the world’s first vegan chocolate covered frozen yogurt bars. In another first, Revele was the first to use allucose, a naturally occurring rare sugar, in a frozen dessert. They moved away from whipping their product with air and emphasized the probiotics, low calorie, and plant-based nature of their new froyo bars. The available flavors were Yellow Chocolate Covered Cinnamon Banana, Pink Chocolate Covered Matcha Tea, Dark Chocolate Covered Toasted Coconut, Milk Chocolate Covered Snickerdoodle and Toffee Bits, and Milk Chocolate Covered Toffee. They were clearly created with the snacking millennial in mind.

The last Instagram post by Revele was on November 28, 2019. I’m unable to view the website or Facebook page. The last tweet was on June 20, 2019. RIP, Revele.

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 Best Froyo Swirl of 2020

Fro-yo girl here. What a strange year…I’ve barely swirled any froyo cups since mid-March, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. It’s mid-December and I probably won’t serve my own froyo again this year, though I still expect to buy more froyo.

My best looking froyo swirl of 2020 is…a cup of Yogurtland’s Classic Cookies & Cream froyo with toffee bits, crushed Oreos and chocolate chips. I swirled it in March 2020 at Yogurtland San Gabriel, right before the lockdown. It’s a nicely defined swirl with a peak that points up and the toppings look neatly placed.

This year I consumed 153 cups, pints or froyo novelties. I’m guessing I’ll reach 160 by the end of the year, the same amount that I consumed last year. Most of the froyo shops in my area stayed open even during the pandemic lockdown. My first cup of the year was from Yogurtland San Gabriel in January (probably January 1).

Looking for trends, I found the following:

Most froyo shops stopped offering self-serve due to the pandemic. This year, I dispensed my own froyo (aka, self-swirled) 24% of the time. Last year, 64% of my froyo was self-swirled. Big difference!

Single flavor (90%) vs. more than one flavor per cup (10%) in 2020. This was almost identical to last year, even though froyo shops are offering differently now. Most aren’t offering samples, so I chose more than one flavor in a few cases, just to try a new flavor. But some self-serve places that offer full service are also limiting how many flavors you can select – e.g., when you order a small at some Menchie’s locations, you can only choose one flavor.

Dairy (75%) vs. non-dairy (25%) in 2020. Last year, 76% of my cups were non-dairy. I’m so consistent without trying to be - scary.

You can see every cup that I consumed on Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.com/froyogirl/2020-froyo-consumed-by-me/

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 2020

Easy Breezy, Corte Madera

Fro-yo girl here. Since it's December, it's time for my annual update of the froyo shop openings and closings in California. It was a tough year for businesses in general, but even more so for froyo shops that on proximity to schools, gyms, movie theaters, tourists, etc. With fewer large gatherings, catering could not help counter the decline in foot traffic. Most of the self-serve shops that I visited switched to full service.

While the focus of this post is on froyo shops, I also tried to track froyo not served in froyo shops but served from a soft serve machine, including restaurants, convenience stores, vending machines, cafeterias, hospitals, frozen yogurt trucks and trailers. 

It's always much easier to track openings since most frozen yogurt have a social media presence and Yelp listing. However, many shops close quietly, without making any announcement. Some of the "temporary" closures will become permanent. It's even harder to tell if a shop is permanently or temporarily closed due to the pandemic.

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

Froyo Shop Openings (in alphabetical order): 

1. Big Kahuna Frozen Yogurt, Orland
2. Boba Junkie, Costa Mesa
3. Easy Breezy, Corte Madera
4. Go Crazy Frozen Yogurt, Concord
5. Golden Spoon, Whittier
6. Holsom by Yogurtland, Huntington Beach
7. Kona Shaved Ice, Winters
8. Menchie’s, Carlsbad, Bressi Ranch
9. Menchie’s, Riverbank
10. Mickey’s Yogurt, Riverside
11. Otter Yogurt, Half Moon Bay
12. Peachwave, Redondo Beach
13. Pinkberry, Santa Clara
14. Slices & Swirls, Loma Linda
15. Urban Desserts, Gold River
16. Twisted Tulip Frozen Yogurt, Ripon
17. Yogo Farm, Los Angeles
18. Yogurt Bear, Pomona
19. Yogurt Creations, Center Point Mall, Oxnard
20. Yogurt & Yogurt, Moreno Valley
21. Yogurt Me, Covina
22. Yummy Yogurt, West Covina

I found 22 openings which isn't bad considering what an off year it's been (coronavirus impact). I found 30 new openings last year and I added a few to that list after the initial publication in December 2019. Most of these were independent froyo shops. Yogurtland renamed an existing location this year but didn't open a brand new location in California. Menchie's opened two new locations in California. 

Froyo Shop Permanent Closures (in alphabetical order):

1. America's Cup, Costa Mesa - not sure if it's closed or not but Boba Junkie is at the same location now
2. Beach N Yogurt, Avila Beach
3. Berry Twist, San Rafael 
4. Besties Cool Treats, San Diego
5. Big Kahuna, Visalia
6. Big Kahuna, Clovis
7. Big Kahuna, West Sacramento
8. Blizz Frozen Yogurt, Sherman Oaks
9. Blush Frozen Yogurt, Dublin  
10. Blush Frozen Yogurt, Pleasanton
11. California Yogurt Factory, Foothill Ranch 
12. Crazy for Yogurt, Carmichael 
13. Cup O’Tea, Menlo Park 
14. Dolci Mango, Poway 
15. Fraiche, San Francisco Airport
16. Frozen Café, San Ramon 
17. Go Greek Yogurt, Woodland Hills
18. Golden Spoon, Glendora
19. Golden Spoon, San Juan Capistrano
20. Kiwiblast, Bakersfield
21. Menchie’s, Alhambra 
22. Menchie's, Baldwin Park
23. Menchie’s, Bell Gardens 
24. Menchie’s, Calabasas
25. Menchie’s, Florence-Firestone, Los Angeles 
26. Menchie's, Fullerton
27. Menchie’s Mandalay Village, Port Hueneme
28. Menchie’s, San Jose International Airport, San Jose
29. Menchie's, South El Monte 
30. Menchie's, Upland/Sycamore Hills
31. Miyo Yogurt, Pomona
32. Moyo’s Frozen Yogurt, San Francisco 
33. Otter Yogurt, Half Moon Bay
34. Peachwave Yogurt, Calabasas
35. Penguin's Frozen Yogurt, South Pasadena
36. Pinkberry, Chino Hills 
37. Razzle Dazzle, Upland
38. Red Mango, San Jose International Airport, San Jose
39. Redberry, Sacramento
40. The Scoop, Winters (now Kona Shaved Ice, still has froyo) 
41. Spoon Me Yogurt, Orange 
42. Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt, Ventura
43. SweetFrog, Riverside
44. Swirls, Camarillo
45. Tops Yogurt, Elk Grove
46. Tutti Frutti Grossmont Center, La Mesa
47. Tutti Frutti, Oxnard 
48. Tutti Frutti Piedmont Ave, Oakland (reported closed on Yelp but not Google Local) 
49. Tutti Frutti, West Covina
50. Tutti Frutti, Corona
51. Tutti Frutti, Rowland Heights
52. Tutti Frutti, Dublin
53. Tuttimelon, Alameda
54. Tuttimelon, Fairfield
55. U-Swirl, Downey
56. Woody's Frozen Yogurt, Buellton
57. Woody’s Yogurt Place, Mill Valley
58. Xtreme Frozen Yogurt, Murrieta
59. Yogi Berry, Fresno 
60. YoGo, Sacramento
61. Yogo Farm, Los Angeles
62. Yogurt & More, Sierra Madre 
63. Yogurt Creations, Oxnard
64. Yogurt Station, Monterey
65. Yogurtland, California Ave., Bakersfield
66. Yogurtland, Marina Del Rey 
67. Yogurtland, Mission Valley East, San Diego
68. Yogurtland Pico & Lincoln, Santa Monica 
69. Yogurtland Edinger, Huntington Beach (converted into Holsom by Yogurtland) 
70. Yogurtland, San Ramon 
71. Yogurtland, Irvine - Jeffrey Rd.
72. Yogurtland, Torrance Crossroads, Torrance 
73. Yogurtland, Temecula
74. Yogurtland, Ventura
75. Yogurtland, Camarillo
76. Yogurtlicious, Loma Linda
77. YOLO, San Anselmo
78. Yoyo's Frozen Yogurt, El Cajon

I found 78 froyo shop closures in 2020. Most of the shops on the list were open a long time (none longer than Woody's Yogurt Place? maybe Penguin's?), like over 10 years. Others like Yogi Berry, Otter Yogurt, and Cup O' Tea were open for less than a year. I was a regular at Blush Dublin and Yogurtland San Ramon. There were 10 Menchie's, 11 Yogurtland, 1 Pinkberry, 1 Red Mango, 1 sweetFrog, and 7 Tutti Frutti locations on the list, so 48% of the California closures were part of a large national frozen yogurt chain.

In 2019, I found 74 froyo shop closures (68 in 2018, 99 in 2017). There were more closures than openings but considering what a tough year it's been for restaurants, the number of closures is less than I expected. I didn't track the temporary "seasonal" froyo shop closures but I know of a few. They're relatively uncommon in California but much more common this year.

I also didn't count places that serve froyo but aren't froyo shops. But I tried to track those types of locations too.

New Places Serving Froyo But Not a Froyo Shop: 

• The Corral Sandwich Shop, Oakdale
• La Dolce Vita, Milpitas
• Loop Neighborhood (2 locations), Sacramento
• Loop Neighborhood, Sacramento
• Nick the Greek, Napa
• Nick the Greek, Ventura
• Nick the Greek, Union City
• Nick the Greek, Westwood, Los Angeles
• Nick the Greek, Newport Beach

Nick the Greek is a fast-casual Greek chain that's currently in growth mode in the Bay Area. Loop Neighborhood Market continues to offer self-serve froyo. 

And there were some closures of places that offered froyo but weren't froyo shops.

Closed, Not a Froyo Shop But Offered Froyo:

• AL’s Deli, San Francisco
• Currying Flavors, Agoura Hills (carried Pinkberry, briefly)
• Kirin Buffet, Arcadia
• Madison Station Café, Carmichael (COVID)
• Planet Smoothie & Tasti Dlite, Santa Monica
• Slusheeland, Tarzana
• Spread Mediterranean Kitchen, Los Angeles
• Swirl Fiesta, Riverside

Not Closed, But Stopped Offering Froyo:

• Bee & Tea, San Jose

I also noted ownership change announcements. 

New Ownership, Froyo Shop:

• Cherry on Top, Riverside 
• Cloud 9 Frozen Yogurt, San Diego
• Crazy For Yogurt, Carmichael
• Major Brain Freeze, Redlands
• Menchie’s, San Marcos
• Yoyo’s Frozen Yogurt, Rancho San Diego

Some of the openings that were supposed to happen in 2020 have been delayed. But expect to see many new Nick the Greek locations in 2021. Reis & Irvy's has been very silent this year - so much for froyo robots? I've lumped froyo and non-froyo shops together for the coming soon list.

Coming Soon:

• Active Culture, Marin
• Fraiche Yogurt, Stanford Hospital
• Frosted Love, Stockton
• Fro Zone, Folsom
• IKEA, San Francisco
• Menchie’s, Hanford
• Myo, Carmel
• Myo, Alamo (taken off the website)?
• Nick the Greek, San Diego
• Nick the Greek, South San Francisco
• Nick the Greek, Mountain View
• Nick the Greek, Gilroy
• Nick the Greek, Livermore (taken off the website)?
• Nick the Greek, Castro Valley
• Nick the Greek, Dublin
• Nick the Greek, Fremont
• Nick the Greek, Vallejo
• Nick the Greek, San Mateo
• Nick the Greek, San Diego
• Pinkberry, Santa Clarita
• Prinkipia Frozen Yogurt, Glendale (?)
• Toppings, Santa Rosa

I didn't find any new froyo trucks or trailers in California this year. Since I find out about 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.

Penguin’s Frozen Yogurt in South Pasadena Has Closed

Fro-yo girl here. Penguin’s Frozen Yogurt in South Pasadena is now permanently closed. The first time I visited a few years ago, the chocolate dip tasted terrible and waxy, so I didn’t go back for a few years. I didn’t realize that ownership changed in 2015. Before 2015, the same people owned the Penguin’s in La Canada Flintridge and South Pasadena. 

I knew times were tough during the coronavirus, so I went back a few months ago and bought two takeout cups of peanut butter froyo. The froyo wasn’t the best ever but service was pleasant and they had many flavors of froyo to choose from and even ice cream, froyo cakes, froyo pies, muffins, cookies, sundaes, floats, shakes, smoothies, and Peet’s coffee. They were open early, so you could even get froyo for breakfast. And they had free wi-fi, easy parking, and plenty of places to sit, including outdoors.

It looks like the closure occurred in late July. I think I went in early July. The sign is still there, so I didn’t notice anything when driving by (I drive by that area often). The contents have been removed. There was no sign on the door explaining the closure. This leaves one froyo shop in South Pasadena, Menchie’s. Menchie’s South Pasadena is only open Friday-Sunday now and they only offer 6 flavors now.

Penguin’s was once of the largest froyo chains in California, peaking at 123 locations. It filed for bankruptcy in 1991. The only locations left are in Westwood and Marina Del Rey (Los Angeles). Penguin’s La Canada closed in 2018, Torrance in 2014, and Redondo Beach in 2015.

Penguin’s Frozen Yogurt, 1105 Fair Oaks Ave., South Pasadena, CA 91030

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.

Painful Froyo Shop Closures of 2020

Fro-yo girl here. I’m usually sad when I hear about a froyo shop closing, but some closures hurt much more than others. I’ve already written about the closure of three of the shops on this list. These are the most painful froyo shop closures of 2020 (in alphabetical order). I've visited all the places on this list.

Blush Organic Frozen Yogurt, 4640 Tassajara Rd, Dublin, CA 94568

I have so many fond memories of going to Blush after work, chatting with the owner, Jonathan, and driving home with a cooler full of froyo. His swirling skills were legendary and he was so passionate about developing the best froyo flavors. He was so dedicated and the froyo was something special. My favorite flavors were Green Tea Tart, Original, Blush, and Pumpkin Tart. I also loved Pineapple Tart, Acai Blueberry Tart, Gingerbread, Mango Tart…the list goes on. Blush Dublin first opened in 2008. It closed in May 2020.

Zoeyogurt, 6900 East Green Lake Way N E, Seattle, WA 98115

The original Zoeyogurt, in Green Lake, closed after nine years in Green Lake (Seattle, WA). I visited once and really liked the cozy atmosphere, cleanliness and froyo texture. The owner, Donna, was an earlier supporter of the International Frozen Yogurt Association and all three Zoeyogurt shops were IFYA Swirl of Honor shops.

Woody’s Yogurt Place, 802 Strawberry Village, Mill Valley, CA 94941

A local institution, Woody’s Yogurt Place was owned by the same family, the Woodsons, since 1998. Another Swirl of Honor shop, Woody’s won numerous “best of” froyo and ice cream awards over the years. Woody’s donated gift certificates to every nearby school for their auctions and fundraisers, hosted free ice cream socials for local schools, and more. Woody’s Yogurt Place closed in January due to the rising cost of rent at Strawberry Village.

Yogurtland Fullerton, 501 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA 92831

Yogurtland #1, the original location, closed in October, a victim of the economic effects of COVID-19. The shop was located near Cal State Fullerton and with students staying at home, business must have been slow. The shop first opened in February 2006 and shared a space with Phillip Chang’s other business, Boba Loca, a bubble tea shop. They offered 16 self-serve, non-fat fro-yo flavors a day and toppings for 30 cents. This was the format that early Yogurtland locations continued to offer during the early years.

 

Yogurtland, 152 Sunset Dr., San Ramon, CA 94583

Sure there are plenty of Yogurtland locations, especially in California, but only a few were my regular spots. Yogurtland San Ramon opened in 2009, back when I used to work in San Ramon. I remember when it first opened. I went there many times, often for lunch with my good friend, S (our regular spots were Yogurtland and Top Dog). I collected many froyo spoons from that location, including the Tokidoki Yogurtland spoons. The pandemic led to the closure. 

Yogurtland, 4960 Telephone Rd, Ste 104, Ventura, CA 93003

This was my regular spot whenever I was in Ventura visiting family. Open from 2013-2020, it was the best option in town. The shop was in the shopping plaza with Barnes & Noble, Kohl’s, and Starbucks.

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.

New Yoga-urt Flavor: Chocolate Peppermint

Fro-yo girl here. Yoga-urt has a brand new holiday flavor this year and this one is Christmas inspired. Chocolate Peppermint is made with Yoga-urt’s own hand-crafted almond milk/cashew base. It’s all-natural, vegan/plant-based, organic, probiotic, hand-crafted, kosher, soy-free and gluten-free, like all their other flavors. 

Chocolate Peppermint: If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you know that I don’t love chocolate froyo, but I do really like chocolate variants. The freshness of peppermint really makes the Chocolate Peppermint froyo sing. It’s that little extra something that keeps chocolate from being too monotonous or heavy. The froyo is thick and rich and even better with toppings. It’s not as nutty tasting as some of the other Yoga-urt flavors. Recommended toppings: Housemade chocolate shell and vegan whipped cream. Even better, get the limited time only warm gluten-free brownie as a base and ask for the chocolate shell and whipped cream.

Chocolate Peppermint froyo is available for a limited time only. Check Yoga-urt’s Instagram page, @yoga_urt for the current flavors. Also, check the freezer for pints.

P.S. Don’t miss the holiday promo. Purchase a $25 gift card and get a free mini froyo.

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

* YOGA-URT, 1407 ½ W Kenneth Rd., Glendale, CA 91201 and 2211 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026

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 Froyo Spoons of 2020

Fro-yo girl here. Froyo spoon collectors, I’ve been tracking the collectible new froyo spoons that were released this year (there weren’t that many because it’s been a tough year) and here’s the short list:

• Yogurtland logo, berry color
• Yogurtland giant spoon, red color
• Menchie’s Spring Sprinkle spoon, yellow color
• Menchie’s Best Friends spoons, Chip, green color
• Menchie’s Best Friends spoons, Menchie, magenta color

The Spring Sprinkle spoon was supposed to be handed out during Menchie’s Hello Sunshine Spring Party. Most locations postponed or cancelled the event due to the COVID-19 outbreak though. There were seven new froyo spoons last year and just four this year. Yogurtland is still handing out giant pink and green spoons for special promotional events like National Spoon Day. 

The giant red Yogurtland spoon was a Valentine's Day promo. It was given out on Valentine's Day with a minimum $10 purchase after 5 PM.

Check out all the fancy froyo spoons on the Pinterest board, Fancy Froyo 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.

Best New Froyo Flavors of 2020

 

Fro-yo girl here. There were fewer new froyo flavors this year because of COVID-19’s impact on froyo shops. Most of the ones I’ve been to stopped offering samples and are full service (even though most are self-serve froyo shops). But there were new froyo flavors introduced this year, so it’s time for me to pick my favorite new flavors for 2020.

Best Tart: Acai Berry by Pinkberry

There were very few new tart froyo flavors this year. Pinkberry was an exception – they’re still good about introducing tart flavors. Acai Berry tasted like blueberry tart (I love blueberry tart) with a hint of acai.

Best Sweet: Carrot Cake OREO from Menchie’s

What is it about carrot cake and froyo? Carrot cake froyo is usually tasty and I don’t even like carrot cake. The dairy mutes the sweetness of the cake flavor. I like the warm spices Menchie’s used.

Best Vegan: Key Lime by Yoga-urt

Yoga-urt continues to be the best vegan froyo you can find and they also continue to introduce fabulous new flavors. Key Lime vegan froyo married an intriguing nuttiness from the house almond/cashew milk base with the tang of key lime. It's also organic, kosher, soy free, and gluten free.

For the list of new froyo flavor introductions, see

https://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/news/new-froyo-flavors-flavor-trends-in-2020

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

* YOGA-URT, 1407 ½ W Kenneth Rd., Glendale, CA 91201 and 2211 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026

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 Yoga-urt Flavor: Coconut Macaroon (Vegan)

Fro-yo girl here. Yoga-urt just introduced a new flavor, inspired by Hanukkah, Coconut Macaroon. It’s made with Yoga-urt’s made in-house almond cashew base. I don’t love coconut but I did once make coconut macaroons. I used less sugar and they were really good. The new Coconut Macaroon flavor reminds me of those homemade coconut macaroons. It’s sweet but not cloying. I could see the shredded coconut. I think the nutty base complements and mellows out the coconut. 

Recommended toppings: Housemade chocolate shell, almonds, and housemade waffle chips.

The new flavor is vegan/plant-based, organic, probiotic, hand-crafted, kosher, soy-free and gluten-free, like all their other flavors.

Coconut macaroon froyo is available for a limited time only. Check Yoga-urt’s Instagram page for the current flavors. Also, check the freezer for pints.

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.

Japanese Hot Yogurt & Drinkable Soft Serve

Fro-yo girl here. Woodberrys, the beloved Tokyo froyo shop that specializes in seasonal fruits and made to order froyo, recently started offering hot yogurt. I saw the announcement and immediately wondered, what is hot yogurt? I had to find out.

Hot yogurt was born on September 30, 2013, the launch date of Yakult’s bottled hot yogurt drink called Hot Miruju. Hot Mijuru contains calcium and probiotics (live bacteria). Interestingly, I can’t find recent information about it, so either it was discontinued or the name was changed. There’s very little information online about hot yogurt. Hot yogurt seems to be popular only in Japan and it’s popular for health reasons.

I found a simple recipe for hot yogurt on Slism. According to Slism, “Where hot yogurt differs from cold yogurt is the wonder it does for your digestive system. Cold yogurt cools down your body affecting the inner working of your digestive system such that your body has a hard time absorbing essential nutrients such as calcium. On the other hand, hot yogurt has the effect of increase nutrient absorption of calcium in your body that in effect impedes parathormone hormones from being release by your body making you gain pounds weight in fat.”

Japanese convenience store, MINI STOP, just introduced two new hot chocolate drinks made with soft serve ice cream base, Belgian Chocolate and Hot Milk Soft Cream. They sound delicious and they’re available 24 hours a day.

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

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

Froyo in Santa Monica, CA, Past Froyo History and Current Froyo Scene

Fro-yo girl here. For a city of slightly over 90,000 residents, Santa Monica has a lot of froyo. It was true during the height of the froyo craze and it’s still true today. The residents of Santa Monica must love froyo. There’s even a Green Business Certified TCBY/Starbucks at Santa Monica College (1900 Pico Blvd). The campus is currently closed due to COVID-19, so TCBY/Starbucks is temporarily closed. 

There were a few old school froyo shops in Santa Monica that were present before the second wave of froyo popularity. Sparky’s Yogurt (3110 Main St.) was open for 30 – 40 years. The owner retired in 2016. TCBY (715 Montana Ave.) was around for decades (not sure when it opened) before closing in 2011.

These froyo shops have also closed in Santa Monica:

• Cherry on Top (2009-2012) was inside a Shell gas station convenience store (1866 Lincoln) near Santa Monica High School. I went once in 2010. I didn’t like it. It was self-serve.
• Frogo (2008-2010) was described as a Pinkberry clone with counter service (1300 Wilshire).
• Fruitti Yogo (2007-2012) was a Pinkberry clone that opened in Santa Monica (2829 Ocean Park Blvd) before Pinkberry. They also served gelato and boba drinks.
• Pinkberry (2008-2019): The perfect location for strolling, shopping and stopping for froyo, Pinkberry (1456 Third Street Promenade) was once right outside Santa Monica Place, the main shopping mall in Santa Monica. I managed to go there a few times.
• The Spot Frozen Yogurt (2010) opened up across from Santa Monica College (1701 Pico Blvd). It was self-serve and just 33 cents an ounce when it first opened. It lasted less than a year.
• Tutti Frutti (2010-2016) was upstairs at Santa Monica Place (395 Santa Monica Place). I remember when it first opened, I was a little surprised that they bothered to open when better froyo places were so close.
• Yogurtland Lincoln & Pico (2016-2020) was the second Yogurtland to open in Santa Monica. This location (1902 Lincoln Blvd) was part of a newish looking strip mall. I went once and wasn’t impressed (the yogurt was too soft and it wasn’t as clean as other YL locations).

Froyo businesses still operating are:

• Go Greek Yogurteria (2017-present), the premium Greek froyo and Greek fresh yogurt self-serve shop, opened beachside in Santa Monica (1431 Ocean Ave) in February 2017. I liked that they offered some Greek toppings as well. The froyo is richer and more indulgent.
• Menchie’s (2010-present) on Montana has been the scene of countless celebrity froyo sightings (732 Montana Ave.) since opening across the street from TCBY. This was the first Menchie’s in Santa Monica.
• Menchie’s (2011-present) is close to the Santa Monica Airport (2901 Ocean Park) in another busy part of town. Montana is the posh part of town.
• Pinkberry (2007-present) is tiny but well-situated for the Montana Ave. shoppers (1612 Montana Ave). It’s appropriately chic and design oriented. It was also the closest Pinkberry to the former Pinkberry headquarters (3130 Wilshire Blvd).
• Sunny Blue (2010-present) is one of my favorites. The tiny, adorable eatery combines fresh omusubi/onigiri (Japanese rice balls) with froyo (2728 Main St.). Stroll down to the beach with your omusubi and froyo. This is their first location. They opened another one in Culver City. Sunny Blue claims to be the first omusubi store in California (sounds right to me).
• Treats (2012-present) was opened by a local Santa Monica family with a commitment to quality (1700 Ocean Park Blvd). I haven’t been in years but I was impressed with how cute the shop was and how the employee carefully assembled my pretty cup of froyo.
• Yogurtland (2013-present) Santa Monica Promenade is just off Third Street Promenade (304 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite B). It’s a smaller location but still self-serve.

Temporarily closed:

• Forty Carrots (2010-present) is located inside Bloomingdale’s (315 Colorado Ave.). While Google lists the location as permanently closed, Bloomingdale’s says its temporarily closed due to COVID-19.
• Planet Smoothie/Tasti D-lite (2015-present) which opened in 2015 (526 Wilshire Blvd) is listed as temporarily closed due to COVID-19 with an expected reopening date of January 2021. While they mostly offer soft serve ice cream, they did have froyo at times. I noticed their assets are listed for sale, so I doubt they’ll reopen unless a new owner takes over.
• TCBY/Starbucks at Santa Monica College

Froyo?

Poki Yo (2200 Colorado Blvd., Ste B) used to provide a free small froyo with purchase of a poke bowl in 2017 but the soft serve machine broke and they never fixed it.

That’s a lot of froyo activity for a city with 90,000 residents.

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 December Flavor, Double Chocolate Froyo Made with Ghirardelli

Fro-yo girl here. Menchie’s just introduced a new flavor for December, Double Chocolate Froyo made with Ghirardelli chocolate. The lowfat flavor is gluten free and contains no high fructose corn syrup. It’s made with no artificial colors and no artificial flavors. Menchie’s describes the flavor as a “decadent, rich and velvety dark chocolate frozen yogurt flavor.”

I found Double Chocolate Froyo at Menchie’s in Sherman Oaks, CA (thanks Menchie’s SO for posting your current flavors on the Menchie’s app). While the flavor sounds super chocolatey, it was also very smooth and milky. And it was thick and creamy. Recommended toppings: Oreos for crunch, Kit Kat, and almonds.

Menchie’s holiday gift card offer is back as well. Buy a $25 gift card and get a $5 bonus card for free.

FYI, Menchie’s Sherman Oaks offers full service with three cup sizes. A small with 2 toppings and 1 sauce is $4.99. Customer service was excellent!

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.

Casa Coco Ice Cream/Froyo, Home-Based Frozen Desserts Business in Los Angeles

Fro-yo girl here. I found out about Casa Coco Ice Cream through LA Taco’s September 2020 article on the ice cream maker, Mercedes S. “She is a transgender Chicana chef who makes high-quality seasonal sorbets and ice cream to sell out of her home in the perpetual summer that is Los Angeles.” Past flavors (e.g., quince, vanilla + yuzu sorbet, feijoa with pink pepper, fennel flower w/ strawberry, cardamom + tiger fig blondie) sounded interesting. Honestly, all the flavors sounded good but I had to try the froyo (not offered too often).

Placing the order was easy. New flavors are announced every week. Send a direct message to reserve your pints, pay and then pick up a few days later on Friday or Sunday.

Pomegranate froyo: The pint was labeled with the flavor but the ingredients were not listed. Since it’s a home kitchen, that doesn’t bother me. Pomegranate froyo was described as “Scott Farms wonderful pomegranates (behemoths of their season) juiced and syruped, blended one-to-one with ever-mighty Karoun labne, churned to tangy-sweet lightness. Little bit of cherry laffy taffy going on? Chewy? Chewy.” Juicing pomegranates is hard work. I like pomegranates and Karoun labne, so I was very excited to try it. The froyo is high quality and full of flavor – no doubt about that. The vibrant color was beautiful as well. Even after several days in my freezer, the froyo wasn’t rock hard. It stayed soft and had a stickier consistency. The flavor was tangy and fruity. I could definitely taste the labne. I did find it a little sweeter than I personally prefer but getting the sweetness right is hard because people like different levels of sweetness. I like froyo that’s very tangy. Quality froyo – it did remind me of Laffy Taffy but with yogurt flavor.

One pint is $10, 2 for $18, 3 for $26, max 3 pints per order.

If you’d like to try Casa Coco, you can order via Venmo/Cash app and find the flavors of the week on Instagram @pulquemami. The pickup location is in Arlington Heights (Central Los Angeles). 

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.

Marin County Froyo Guide & Froyo History

Berry Bliss, Larkspur

Fro-yo girl here. Years ago when I went to Marin County regularly, San Rafael was a mini froyo hot spot and there were a few other places to get froyo, like Woody’s Yogurt Place in Mill Valley and Berry Bliss in Larkspur. Woody’s Yogurt Place closed earlier this year due to the rising cost of rent at Strawberry Village. The same family owned Woody’s since 1998 and they were always giving back to the community. Sad. But on a happier note, Easy Breezy Frozen Yogurt opened in Corte Madera this past January, their first location in Marin County.

Berry Bliss (2247 Larkspur Landing Cir, Larkspur, CA 94939), a small, counter serve shop, was notable for being the first tart froyo shop in the area; it opened in 2008 and closed in 2013. Back in 2008, I visited Berry Bliss and wrote the following in a Yelp review, "Fro-yo girl here. Berry Bliss is the first tart fro-yo shop in Marin County (it opened on April 1st). It makes a good effort though I think the flavors could still use some work. They're too sweet but then again, some people prefer sweeter tart fro-yo. They have four flavors a day (some flavors rotate) with fresh fruit toppings, granola, chips, cereal and nut toppings to choose from; eight dry toppings, I think and about 8 fresh fruit toppings. They DO NOT HAVE MOCHI BALLS (I wish I had brought my own).” I was obsessed with mochi back then. Wow, that was twelve years ago and the start of the new wave of froyo shops in Marin County.

Here are the other Marin County froyo shops that are no longer open for business.

• Berry Bliss, San Rafael, 2009 - 2012: Small counter serve shop, same ownership as the one in Larkspur.
• Berry Delicious, Novato, 2014-2017: Located in downtown Novato, Berry Delicious was a self-serve froyo shop.
• Berry Twist, San Rafael, 2010-2020: Berry Twist was a self-serve froyo shop located inside Northgate Mall. It’s no longer listed in the Northgate Mall directory. Google lists it as temporarily closed though.
• Cocoyo, San Rafael, 2011-2014. Cocoyo didn’t change the décor of Tuttimelon but they did change signs. Like Tuttimelon, they offered counter serve froyo and gelato. Later, they added bubble tea.
• TCBY, San Anselmo, the last review was in 2012. I have no idea when it opened but one reviewer wrote that “this TCBY has been here forever” back in 2008. Woody’s was probably around longer but who knows.
• Tuttimelon, San Rafael, 2009-2011. This counter serve shop had froyo and gelato. After closing, the space was taken over by Cocoyo.
• U Top It, San Anselmo: The self-serve froyo shop opened in 2010, changed ownership in 2014 and closed in 2019.
• Yogen Fruz, Novato, 2009-2013: This was a counter serve froyo place with mix in and soft serve style froyo.
• Yolo Yogurt Lounge, Mill Valley, 2010-2105: This was a small, cute self-serve shop which had some made in house toppings and froyo flavors.

And here’s a list of Marin County froyo shops open in 2020:

• Easy Breezy, Corte Madre, established in 2020, lots of organic and vegan froyo options, plus frozen custard. Premium self-serve!
• Loving Cup Greenbrae, established in 2016. Loving Cup was established in San Francisco in 2008. “Loving Cup is the new, old fashioned creamery. Starting with cultured non-fat milk, we make our own yogurt, freeze it, then hand blend each and every cup with your choice of ingredients. The result is super creamy, velvety soft-serve with a rich taste and none of the fat. We offer thousands of flavor possibilities every day made from ingredients like fresh ground peanut butter, chocolate chunks, fruits and berries, house-made salted caramel, and locally roasted espresso beans. We have been hand crafting goodness since 2008 and are proud to be San Francisco's favorite frozen yogurt experience.”
• Mag’s Local Yogurt, Larkspur, established in 2011, “Elliott Magnuson, owner of Mag's Local Yogurt and a longtime Larkspur resident, wanted to create a self-serve frozen yogurt eatery which combined the love for frozen yogurt with that of a fun, inviting meeting place for friends & families to enjoy.”
• Mill Valley Swirl, established in 2010. “Mill Valley Swirl is the brain child of Jeff Shine, a full time stay at home dad, and his wife, Kristine Shine, a working mother. Knowing first hand that today's family dynamic is different from years ago they aspired to create an environment that caters to all ages and tastes, bringing a modern twist to the Main Street Ice Cream Shoppe. Unlike the traditional ice-cream or gelato shops, Mill Valley Swirl recognizes individual taste and a desire for a healthier lifestyle. The basis behind Mill Valley Swirl is frozen yogurt options for everyone, healthy or fun, with the customer being in full control of quantity and selection. In the summer of 2016, owner, Jeff Shine, went to ice cream making school to learn how to make his own homemade ice cream. In 2017 Jeff launched his own ice cream brand, Sweet Annie's, named after his daughter and founded on the idea of everyday deserving a celebration.”
• Swirl, San Anselmo, established in 2009. “Business was run by an absentee owner until March 2017 when a local San Anselmo family purchased Swirl, upgraded all the equipment and yogurt (now gluten free & most are kosher) and added more and better toppings (organic fruits from farmers market, cheesecake bites, snickers, etc.).”
• Tuttimelon Novato, established in 2010. Tuttimelon is still going strong in Novato. “Tuttimelon specializes in premium self created fat free frozen yogurt along with an extensive toppings bar. Featuring "Tutti-WOW" with only 64 calories /cup, all natural, lactose free and very low carbs! Come taste a truly guiltless pleasure. We also serve 26 wonderful flavors of hand crafted, artisan Gelatos. While you're there, try the 100% fruit and vegetable granitas (smoothies) from Italy and the fresh baked gourmet stuffed soft pretzels and Belgium Waffles. The Novato location specializes in creating their own unique flavor offerings in Yogurt and Gelato, featuring the best / healthiest ingredients available.”

Loop Neighborhood Market, 2 locations in Novato and 1 location in San Rafael offer self-serve froyo in an upscale convenience store format.

YOLO in San Anselmo hasn’t posted an update on Facebook since March. It’s temporarily closed according to Google and Yelp. Hmm. It’s probably closed for good since it’s already October and they missed the summer froyo season. But it does say on Yelp that it's scheduled to reopen on April 14, 2021.

I still need to go to the Loving Cup location in Greenbrae, but I’ve been to all the other Marin County froyo shops that are still open (and quite a few that have closed).

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.