Thursday, June 30, 2022

Day & Night Cereal Bar to Take Over Go Greek Yogurt Kiosk at Glendale Galleria

 

 



Fro-yo girl here. Go Greek closed the Glendale Galleria kiosk in 2019 and the space has been vacant ever since. For a time, it looked like Prinkipia Frozen Yogurt would occupy the space. They had signs up in 2020. Then the signs disappeared. Now there are new signs up for Day & Night Cereal Bar. Day & Night started out as a food truck serving cereal bowls and cereal shakes.

The kiosk is upstairs across from JC Penney.

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

* DAY & NIGHT CEREAL BAR, 100 W Broadway, Glendale, CA 91210

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.

Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Froyo in Monterey Park, California

 


Fro-yo girl here. Monterey Park is a relatively small city in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County. The population is slightly over 58,000. The population is predominantly Chinese. In the 1980s, Monterey Park was referred to as Little Taipei.

Cefiore was the first froyo shop in Monterey Park, opening in 2008, relatively late for the area. Several froyo shops opened in 2010, the peak froyo time in Monterey Park. Yogutland on Atlantic Blvd. is the last froyo shop left in Monterey Park. They opened in 2012, so they turn ten this year.

Froyo Shops of Monterey Park
  • Cefiore Frozen Yogurt, 141 N Atlantic Blvd, Suite 112, was a counter-serve froyo shop that opened in 2008 and closed in 2010. They served frozen yogurt, tea, smoothies, and waffles.
  • Lolliberry, 2337 S Garfield Ave, was primarily a boba tea shop but they also had frozen yogurt. The shop opened in 2010 and closed in 2013. It used be called Lollicup.
  • O’ My Yogurt & O’ My Buns, 2215 S Atlantic Blvd, offered self-serve froyo and freshly baked roti buns. The shop opened in 2010 and closed in 2011. I believe O’ My Yogurt was the same as Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt only with a different name. A strange incident happened at the shop. The owner attacked an employee and trapped her in a sound-proof box. He was charged with kidnapping, attempted rape, and attempted first degree murder. The employee escaped.
  • Yogen Fruz, 500 N Atlantic Blvd, Ste 121, was a counter-serve froyo shop in Atlantic Times Square. The shop opened in 2010 and closed in 2012.
  • Yogurt in Love, 500 N Atlantic Blvd, Ste 121, replaced Yogen Fruz in 2014. They offered self-serve froyo. The shop closed in 2016.
  • Yogurtland, 2102 S Atlantic Blvd, is an outpost of the self-serve chain that opened in 2012.

I found six froyo shops that once called Monterey Park home – about average for the area. They were all part of a chain. Half were self-serve and half were counter-serve.

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.

Thursday, June 23, 2022

Quickly Adds Purple Rice Yogurt Shakes




Fro-yo girl here. The purple rice yogurt California invasion started at the beginning of 2021. Purple rice yogurt drinks/smoothies were first found in tea shops and then in standalone purple rice yogurt shops. Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt of Australia has the most locations in California. They make their own yogurt.

Anyway, I was amused to see that Quickly, which always tries to capitalize on anything Asian and trendy, now has yogurt shakes with purple rice – at least in San Francisco. I doubt they make their own yogurt. It reminded me of when they came out with the super cheap Quickly froyo. 

From what I can tell, purple rice yogurt drinks aren’t as popular as regular milk tea boba drinks. Sunright Tea Studio seems much busier than Yomie’s. Yomie’s is more expensive, the drinks take longer to make, and the variety of drinks is more limited. I heard Yomie’s quality has declined, so I’m afraid to go back but I did like their drinks. They taste like yogurt, they’re tangy and they’re supposedly better for you than boba drinks.

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.

Tuesday, June 21, 2022

SomiSomi Closures and Replacements

 


Fro-yo girl here. I’ve never written about SomiSomi because they serve soft serve ice cream (not froyo). But their soft serve is pretty good, even though I rarely get it (because it’s not froyo). Recently, they closed two locations near me. The Westfield Santa Anita location in Arcadia became an acai bowl place. And now the Glendale Galleria location is becoming another soft serve ice cream shop called Devil & Angel Desserts. They also have mochi donuts, drinks, and taiyaki. I miss the days when Pinkberry and Go Greek were at the Galleria and the Americana.

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.

Friday, June 17, 2022

Father's Day 2022 Froyo Specials


Fro-yo girl here. Froyo loving fathers, Happy Froyo Father's Day! TCBY brought back their free froyo promotion for Mother’s Day and also for Father’s Day this year.

Here’s a list of froyo shops with Father’s Day froyo specials this year. I’ll keep updating the list until some time on Father’s Day. Shops are listed in alphabetical order:

  • 70's Frogurt Hood (India): Free froyo for fathers on Father's Day
  • Alpine Chill (Alpine, CA): Buy 1, get 1 free for dads on June 19, 16 oz cups only
  • Chiller Bee (TX): Dads eat free on 6/19
  • ChillHouse (Maurice, LA): Dads get 25% off on 6/19
  • Ella's Frozen Yogurt (Greenwood, IN): Bring dad in for a free froyo with any purchase on 6/19
  • Fill n'Chill (Slinger, WI): Dad's froyo is 50% off on 6//19
  • Frost (Kailua, HI): BOGO 50% off on 6/19
  • Goji’s (Canada): Dads get a newbie dipped cone for a toonie on 6/19
  • Hoopla (St. Joe, MI): 50% off dad's cup on 6/19
  • House of Yogurt (Costa Mesa, CA): Dads get 5 oz free on 6/19
  • llaollao (Brunei): Father's Day giveaway
  • llaollao (Malaysia): Father's Day contest
  • Lemonberry (OH): Dad gets a free sundae with a purchase on 6/19
  • Moo Cow Yogurt (Malaysia): Enjoy 15% off on Father's Day, min spend RM100 
  • Peachwave (Fairfax, VA): $3 reward loaded to loyalty account, reward expires 6/19 at 10 PM EST
  • Pick-a-Treat (Sri Lanka): Bring your dad on 6/19 and get 25% off your total bill
  • Pinkberry (Philippines): Free upsize from June 17 - 19
  • Skinny Dip (Plantation, FL): Show coupon @theskinnydip.plantation and dad gets a free froyo on 6/19
  • Sweet CeCe’s, Spring Hill & Nolensville, TN: $1 sweet cups on 6/19
  • sweetFrog, Garrisonville, Stafford, VA: Free $5 gift cards for dad from June 13 - 18
  • sweetFrog: Treat dad on 6/19 and get a leap back coupon for a future day
  • TCBY (US): first 6 oz free on 6/19
  • Urban Swirl (Granger, IN) : Any item for dad is 50% off with purchase
  • Yogin (Mexico): 50 free cones for dads on 6/19
  • Yogocup (Mexico): Buy one, get one free on Father's Day
  • Yogu (Malaysia): 10% off on 6/19
  • Yogurt Beach (Naperville, IL): Dads get 50% off on 6/19
  • Yogurt Mountain (US): BOGO free when you scan the app from 6/17 - 6/19/22
  • Yogurtini (Shoal Creek, Overland Park, Plaza, KS): Bring your dad on 6/19, make a purchase and he gets his cup of froyo free
  • Yogurtland (US): For every $25 eGift card purchased between June 13 – 18, get a $5 bonus card, maximum 4 bonus cards per order
  • Yogurtland (Burbank, Huntington Park, Westlake Village, Hanford, Simi Valley, Fresno, Sherman Oaks, Encino, North Hollywood, Desoto/Nordhoff, Valencia, CA): Buy one, get one 50% off on 6/19
  • Yogurtland (Louisiana): Buy one, get one free on June 19
  • Yole (Malaysia): Dads get a free froyo on 6/19 with fist bump gesture at checkout
  • Yorg (Mexico): 4x3 offer on Father's Day, 6/19
  • Yum Frozen Yogurt (Wexford, PA): Dads get 5 oz free on 6/19
  • Yummy Froyo (Hawkinsville, GA): Free froyo for fathers on Father's Day 

Most shops announce their Father’s Day promotions the day before or on Father’s Day, so check back for updates. 

For more Father’s Day froyo images, check out the Father’s Day Froyo Pinterest board. https://www.pinterest.com/froyogirl/fathers-day-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.

Thursday, June 16, 2022

The Frozen Farmer Frobert Review





Fro-yo girl here. I’ve seen The Frozen Farmer Frobert around, but it didn’t seem like froyo, so I wasn’t too interested. The Frozen Farmer is woman-owned and the fruit comes from a third-generation family farm in Delaware. They company produces sorbet and frobert, a blend of sorbet and a frozen dairy dessert. Frobert is lower in calories, fat, and sugar than ice cream. Interestingly, their desserts are made with imperfect aka upcycled fruit. Frobert contains whey, a byproduct of manufacturing cheese – but it does not contain live and active cultures. It is not frozen yogurt.

I’ve seen Frobert at Vons and also at Grocery Outlet. The pints retail for $5.99 each. At Grocery Outlet, the pints are $1.99.

Available flavors of Frobert: Strawberry Cheesecake, Orange Cream, Apple Pie, Triple Berry, Double Chocolate Cherry, Blueberry Strudel

Blueberry Strudel: The texture wasn’t as icy as sorbet or as creamy as ice cream. It was like a blend of sorbet and ice cream. It was scoopable and not hard. I actually liked the combination of blueberries, cinnamon and bits of pastry – but it was way toooo sweet, thanks to the addition of monkfruit and raisins. It would be better blended with milk and cream to tone down the sweetness. There was no tang at all.

One serving (2/3 cup) is 120 calories, 3g total fat, 33g total carbs, 16g total sugars, and 1g protein.

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.

Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt in Arcadia is Now Der-Tea



Fro-yo girl here. Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt, which started in Sydney, Australia, opened their first location in California at Westfield Santa Anita in Arcadia, California in May 2021. It lasted one year (not long). The sign has been changed to Der-Tea. They still make yogurt on the premises and offer purple rice yogurt, but they also added milk tea and fruit tea drinks.

I didn’t try it but reviewers say Der-Tea isn’t as good. Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt still has shops in Temple City, Rowland Heights, Chino, and San Gabriel. A Yomie's in San Francisco on Ocean Ave. recently converted into a milk tea shop called YM Tea. The purple rice yogurt trend might already be waning?

* DER-TEA: 400 S Baldwin Ave, Space 2203, Arcadia, CA 91007

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.

Thursday, June 9, 2022

Penguin’s Frozen Yogurt Space in South Pasadena Leased to Silverlake Ramen



Fro-yo girl here. Penguin’s Frozen Yogurt in South Pasadena closed in 2020. The sign is still up but the space has been leased by Silverlake Ramen. The windows are covered, so I couldn’t look inside. Silverlake Ramen has multiple locations (e.g., Highland Park, East LA) with several new locations in the works in Burbank, Manhattan Beach, Downey, Van Nuys, etc.

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.

Menchie’s remains open in South Pasadena but it usually only has a few flavors (today they had 7 flavors, half the froyo machines were empty).

* 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.

Wednesday, June 8, 2022

New Mango-Inspired Summer Flavors at Yogurtland




Fro-yo girl here. June is National Mango Month and mangos are the inspiration for Yogurtland’s two new summer flavors: Passion Fruit Mango Tart froyo and Strawberry Mango sorbet.

Strawberry Mango Sorbet: Yogurtland describes Strawberry Mango Sorbet as a flavor that “was designed to taste like fresh, authentic strawberry and mango, rather than candy. The flavor profile starts with bright strawberry and finishes with a background of mango. The body and texture are similar to our other sorbets- smooth but very slightly icy. The color is pastel peach - which is a combination of the pink from strawberry and golden orange from mango. Some strawberry seeds are visible.” It’s vegan, nonfat, and gluten-free. I noticed the strawberry flavor first and the mango as more of an after note. It was fine – not that icy and not that sweet. Recommended toppings: Strawberries, mango, mochi.

Passion Fruit Mango Tart froyo: Yogurtland describes Passion Fruit Mango Tart as a flavor that “will remind you of a getaway travel at the beach. The flavor combination is so tropical. It's very tart, refreshing, yet delicate - great for tart lovers. The flavor notes are tropical passion fruit flavor, followed by sweet & tart mango flavor.” It’s nonfat and gluten-free. New tart flavor introductions are rare, so I was excited to try this flavor and it didn’t disappoint. The passion fruit enhances the mango flavor. Mango can often be too sweet but the passion fruit made the froyo extra tangy and flavorful. The texture was also smooth, thick, and creamy. Recommended toppings: Mango, mochi, granola.

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.

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

New June Flavors at Menchie’s





Fro-yo girl here. Happy National Frozen Yogurt Month, National Candy Month, and Pride Month. With the new month comes new flavors at Menchie’s. Menchie’s June flavors are inspired by National Candy Month.

First up, Menchie’s Hershey’s Chocolate Cake Batter is a lowfat froyo flavor made with real Hershey’s chocolate chips and cocoa. It’s made with no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, and no high-fructose corn syrup. It’s lowfat. The second new flavor is HI-CHEW Rainbow Sherbet froyo, which tastes like HI-CHEW Rainbow Sherbet candy from the Fantasy Mix. It’s sweet and sour, with hints of lime, raspberry, and orange. The flavor is made with no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, and no high-fructose corn syrup. It’s nonfat and gluten-free as well.

Chocolate Cake Batter froyo: It tasted like I expected – rich milk chocolate with a “cake mix” taste. The texture was smooth and creamy. I’m not a fan of cake batter flavors but I’m sure people who are would enjoy it. Recommended toppings: Chocolate shell, Hershey’s kisses, whipped cream.

HI-CHEW Rainbow Sherbet froyo: For a froyo, it’s icier than usual – almost sorbet like. It did taste like candy but I could distinguish the raspberry and lime; the orange flavor seemed fainter. I’m not a fan of fruity candy flavors. Recommended toppings: Sour Patch Kids, Skittles.

This is the fourth collaboration between HI-CHEW™ and Menchie's. They first teamed up in 2019 to create HI-CHEW™ Dragon Fruit frozen yogurt. Subsequent flavors were HI-CHEW™ Mango and HI-CHEW™ Passion Fruit in 2020 and HI-CHEW™ Raspberry frozen yogurt in 2021.

I love HI-CHEW but I haven’t had their Rainbow Sherbet flavor. I guess you can only find it in their Fantasy Mix bags. The Fantasy Mix bag comes with three flavors of HI-CHEW: Rainbow Sherbet, Blue Hawaii and Blue Raspberry.

The new flavors are available for a limited time, 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.

Thursday, June 2, 2022

Easy Breezy Opens in Los Gatos, CA





Fro-yo girl here. It’s been so long since I’ve been to Los Gatos. The last time I went was to get froyo at Yumi Yogurt (RIP). Well, froyo brought me back to downtown Los Gatos. Easy Breezy opened last month in the heart of downtown Los Gatos, at 307 N Santa Cruz Ave. It’s the first Easy Breezy in the South Bay.

I visited recently and I’m happy to report that EB Los Gatos continues to serve the freshest, highest quality froyo, custard and soft serve – and it’s self-serve. I believe it’s the first self-serve froyo shop in Los Gatos. It’s certainly the only self-serve froyo shop in Los Gatos right now. The premium quality and cuteness really suit Los Gatos.

Their soft serve is hand-crafted and made with proprietary recipes. They use organic ingredients whenever possible. They also use the best soft serve machines, so their froyo/soft serve texture is better – thick, smooth, creamy, but not dense. And there are so many options: custard, yogurt, and vegan soft serve. Love the owner, Ariel – she’s the best!!!!

There were four machines serving 8 flavors. It’s self-serve like the other Easy Breezy locations. Toppings included warm sauces, candy, cheesecake, mochi, cookie dough, popping boba, fresh fruit (the blueberries and strawberries were organic), brownies, chocolate chips, yogurt chips, coconut, cereal, nuts, sprinkles, etc. I love the Belgian butter waffle cookies they have. It’s $0.94 cents an ounce. Yes, it’s not cheap but it’s Los Gatos and the product is high quality.

Flavors of the day:
  • Vanilla custard
  • Chocolate custard
  • Original tart
  • Vanilla bean yogurt
  • Root beer
  • Coconut crème pie (vegan, coconut milk)
  • Vietnamese coffee (vegan, coconut milk)
  • Strawberry Breeze (vegan, coconut milk)

Ask for samples and get a stamp card.

* EASY BREEZY: 307 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos, CA 95030

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.

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

New Pinkberry Summer Froyo Flavor: Lava Swirl




Fro-yo girl here. I’ve been enjoying Pinkberry’s Strawberry Shortcake froyo quite often and I’m a bit sad to see it go but it’s time for a new Pinkberry flavor. Pinkberry has just introduced the new Lava Swirl froyo and smoothie. This limited time flavor is available in participating stores until August 18.

The Lava Swirl flavor was inspired by the Lava Flow cocktail. I might be in the minority but I didn’t know about the Lava Flow cocktail. It’s a tropical Hawaiian cocktail made with made with rum, strawberries, pineapple, and coconut cream. It's layered and looks like a volcano, with the red layer covered by the white layer. Pinkberry’s version is non-alcoholic; it has strawberries, pineapple, and coconut. They recommend topping it with pineapple, coconut shavings, strawberry puree, and whipped cream.

Lava Swirl froyo: I wasn’t sure if I’d like this flavor. Fortunately, I did. It reminded me of Pinkberry’s Strawberry Shortcake froyo only with a touch of coconut cream. The strawberry flavor hit me first and then it was finished with the flavor of coconut cream. The froyo was tangy and seemed a little creamier than usual. Recommended toppings: strawberries, pineapple, mango.

FYI, get double points on your Pinkberry purchase from June 1 - June 5.

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

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

Here’s the official press release:

Pinkberry Goes Tropical this Summer with the New Lava Swirl Frozen Yogurt and Smoothie


SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pinkberry® (www.Pinkberry.com) introduces the new Lava Swirl frozen yogurt and smoothie, now available in participating stores nationwide for a limited time until August 18, 2022.

Just in time for summertime temperatures, the new Lava Swirl frozen yogurt and smoothie bring instant refreshment and flavors reminiscent of a beachside vacation. Combining the flavors of fresh strawberries, juicy pineapple and tropical coconut, the new Lava Swirl evokes feelings of sipping on a smooth, cool strawberry piña colada. Featured toppings for this eye-catching frozen yogurt swirl include pineapple, coconut shavings, strawberry puree and whipped cream.

"We are excited to bring the new Lava Swirl flavor to our menu this summer," said Melissa Hubbell, senior director of marketing for Kahala Brands™, parent company of Pinkberry. "Guests can enjoy this tropical flavored treat in a frozen yogurt or a smoothie - it's the perfect way to stay cool on a warm day!"

At Pinkberry, guests can customize their swirl with a variety of toppings that include fresh, never frozen, fruit that is hand-cut in stores daily, along with premium granolas and nuts, specialty chocolates, and much more. Pinkberry is swirling with possibilities!

Promotional Flavor:

Lava Swirl

Promotional Combination:

Lava Swirl frozen yogurt topped with pineapple, coconut shavings, strawberry puree, and whipped cream

About Pinkberry


Pinkberry® launched in Los Angeles, CA in 2005 as the original brand that reinvented frozen yogurt. Today, over a decade later, Pinkberry continues to create great tasting treats with fresh ingredients in an experience comprised of distinctive product, outstanding service and inspirational design. At Pinkberry you can taste the difference of an uncompromising commitment to quality and freshness. Most recently, Pinkberry was acquired by Scottsdale, Arizona-based Kahala Brands™, one of the fastest growing franchising companies in the world with a portfolio of 22 quick-service restaurant brands and approximately 2900 locations in 28 countries.