Newish Froyo Shop Opens in Lake Balboa

 

Fro-yo girl here. Joy Sedona Frozen Yogurt opened in October 2022 and I only found out about it. I didn’t see any reviews on Yelp though there were some on Google.

Joy Sedona is a self-serve froyo shop in Los Angeles, specifically the Lake Balboa neighborhood of San Fernando Valley. They also sell slushees, smoothies, acai bowls, and scoopable Thrifty ice cream.

The shop is close to six schools and seems to be catering to high school/middle school students and families. At $0.69/oz, it isn’t cheap but it's the closest to all those schools. There are 10 froyo flavors a day, including a no sugar added option.

They have several cup sizes and you can get your own froyo and most of your own toppings. The refrigerated toppings are not self-serve though. They have hot sauces too. Toppings include fruit, popping boba, nuts, candy, mochi, chocolate chips, granola, chocolate pretzels, cereal, cookies, cupcake bites, etc. Toppings were labeled.

The yogurt that I tried was too soft, loose, and runny. The vanilla was also very sweet and bland.

The shop looked clean and had generic signs. A sign with nutrition facts per serving was posted near the froyo cups. Service was friendly. Ask for a frequent buyer card.

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

* JOY SEDONA FROZEN YOGURT: 16927 Vanowen St, Lake Balboa, CA 91406

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 Yogurtland: Strawberries ‘N Cream & A New Topping

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurtland’s first new flavor of 2023 was Lemon Sorbet but their first new frozen yogurt flavor of 2023 is…Strawberries ‘N Cream. Yogurtland describes Strawberries ‘N Cream froyo as “a classic dessert combination with the flavors of juicy strawberries with a decadent creamy finish.” Strawberries ‘N Cream froyo is gluten-free, nonfat, and made with real strawberries. It also contains cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk.

Strawberries ‘N Cream froyo: I tried this new flavor and Yogurtland’s Fresh Strawberry froyo side by side. The flavors are quite similar. SNC was a little darker in color and slightly less creamy; it also had a more pronounced strawberry flavor but there was something about that flavor that seemed less natural than Fresh Strawberry. The two flavors are quite similar but I prefer Fresh Strawberry. Recommended toppings: strawberries, whipped cream, Hello Panda strawberry cookies, mochi, and lemon pound cake bites.

Thumbs up for the cute new topping that pairs with SNC froyo: Meiji Hello Panda strawberry cookies. They’re cute and crispy on the outside and filled with pink strawberry cream.

Strawberries ‘N Cream froyo is available for a limited time at participating Yogurtland locations, 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.

Froyo Scene in Chino Hills, CA

Source: Yelp

Fro-yo girl here. Chino Hills is a city in southwestern San Bernardino County. The population is 82,800. It’s known for its low crime, abundance of parks, and high median income. Over 40% of the population is Asian, followed by 29% white and 28% Hispanic.

While you could once find multiple froyo shops in Chino Hills with Cefiore as the first froyo shop in town, today one shop remains: Yogurtland. Yogurtland, 4505 Chino Hills Pkwy Ste D, opened in 2009. This location at The Commons is known for its annual guest appreciation event. There are 16 self-serve froyo flavors a day.

Former froyo shops in Chino Hills

• Cefiore, 3654 Grand Ave, opened in the summer of 2008 and may have closed in early 2009. It was a counter-serve froyo shop.
• Pinkberry, 13865 City Center Dr. #3085, was at the Shoppes at Chino Hills from 2008 to 2020
• Tutti Frutti, 3030 Chino Ave, was a self-serve shop that opened in 2008 and closed in 2010

Cefiore and Tutti Frutti did not last long in Chino Hills. All the froyo shops that opened in Chino Hills did so in 2008 – 2009. I managed to visit Pinkberry Chino Hills right before it closed in 2020. I'm surprised that Chino Hills didn't have more froyo shops. 

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 Scene in Chino, CA

Source: Yelp, 

Fro-yo girl here. Chino, a city in San Bernardino County, has a population of 92,290. It was once known for its dairy farms and is now more industrial/commercial and densely populated with a suburban feel. Fifty-four percent of the population identifies as Hispanic/Latino. It’s interesting that while neighboring Chino Hills is more affluent, Chino Hills only has one froyo shop left, Yogurtland, while Chino has three remaining: It’s Yogurt, Joghurt, and Yogurtland.

The first froyo shop that opened in Chino was Penguin’s Place, which opened in 1987 at Chino Town Square. I’m not sure when it closed but it was open for at least 10 years. Another “old school” froyo shop, Golden Spoon was the next to open. Golden Spoon closed in 2013. Joghurt was the first self-serve froyo shop to open in Chino in 2008.

Froyo Shops Open in Chino

• It’s Yogurt, 12877 Mountain Ave, is a charming, mom & pop independent self-serve froyo shop that first opened in 2015. I went once and found it to be very clean with friendly service. They've added acai bowls, smoothies, snow ice, and milk tea. They were closed for renovations recently.
• Joghurt, 4110 Edison Ave Ste 101, is a self-serve local chain with a few locations in the area. Joghurt opened in Chino in March 2008.
• Yogurtland, 12073 Central Ave, first opened in 2015.

Still Open But No Longer Serves Froyo

Pam’s Doughnuts & Yogurt, 4726 Riverside Dr # C, must have served froyo at some point but I couldn’t determine when. They no longer serve froyo but they have ice cream.

Froyo Shops that Closed

• Golden Spoon, 4013 Grand Ave D, closed in 2013.
• Penguin’s Place, 5525 Philadelphia St Ste D, opened in 1987 in Chino Town Square and I'm not sure when it closed (a long time ago). 

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.

First New Pinkberry Flavor of 2023: Ruby Chocolate Frozen Yogurt & New Toppings

 

Fro-yo girl here. Pinkberry’s first new flavor of the year is…Ruby Chocolate tart frozen yogurt. Yay for a new tart flavor! It’s made with Quella Ruby cream. Ruby chocolate is a variety of chocolate made with ruby cacao beans; it’s naturally light pink in color and tastes like berries and white chocolate.

Ruby chocolate tart froyo: I’m not a fan of chocolate froyo but ruby chocolate froyo tastes more like raspberries than chocolate. The chocolate notes are mellow like white chocolate. The yogurt seemed richer and creamier than other Pinkberry tart flavors. The complexity of the flavor – raspberries mellowed by a hint of white chocolate and yogurt – made it very intriguing. It’s not as tangy as some of the other tart flavors but it’s definitely tangy. Recommended toppings: dark chocolate crisps, raspberries, mochi.

Pinkberry recommends adding ruby chocolate sauce, edible gold glitter, dark chocolate crisps, and fresh raspberries. The location that I visited didn’t have ruby chocolate sauce or edible gold glitter.

Remember when Pinkberry introduced Raspberry White Chocolate in 2015? I haven’t had that flavor in so long, maybe since 2015?? Anyway, based on what I remember, Ruby Chocolate is similar (but it’s not the same flavor).

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.

Foodcode Freeze Dried Yogurt Snack Review

Fro-yo girl here. On a recent trip to 99 Ranch in Alhambra, CA, I spotted yogurt snacks from Foodcode that I hadn’t seen before. The front to box is mostly in Chinese but says active lactic acid bacteria 1 CFU. There are some other symbols that I can’t read. The first ingredient listed is cultured milk. The yogurt cubes are imported from China.

99 Ranch had three flavors of Foodcode’s freeze dried yogurt: peach, blueberry, and original. A box is 40g and $5.99/each. Each box comes with a ten pouches. Each pouch contains two small, thick freeze-dried yogurt cubes weighing about 4g total. Each cube is about 1 inch x ½ inch. The cube is crunchy but turns creamy as it melts in your mouth. It tastes like slightly tangy, sweet milk. It’s a pleasant taste but doesn’t taste like plain refrigerated yogurt you’d get in a cup. Foodcode’s yogurt is milder and sweeter. Not a bad snack but it is quite small and expensive. In Asia, freeze-dried yogurt has become a popular snack for kids because it’s healthy and convenient. Pepsico even came out with a freeze-dried yogurt snack called Sunbites for the market in China.

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.

G-Pa Ryc Organics Durty Gut YogArt Review

Fro-yo girl here. On a recent trip to the new Meat & Essentials, the new butchery and mindful market in San Marino, I spotted a brand of yogurt that I’ve never seen before, G-Pa Ryc Organics Durty Gut YogArt. It’s organic, vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, and locally produced (in Ventura, CA). I spotted three flavors: Lemon Vanilla Bean, Midnite Magick Dark Chocolate, and Vanilla Bean. They come in glass jars. One 16 oz jar of YogArt was $20. A portion of profits go to building houses for Widows in Ethiopia and orphans in Honduras.

Lemon Vanilla Bean YogArt: The texture is the thickest and smoothest that I’ve ever encountered in a yogurt. It has a pot set quality. It’s very rich but so good too – like eating a dense lemony cream that isn’t too sweet but has an intriguing tang. It tastes so much better than The Coconut Cult but it’s not clear how many active cultures or what type of cultures are in their yogurt.

YogArt is sweetened with maple sugar and coconut sugar, not refined sugar. The main ingredient is coconut cream. It also has active cultures so it’s good for your gut. Coconut cream is super rich, so the serving size is just 1.75 tbsp. One serving is 120 calories, 10g total fat, 0 cholesterol, 3g total sugars, and 0g protein.

5 out of 5 stars.

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

MEAT & ESSENTIALS: 2004 Huntington Dr, San Marino, CA 91108

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.

Enlightened Greek Yogurt Cones Review

Caramel Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Greek froyo cone

Vanilla Honey Greek froyo cone

Fro-yo girl here. Sorry froyo followers, I have to admit that it took me nearly a year to realize that Enlightened introduced froyo cones (thought it was just an ice cream brand). In my defense, Enlightened Sundae Cones are available with light ice cream and Greek froyo and the word yogurt is not prominent on the packaging. Enlightened Sundae Cones feature a crispy cone, ice cream or froyo, a chocolate drizzle, core flavor, and a chocolate filled tip. They’re made with less sugar and more protein than your typical frozen dessert cones.

I found Enlightened Sundae Cones at Sprouts in La Canada Flintridge, California on sale for $6.99/box. The regular price is $7.99. Each box contains three individually wrapped cones.

Vanilla Honey Greek Yogurt Cone: Enlightened describes it as “Vanilla flavored frozen Greek yogurt with a dark chocolate swirl, oatmeal cookie crumble and a honey flavored core.” I’ve seen pictures of these cones and mine must have melted because there was nothing above the cone part. Also, the cone was completely soft – no crunch at all. There was a lot going on flavor-wise. The texture of the melted and refrozen yogurt was awful – dense and icy. Flavor-wise, it seemed okay – not cloyingly sweet. The saving grace was the chocolate filled tip. The chocolate was actually crunchy! One serving is 140 calories, 4.5g total fat, 25g total carbs, 10g total sugars, and 5g protein. Ingredients include skim milk, Greek yogurt, cane sugar, and monk fruit.

I read some other reviews and they said the cone was crunchy and the ice cream/froyo was creamy. Something was clearly wrong with the box that I bought.

Caramel Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Greek Yogurt Cone: This cone looked a lot better than the Vanilla Honey cone. The froyo was not melted but was actually creamy but still dense. The caramel flavor is mild. There was no yogurt flavor. The cone was still soft and chewy. The chocolate tip was still the best part. I could taste a little almond butter towards the end.

So, these cones do not taste like low sugar cones. They’re sweet enough for those looking for a sweet dessert. The frozen yogurt is mild and bland but the chocolate tip makes up for the blandness. The cone is not crunchy.

Light Ice Cream Sundae Cone flavors: Vanilla Fudge, Caramel Fudge, and Peanut Butter Fudge

Frozen Greek Yogurt Sundae Cone flavors: Vanilla Honey featuring a honey core, Caramel Dark Chocolate Almond Butter featuring an almond butter core and Strawberry Shortcake. Strawberry Shortcake is not on the Enlightened website, so it must have been discontinued.

Find where Enlightened is carried with their store locator feature.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

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

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

Menchie’s Featured Flavors: New Cinnamon Crumb Cake, Ice Cream Sandwich Froyo & Upcoming Double Smiles Day

 

Fro-yo girl here. And the first NEW Menchie’s flavor of 2023 is…(drum roll)…Cinnamon Crumb Cake. I love cinnamon crumb cake (or coffee cake). The cinnamon crumb streusel over a simple, moist cake is so good with coffee or tea. Cinnamon crumb streusel is amazing atop muffins – blueberry, plain, etc. I’ve never had Cinnamon Crumb Cake froyo before though.

Menchie’s Cinnamon Crumb Cake froyo is a lowfat flavor made with real cake pieces and cinnamon. It’s made with no artificial colors, no artificial flavors, and no high-fructose corn syrup. The froyo actually tasted like I expected it to – cinnamon plus cake. But, the texture was icy and the flavor seemed too sweet. The cinnamon seemed too strong as well. This might have been because the location that I visited. It might be creamier at other Menchie’s locations. Texture makes a big difference.

Menchie’s also brought back a fan favorite, Ice Cream Sandwich froyo, made with real chocolate cookie pieces. I like this flavor. It wasn’t at the Menchie’s that I visited but I hope to encounter it soon.

Save the date and remember to use your Menchie’s app on Tuesday, January 17, the next double smiles day. To earn double points, be sure to scan your Menchie’s app.

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 Sign Removed in Burbank, CA

Fro-yo girl here. Back in September 2022, I reported that Yogurtland in downtown Burbank had closed in August 2022. The soft serve machines and toppings bar, even the water dispenser and signs were still inside at that time. And that’s how it stayed for a few months. Even in early December, the Yogurtland sign was up. The inside hasn’t been demolished but things have been removed. Well, the Yogurtland sign has now been removed and they recently put up a for lease sign (a few days after this picture was taken). The tables are still inside and the counter is still there too. I'll report back on what happens to the space.

If you're in downtown Burbank and want froyo, Pinkberry is still open.

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

YOGURTLAND MEDIA CENTER: 304 N. San Fernando Blvd, Burbank, CA 91502

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.

First New Yogurtland Flavor of 2023, Lemon Sorbet & A New Topping

 

Fro-yo girl here. And the first new Yogurtland flavor of 2023 is…Lemon Sorbet. Lemon sorbet is vegan, non-fat, gluten-free, and Vitamin C fortified. It’s made with real Meyer lemons. Yogurtland describes it as, “Enjoy this classic, refreshing sorbet with sweet and sour lemon notes.” The description was accurate…I could taste Meyer Lemon. There was some tang but it was more sweet than tangy. Since it’s sorbet, the texture was smooth and icy. As a lemon lover, I definitely wanted a lot more tang. Or I’d mix it with Plain Tart. The color was also very yellow (too yellow).

Also, they have a new topping that complements the Lemon Sorbet. The sign wasn’t up yet but it looks like iced lemon pound cake! Yum!

Yogurtland has been starting the last few years with a vegan flavor, in honor of Veganuary (January).

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.

2023 Froyo Wish List

froyo machine & toppings, Anita Gelato, Tarzana

Fro-yo girl here. Happy Froyo New Year! And the new year means a new froyo wish list. But before I get to the new wishes, let’s see which of my 2022 froyo wishes came true.

Recap of 2022 Froyo Wishes

Purple Rice as a Froyo Topping: This didn’t happen. In fact, purple rice yogurt drinks didn’t catch on in the US and many of the Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt shops have closed or changed names. Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt in Arcadia became Der Tea. Yomie’s Temple City became Zhen Tea. Yomie’s San Gabriel closed. The only Yomie’s shops left in the area are in Rowland Heights and Tustin. The last few times I visited Yomie’s, the rice was hard. Other purple rice yogurt shops like From Yogurt in Alhambra, CA have also closed.

Trying Israeli and Australian Froyo: Anita Gelato, which started in Tel Aviv, opened in Tarzana in September and they brought their froyo! The frozen yogurt was silky smooth, dense, rich, and moderately tangy; a high quality froyo. The toppings were excellent and also truly unlimited (you can ask for topping refills). They make their own jams and sauces.

Pinkberry Pops: Pinkberry Pops (popsicles) are still available in other countries but not the US. While I didn’t have a Pinkberry Pop, I did get Pinkberry from a vending machine for the first time. Back in April, I got a cup of Pinkberry Original Tart from a vending machine in Arcadia, California. Eight Pinkberry vending machines were installed around Southern California this year. Most are in shopping malls and two at the Ontario International Airport. The first time I wished to be served by a froyo robot or vending machine was back in 2013!

Boba Froyo: I didn’t see any pints of froyo with tapioca pearls but L’Moon Creamery opened in Pasadena and they offer soft serve ice cream with tapioca pearls as a topping. Yogurtland offered brown sugar crystal boba as a topping this year! On another note, I lost interest in boba ice cream bars.

2023 Froyo Wishes

Many of my froyo wishes do eventually come true but they often take a few years. I feel like I’m running out of froyo wishes, so I’m going to share some old wishes that haven’t come true yet.

Erewhon starts stocking Yoga-urt: This could happen by offering pints of Yoga-urt or better yet, offering Yoga-urt at the Erewhon Coffee Bar. Perhaps they could even have an Erewhon exclusive Yoga-urt flavor!

Llaollao opening in California: llaollao is Europe’s largest froyo chain and I think the largest in Asia as well. They have one location in the US, in Houston. I’m still hoping to try it. Or maybe they’ll open one closer to me.

Souvla opens in Los Angeles: Souvla is conservative about opening new locations. They’re still only in the Bay Area but it wouldn’t be that much of a stretch to open in Los Angeles. This is a new wish that I’ve had on my mind for years but never included on a froyo wish list. Souvla has inspired many Greek/Mediterranean cafes to offer plain Greek froyo with Greek toppings but Souvla still does Greek froyo best. 

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.