Pinkberry Beverly Hills Eviction

Fro-yo girl here. I recently noticed that the Pinkberry in Beverly Hills was marked temporarily closed on the Pinkberry website and on Yelp. On Yelp, it says that the shop is scheduled to reopen on April 6.

I decided to drive by to see if I could learn anything. The signs are still up and the froyo machines are inside. The furniture is still there too.

There was an eviction notice on the door that was dated January 1, 2023. Interestingly, on the notice it said that Real Faith, the franchisee, was the debtor and Pinkberry the creditor. Further digging revealed that there was another lawsuit where Pinkberry was the plaintiff and Real Faith the defendant. Real Faith agreed to make payments to Pinkberry/Kahala on a promissory note. They did not make such payments and since August 2020, have not made royalty payments. Since October 2020, they have not made rent payments to Pinkberry. The owner of Real Faith argues that he was unable to make such payments due to the impact of COVID-19.

PINKBERRY: 240 S Beverly Dr #A, Beverly Hills, CA 90212

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 Yogurtland Froyo Flavor, Thai Tea, Return of Boba Milk Tea Froyo, New Stickers

 

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurtland has a new froyo flavor, Thai Tea, and they’ve brought back Boba Milk Tea froyo as the other featured flavor. Plus, they have the cutest new boba, gummy candy, and froyo sticker sheets!

So, first the new flavor is Yogurtland’s version of “authentic Thai Tea with bold black tea flavor balanced with sweet cream notes.” Thai Tea froyo is nonfat and gluten-free. I know Thai tea is usually orange (because of food dye) but wow, Yogurtland’s Thai Tea froyo was super orange in color. It did taste like Thai tea. I could taste the tea and spices. It wasn’t quite as creamy as I expected (might have been due to the location that I went to) but it was smooth and refreshing. I also found it super sweet but I feel the same about Thai tea in general. That’s why I usually wait for the ice to melt before I drink it. It was good but too sweet for me. Recommended toppings: whipped cream, mochi.

When Yogurtland introduced Boba Milk Tea froyo in 2021, they called it Milk Tea froyo. I’m pretty sure Boba Milk Tea froyo is the same as Milk Tea froyo.

I spotted a new topping, sour mango gummy candies. They’re really good, sour and chewy. I don’t think they go with the boba milk tea or Thai tea froyo though.

I also saw that they had new sticker sheets for the spring. The stickers show boba milk tea, froyo, gummy candies, a froyo spoon, and a cup of froyo that says for Mom. Ask for the stickers the next time you’re at Yogurtland. They’re free.

Thai Tea froyo and Boba Milk Tea froyo 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.

Coconut Jelly King Introduces Purple Rice Coconut Jelly

 

Fro-yo girl here. With Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt closing in Temple City, San Gabriel, and Chino, the remaining locations in Southern California are in Irvine and Rowland Heights. The Arcadia location rebranded and is now called Der Tea. The Temple City location is now called Zhen Tea. Der Tea and Zhen Tea still offer purple rice yogurt drinks. So, purple rice yogurt drinks are still available but harder to find in purple rice yogurt shops in Southern California. Purple rice is appearing other places, in drinks and desserts.

I was a fan of purple rice yogurt drinks but the last few times I went to Yomie’s, the purple rice did not seem fresh. It was harder and clumped together.

I spotted purple rice coconut jelly at Coconut King Jelly in Arcadia, inside the H Mart food court. One jar was $8.99. I’m quite fond of coconut jelly because it’s organic, all natural, and less processed. It’s also filling and good for breakfast, a snack, or dessert.

This was my first time trying purple rice with coconut jelly. Purple rice is naturally sweet and nutty. While I liked the combination, the rice was mushy and not chewy like it is when it’s fresh in a purple rice yogurt shake. With coconut jelly, it’s more like overnight oats.

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.

Visiting Aloha Yogurt in Tempe, Arizona

Aloha Yogurt, exterior

Aloha Yogurt, menu

Aloha Yogurt, froyo & interior

Fro-yo girl here. It’s been years since I’ve been to Arizona. My last visit happened even before I started this blog in 2008. Before driving to Arizona, I did my froyo research and picked a few froyo shops to try. At the top of my list (and our first stop) was Aloha Yogurt in Tempe, Arizona.

I’ve been following Aloha Yogurt for many years. They were named one of the best froyo shops in the US by the International Frozen Yogurt last year, the only froyo shop in Arizona on the list. Aloha Yogurt was founded in 2010 by an Arizona State University alum. They make some of their own froyo flavors, as well as froyo tacos, froyo sandwiches with homemade cookie dough, Dole Whip floats, and drinks (smoothies, milkshakes, cold brew). Dogs can indulge in dog-urt and hang out on the dog-friendly patio.

Originally a self-serve shop, they switched to counter-serve/contactless in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and they haven’t switched back to self-serve. Customers are allowed in the lobby though. There are 12 froyo flavors a day, including no sugar added and dairy-free options. The machines aren’t visible but they said they were going to remodel and make the machines visible again (but not self-serve).

We sampled a few of the froyo flavors and I got a cup of Thin Mints froyo, made with Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies. Mr. Froyo said Guinness Stout did taste like Guinness. I’ve never had Guinness and probably wouldn’t like it. I wasn’t a fan of the froyo flavor but I appreciate that they created this flavor using real Guinness (cooked down so that it’s not alcoholic). The Thin Mints froyo was smooth and pleasant – not too strong on chocolate or mint.

The cup sizes are named after the Hawaiian islands, with Kauai (6 oz, $4.15) the smallest, Oahu ($6.50), Maui ($9.10), and Big Island $11.70. Toppings are $0.60 a scoop and they’ll even offer half scoops if you want more than one topping per scoop. For toppings they had fresh fruit, nuts, cereal, coconut, candies, cookies, housemade cookie dough, chocolate chips, popping boba, gummies, and lots of sauces (e.g., local honey, Nutella, whipped cream, condensed milk, etc.).

The froyo was good but what really impressed me was the passion of the store manager and the store owner. He was happy to provide samples and talk about froyo, coffee, restaurants in the area, etc. And I could tell that he swirled my cup of froyo and added the toppings with love. 

Mr. Froyo even enjoyed their cold brew coffee. He was skeptical but persuaded by the free sample. The manager spoke with great enthusiasm about their cold brew which they make there with a local roaster’s coffee beans.

The shop had a relaxing vibe and Hawaiian surf theme. The wall of froyo machines had a bright Hawaiian floral mural. There was a bike and surfboard on the wall. The service was cheerful, enthusiastic, and patient. There are touches throughout the clean shop that show that it’s owned and managed by people with a passion for froyo.

I wasn’t able to try every froyo shop in Arizona, or even Tucson, where we spent most of our time, but I did form a general impression of the froyo scene in Arizona. There are a lot of froyo chains in the Phoenix area (e.g., Zoyo, Cherry on Top, Yogurtini, Yogurtology) and it’s hard to imagine any of them have the same passion as Aloha Yogurt. I do think it’s probably the best independent froyo shop in Arizona.

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

* ALOHA YOGURT: 219 E Baseline Rd #5, Tempe, AZ 85283

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.

Morinaga Odama Choco Ball Aloe Yogurt Candy Review

 

Fro-yo girl here. Japan sure comes out with a lot of yogurt flavored candies. I spotted Morinaga Odama Choco Ball Aloe Yogurt Chocolate at H Mart in Arcadia, CA. One 1.58 pouch was $2.99. The pouch is resealable and contains seven candies. The candies are imported from Japan.

Choco Ball – Aloe Yogurt: The ball looks like and reminds me of a malt ball only with a chewy gummy center. The ball tastes like sweet white chocolate with a chewy aloe yogurt center. The yellow gummy center is firm and does taste like aloe (more than it tastes like yogurt). It’s not bad but the combination is unusual, at least to me.

There are five servings per bag, so a serving must be fewer than two balls but more than one ball. One serving has 40 calories, 2g total fat, and 8g total sugar. One of the ingredients is yogurt powder.

You can buy them online a few places, including Japan Candy Store.

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.

Kabaya Fruit Yogurt Ramune Ichigo & Ringo Candy Review

Fro-yo girl here. I spotted Kabaya Fruit Yogurt Ramune Ichigo & Ringo candy at H Mart in Arcadia. A bag is 1.79 oz (51g) and contains 15 individually wrapped candies. The yellow wrappers contain the apple candy and the red the strawberry candy. A bag was $3.99 at H Mart. The candy is a product of Japan.

The candies are small, white, round and have red flecks. The texture was firm and powdery. It melted quickly and was tangy and sweet. The apple flavor tasted more artificial than the strawberry and seemed sweeter too. The strawberry candy is made with Fukuoka Prefecture's Amaou strawberry. Pretty impressive. However, the candy was just okay for me (too powdery).

One serving is 25 calories, 0g fat, and 6g total sugars.

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.

Lucky Irish Mint Returns to Yogurtland and There Are New Toppings

 

Fro-yo girl here. McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes are back (they returned on February 20) and mint froyo is popping up at froyo shops across the country. To celebrate the St. Patrick’s Day season, Yogurtland has brought back Lucky Irish Mint froyo. Lucky Irish Mint froyo is nonfat, gluten-free, and made with real California milk and fresh mint. Strange how they keep changing the name of the flavor. It was called Lucky Mint Crème but last year they changed it to Lucky Irish Mint Cream. This year it’s just Lucky Irish Mint.

There are also two new toppings: Biscoff cookie crumbs and Wonka Rainbow Nerds.

I spotted Biscoff cookie crumbs at my Yogurtland late last year. December? But it wasn’t announced as a new topping till recently. Love Biscoff cookies and the crumbs too (the crumbs are just crushed Biscoff cookies).

Wonka Rainbow Nerds added to Lucky Irish Mint make for a nice St. Patrick’s Day inspired pot of gold at the end of the rainbow froyo cup.

I tried Biscoff cookie crumbs on Lucky Irish Mint froyo (with Classic Cookies & Cream froyo). It’s so good! Crispy, crunchy, caramelized cookie crumbs complement the smooth, refreshing mint froyo. I also loved the pairing with Classic Cookies & Cream. Reminds me of Yogurtland’s Chocolate Mint Cookies froyo that I haven’t had in so long.

You can always use Yogurtland's Flavor Finder on the website and app to find Lucky Irish Mint 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 Fremont Grand Reopening Under New Ownership

 

Fro-yo girl here. My news is a bit old but I recently learned that the owner of Menchie’s in Fremont, California retired and sold the business. The shop was closed for about 3 weeks in late November – early December while the new owner, who also owns the Menchie’s in Belmont, fixed up the place. He upgraded the wi-fi and phone system and got the glycol chiller working again.

There was a grand reopening on December 10 – 11 with a BOGO free deal on the 10th and a prize wheel on the 11th.

He’s also looking for four more employees right now. Once he has more staff, he plans to extend the hours.

Menchie’s Fremont looks clean, cheerful, and bright. The froyo is nice and cold with the new glycol chiller. I was impressed they had the new Mookie Calci-YUMM! spoons on March 1, the first day of the new spoon promotion. They even have St. Patrick's Day decorations!

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

* MENCHIE'S: 5030 Mowry Ave, Fremont, CA 94538

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 Mookie Spoon, the First New Froyo Spoon of 2023 & Other Menchie’s News

Fro-yo girl here. I just picked up the first new froyo spoon of 2023! Menchie’s just introduced a new spring spoon! The Mookie Calci-yumm spoon reminds Menchie’s guests that Menchie’s froyo is a Good Source of Calcium!

It’s a bright yellow spoon featuring Mookie flexing her impressive muscles. She’s strong because of the calcium in her diet. Or is it Calci-yumm? The spoon also features a lightning bolt in the bowl of the spoon. On the handle, it says Calci-YUMM! Turn the spoon over and you’ll see Mookie’s backside. It also says Menchie’s on the back of the handle. These are nice, detailed froyo spoons.

The spoon is available for a limited time only. Get yours soon.

In other Menchie’s news, the featured flavors of March are two returning favorites: Reese’s® Peanut Butter Cup frozen yogurt made with real Reese’s® Peanut Butter Cups® and Peppa Pig Cotton Candy frozen yogurt. Both flavors are made with no artificial colors, no artificial flavors, and no high fructose corn syrup. And they’re gluten-free. The featured flavors are available for a limited time at participating Menchie’s locations, while supplies last.

Be sure to save the date for the next Double Smiles Day: Tuesday, March 21. To get Double Smiles, scan the Menchie’s app when you make your purchase on March 21.

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.