2023 Halloween Froyo Spirit Shop Award Winner Announced

 

Fro-yo girl here. Happy Froyo Halloween! Every Halloween, I keep my eyes open for froyo shops with Halloween spirit. I’ve been choosing the one with the most spirit since 2014. The winner could be a shop in any country. I consider the shop décor, special flavors, costume parties and events, special Halloween toppings, and more.

It’s so fun to see Halloween being celebrated in other countries. Sadly, I noticed a drop in Halloween froyo shop spirit last year and this year wasn’t that much better. While plenty of froyo shops have put up some Halloween décor, fewer shops seem to have Halloween specials this year. I also noticed that Halloween celebrations seem to start earlier each year.

The winner of the 2023 Halloween Froyo Shop Spirit Award is…SWEESH Fro-Yo in Indonesia. They created a new Halloween flavor, Butterfly Pea froyo, that they call Mud Blood. They tried to make a bloody-looking froyo.

Last year’s winner, Funky Frozen Yogurt of Norway, created a new froyo flavor, Orange & Chili, for Halloween and they had a week long generous Halloween promo, 50% off for guests in costume.

Here’s the list of previous Halloween Froyo Spirit winners:

• 2022: Funky Frozen Yogurt (Norway)
• 2021: Menchie’s (US)
• 2020: Pinkberry (Japan)
• 2019: Menchie’s (US)
• 2018: Smile Yogurt (Hong Kong)
• 2017: Yogurty’s (Canada)
• 2016: Menchie’s (US)
• 2015: Wakaberry (South Africa)
• 2014: 16 Handles (US)
• 2013: Menchie’s (US)

You can find the most comprehensive list of froyo shop Halloween specials and events at https://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/news/halloween-2023-froyo-specials/

For over 2,600 Halloween froyo images, visit IFYA’s Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/froyogirl/halloween-froyo-froyo-shop-decorations/

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.

National Frozen Yogurt Consumer Survey Results Announced

 

The results of the National Frozen Yogurt Consumer Survey are in. Back in September 2023, the International Frozen Yogurt Association invited frozen yogurt consumers in the United States to participate in an online survey about frozen yogurt. The survey measured loyalty, liking for major frozen yogurt chains, frozen yogurt preferences, what they're looking for from frozen yogurt shops, current and future consumption, what would increase their froyo shop visit frequency, etc. The survey is conducted annually to measure trends over time.

Consumer Survey Findings

There were 771 survey responses. About 56% of the respondents were female, 43% male; 77% of respondents were between 18-34 years old; 77% of respondents reported having children under 18 in the household, with one child being the most common (45.62% of respondents).

Froyo shop visit frequency and loyalty have changed little since 2022. And while some respondents said they had reduced froyo consumption due to higher prices, the majority had not. However, value is a growing concern among respondents.

Respondents liked most of the major frozen chains in the US. When asked about their favorite shop, Pinkberry ranked #1. The most important froyo shop attribute was quality froyo; cleanliness was no longer in the top 3.

Availability of Results

The full results are also available for $150. To order the report or for more information, please contact info@internationalfrozenyogurt.com

About the International Frozen Yogurt Association

The International Frozen Yogurt Association (IFYA) serves as an unbiased source of support and information for current and prospective frozen yogurt store operators. Visit the IFYA website, http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/ for additional information.

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.

Dallas Fort Worth Airport Froyo Options

 

Fro-yo girl here. Did you know that the Dallas Fort Worth Airport has the most places inside an airport to get froyo in the world? There are six places to get froyo. Of the five terminals, only Terminal E does not have froyo. DFW Airport is the second largest airport in the US. Luckily the Skylink train connects the terminals and arrives every two minutes.

All the Pinkberry locations have the same owner, same flavors, same menu (froyo and smoothies), two Taylor machines, and same prices. Each has two froyo machines. A small froyo with toppings is $7.89 or $6.09 for the yogurt only. A medium is $7.09 yogurt only and $8.89 with toppings.

• Freshens is in Terminal C. It serves froyo, smoothies, and drinks. I spotted two froyo machines. A cup of froyo was $6.29.
• Pinkberry, located at Terminal A, Gate A19 after security, opened at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport in 2017, possibly. There are two Pinkberry locations in Terminal A.
• Pinkberry, in Terminal A is near Gate A25, seems to have opened after 2015 and possibly replaced the Red Mango near Gate A25.
• Pinkberry, Terminal C at gate 22 seems to have opened after 2015.
• Pinkberry, Terminal D at gate 12 seems to have opened after 2015. Terminal D is the international terminal, the nicest terminal.
• Red Mango, Terminal B, has two twin-twist Taylor soft serve machines. A 12 oz cup of froyo without toppings is $8.56. They also have smoothies and acai bowls. At one time there were five Red Mango locations in the Dallas Fort Worth airport. Today, one remains open.

I wasn't too impressed with the stale toppings and texture of the Pinkberry froyo that I ordered from Terminal C and I was afraid that I would have a similar experience at another DFW Pinkberry.

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.

Northridge Froyo Guide

 

Pinkberry Northridge

Fro-yo girl here. Northridge is a neighborhood of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley. It’s the home of Cal State Northridge and has a population of 72,150. Almost 40,000 students attend CSUN. Northridge has been the home of many froyo shops. Penguin’s Place was the oldest froyo shop and Tutti Frutti was the first self-serve froyo shop.

If you want froyo, you can still get some at Pinkberry, Tutti Frutti, and maybe TCBY.

Current Froyo Shops

• Pinkberry, 8850 Tampa Ave Ste 101 Ste 101, opened in 2008 and is still in business.
• TCBY, 9301 Tampa Ave #185, is still open at the Northridge Mall. It’s basically a Mrs. Field’s Cookies with a case of TCBY scoopable ice cream and frozen yogurt. I’m not sure if they serve ice cream, frozen yogurt or both. I’ve seen more of these locations lately – with barely any TCBY products.
• Tutti Frutti, 10186 Reseda Blvd, 2009-present, was the first self-serve froyo shop in Northridge, beating out Lotus Yogurt Bar by a month.

Former Froyo Shops

• Cool Creations, 9301 Tampa Ave, 2018-?, was the short-lived rebrand of Cups. I’m not sure when Cool Creations closed.
• Cups Frozen Yogurt, 9301 Tampa Ave, 2015-2018, was part of that chain of froyo shops known as the Hooters of froyo. became something else. I went to the grand opening on April 11, 2005. In 2018, the owners changed the name to Cool Creations.
• Freshii, 8999 Balboa Blvd, 2015-2017. Remember when Freshii was located inside some Target locations? They served salads, grain bowls, and froyo.
• Lotus Yogurt Bar, 9420 Reseda Blvd #4, 2009 – 2011, was a self-serve froyo shop with several locations in Southern California. 
• Penguin’s Place, 18641 Devonshire St, 2007-2011, was the old school counter-serve froyo option. I’m not sure when it opened.
• Prinkipia Yogurt, 9301 Tampa Avenue, was located at Northridge Fashion Center. It might have opened in 2016?
• Red Mango, 18514 Devonshire St, 2008-2010, was counter-serve with four flavors a day.
• Rosegreen, 10201 Reseda Blvd, was a Pinkberry-esque counter-serve froyo shop. I’m not sure of the date it opened or closed but it probably opened around 2008 when Pinkberry and Red Mango opened in Northridge.
• Spoon Me, 9301 Tampa Ave, 2012-2014, was a self-serve shop at Northridge Fashion Center.
• Yogurt Planet, 18427 Nordhoff St, 2011-2016, replaced Bounce Boba Loft.
• Yogurtland, 9225 Reseda Blvd, 2012- 2018, was located closed to Cal State Northridge. It was a smaller location with 12 flavors a day. They offered a discount to CSUN students.

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.

Fro-yo Girl Speaks 15th Blogiversary, October 20

 

Fro-yo girl here. Fro-yo Girl Speaks turns fifteen today. The blogiversary is the time of year that I reflect on the previous year.

I noticed that froyo shop grand openings, if they occur at all, have been toned down. I’ve been to one official froyo shop grand opening this year, Yogurtland in East Pasadena. The froyo was discounted that day ($0.30/oz), but a few years ago they would have had free froyo during the grand opening.

Several shops changed hands or reopened after remodeling, including Menchie’s in Burbank (closed for remodeling), The Yogurt Shoppe (which took over the Menchie’s location in Santa Monica, Golden Spoon (which took over the Menchie’s location in Newport Beach), and Pinkberry in Beverly Hills (under new ownership).

Froyo vending machines continue to be installed. The iCream showroom in Los Angeles has multiple froyo vending machines, as well as acai and gelato vending machines.

The roster of new froyo products sold in supermarkets this year includes Jolly Llama Half-Dipped Yogurt Bars, Enlightened Greek Yogurt pints, Enlightened Greek Yogurt bars, Gelatys yogurt gelato bars, Cremily French Frozen Yogurt pints, and Cremily French Frozen Yogurt bars. Noosa also released new frozen yoghurt gelato flavors. The theme of most of these new products is lower sugar and being Keto friendly.

This year I also saw a greater number of new froyo spoon designs, stickers, and limited edition cup designs. Prices continue to inch upwards, approaching nearly $0.70 cents an ounce in the Los Angeles area.

I finally tried fried thick yogurt cubes at L2 Tea Club in San Gabriel. The fried yogurt cubes trend started in China and is slowly spreading to other countries like the US, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia.

I spotted froyo at some fancier restaurants too. Checker Hall in Highland Park added Greek froyo for the summer menu. Kato, a Michelin star restaurant at The Row in downtown LA that specializes in Taiwanese cuisine, has been serving froyo as part of the tasting menu for years. Froyo isn’t always on the menu, unfortunately.

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.

986 Pharmacy Takes Over Yogurtland Alhambra Space

 

Fro-yo girl here. Just a quick update. Yogurtland closed in Alhambra, CA about two years ago. The last day was 10/25/21. The space was unoccupied until now. 986 Pharmacy has taken over the Yogurtland Alhambra space at 1 E Valley Blvd, Alhambra, CA 91801. Boring replacement. The specialty pharmacy offers prescription medication, pet meds, vaccinations, and free delivery.

Yogurtland was the last froyo shop standing in Alhambra, but there are others nearby, like Yogurtland San Gabriel and Yogurtland Monterey Park.

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.

Jeni’s is Opening Soon in Highland Park (Los Angeles)

Fro-yo girl here. Little elves are busy transforming 5601 N Figueroa St. in Highland Park into a Jeni’s Ice Cream scoop shop! The Jeni’s sign is up and they’re working on the interior now. They’ll be giving away free scoops during the grand opening. Yes, it is an ice cream shop but Jeni’s has the best buttermilk frozen yogurt!

* JENI'S: 5601 N Figueroa St Suite #110, Los Angeles, CA 90042

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.

Grand Opening Celebration at Yogurtland East Pasadena on October 14

Fro-yo girl here. Froyo shop grand opening celebrations have been rare these days, so I was excited to attend Yogurtland East Pasadena’s grand opening on October 14. During the grand opening, froyo and toppings will be $0.30/oz. The special price will be available all day on October 7. DJ Vicious Lee was also there from 11 AM – 2 PM.

Customers received a giant green Yogurtland spoon and a coupon for 3 oz of free froyo at Yogurtland East Pasadena.

Froyo flavors included Pumpkin Pie and the new Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie froyo. I didn’t see the new topping, mini stroopwafels, though.

* YOGURTLAND: 259 Sierra Madre Villa Ave., Unit 103, Pasadena, CA 91107

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.

Pressed Brings Back Original Vanilla Freeze

 

Fro-yo girl here. Back in August, I reported that Pressed had introduced a new reformulation of the Vanilla Freeze flavor to make it creamier and thicker. I preferred the old formulation and the people that I heard from felt the same way.

I visited Pressed and was told that they brought back the original Vanilla Freeze! What great news. I’ll have to get one soon.

The new reformulation was renamed Sweet Cream.

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.

Grand Opening Celebration at Yogurtland East Pasadena

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurtland had a soft opening in East Pasadena in late August and now they’re going to have a grand opening celebration on Saturday, October 7.

On October 7, they’re rolling back the price of froyo and toppings to the price Yogurtland first charged, $0.30/oz. The special price will be available all day on October 7. DJ Vicious Lee will also be there from 11 AM – 2 PM.

This is a smaller location with 12 self-serve froyo flavors and toppings for $0.69/oz. The green square tile wall has been replaced with a white tile wall. They also have a neon sign that says Share Love, Joy & Hope.

* YOGURTLAND: 259 Sierra Madre Villa Ave., Unit 103, Pasadena, CA 91107

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.

National Spoon Day 2023 at Yogurtland, New Giant Blue Spoon, Fan Appreciation Day

 

Fro-yo girl here. Happy National Spoon Day, October 7! Yogurtland is celebrating National Spoon Day for the fourth time. In 2020, they gave out giant pink and green Yogurtland spoons. In 2021, the giant spoon was raspberry in color. In 2022, the limited edition giant spoon was turquoise.

Today, Yogurtland customers get a free giant dark blue Yogurtland spoon with a minimum $10 in-store transaction (while supplies last). Limit one spoon per transaction. Third party delivery and online orders are excluded.

The giant spoon says Yogurtland on the front of the spoon (on the handle) and nothing on the back. The spoon is exactly 12 inches long.

I ran into some serious spoon collectors at Yogurtland this morning. They were there early for their giant spoons. I heard that each store received two boxes of giant spoons or 200 spoons per store.

FYI, save the date for Yogurtland’s Fan Appreciation Day on October 30. Guests will receive a special offer, buy one cup, get one free (of equal or lesser value) and double points for Real Reward members. Limit one per person. Does not apply to third party delivery orders, gift cards, or merchandise purchases.

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 October Featured Flavors & a New Smile Challenge

Fro-yo girl here. Happy October! Menchie’s has three featured flavors this month, No Sugar Added Disney Frozen Vanilla froyo, Harvest Pumpkin froyo, and Ghost Sugar Cookie froyo. There’s a new Menchie’s Smile Challenge as well.

Download the Menchie’s app if you don’t already have it on your phone and play the game on the app. Once you complete the eight challenges, you’ll be entered in a drawing with a chance to win free froyo for a year (and other prizes). Twelve winners will be selected. Some of the challenges are visiting Menchie’s two days in a row, scanning the Menchie’s smile challenge QR code in the store, and ordering a Menchie’s delivery.

The Disney Frozen tie-in promotes Disney Hits, the happiest music playlist on Earth. The playlist includes songs from Frozen.

No Sugar Added Disney Frozen Vanilla froyo: It’s sweetened with Stevia and monk fruit. There wasn’t much vanilla flavor and I don’t like the sweetness and flavor of Stevia or monk fruit. The flavor is gluten-free and contains no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, and no high fructose corn syrup. Recommended toppings: Oreos, Hershey’s Kisses, and Butterfinger.

Harvest Pumpkin froyo is a returning fan favorite seasonal flavor. Menchie’s also introduced a new pumpkin flavor for October, Harvest Pumpkin. Harvest Pumpkin features real pumpkin puree, cinnamon and ginger. It’s lowfat, gluten-free, and made with no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial colors, and no artificial flavors. Recommend toppings: chocolate shell, graham cracker crumbs, almonds.

Ghost Sugar Cookie froyo might be the same as Menchie’s Sugar Cookie Spell froyo. It’s lowfat and made with real sugar cookies. It also contains no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, and no high fructose corn syrup. The yogurt had a nice thick, creamy texture but a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Menchie’s featured flavors are available for a limited time, while supplies last.

Too bad there aren’t any Menchie’s Halloween spoons this year.

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.

CVT2Go Soft Serve Ice Cream Review

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve run into the CVT Soft Serve truck a few times but I never tried their soft serve because (1) they only have ice cream and (2) the flavors are so basic. They only have two flavors, vanilla and chocolate. But earlier this year, CVT2Go – their soft serve ice cream in a single serving pouch, appeared on supermarket shelves.

According to Eater LA, the pouches have been selling out in grocery stores. I found CVT2Go at Bristol Farms for $4.99/pouch. The ice cream is made with all natural ingredients. And the available flavors are the same as the truck’s, chocolate and vanilla. One pouch is 6 oz. You’re supposed to eat the soft serve out of the squeezable pouch.

Vanilla ice cream: It took about 10-15 minutes to thaw. The ice cream was soft, smooth, and creamy. It’s made with whole milk, sugar, and heavy cream. The vanilla flavor was light and the ice cream was very sweet. I would have liked more vanilla flavor. One pouch is 310 calories, 18g total fat, 34g total sugars, and 3g protein.

CVT2Go was first carried by Gelson’s and is now carried by Tacos 1986, Vidiots, La Tropicana Market, Moonlight Rollerway, and House of Ambrose.

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

3.5 out of 5 stars.

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

2023 Pumpkin Yogurt Rankings

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve tasted and reviewed many pumpkin froyo brands, but this is my first pumpkin yogurt (non-frozen) taste-off. I started by buying the pumpkin flavors of yogurt brands that I like.

All of the yogurts that I selected contained real pumpkin with spices and they were all thick and creamy, though La Fermiere wasn't as thick since it isn't a Greek yogurt. But there were definite differences in the amount of pumpkin flavor, the amount of spices, and the pleasantness of the spice blends. Also, some yogurts had ingredients that weren't present in the other brands.

And the winner was...Ellenos Pumpkin Pie. This yogurt tasted a lot like a good pumpkin pie, and that was before I added the separate container of crunchy cookie crumble. Culina's pumpkin spice yogurt was the spiciest but it didn't taste like pumpkin pie. I would buy all of them again, except for the Trader Joe's pumpkin yogurt. 

Here's a bit more about each yogurt, in order of their taste ranking. 

#1) Ellenos Pumpkin Pie is a non-blended Greek yogurt made with whole milk. It comes with a separate compartment that contains a crunchy cookie crumble. Ellenos captured the true flavor of pumpkin pie, balancing spices, pumpkin, and tangy yogurt flavors. The cookie crumble tastes like buttery graham crackers. So good! One 7 oz serving is 330 calories; 13g total fat; 31g total sugars; 15g protein.

#2) La Fermiere Pumpkin Spice is a French style whole milk yogurt in a glass jar. The pumpkin puree is on the bottom. The pumpkin puree was too sweet but I did like the flavor of the puree, spices, and tangy yogurt. One 5.6 oz serving is 210 calories; 11g total fat; 22g total sugars; 4g protein.

#3) Culina Pumpkin Spice is a dairy-free coconut based blended Greek style yogurt. The strong nutmeg flavor with a hint of coconut was unique and different than the other yogurts. One 5 oz serving is 240 calories; 17g total fat; 11g total sugars; 2g protein.

#4) Noosa Pumpkin is an Australian style non-blended whole milk yogurt. It had a few ingredients not found in the other brands: honey and cream cheese and honey. It didn't have much spice and had a caramel-like flavor. One 8 oz serving is 280 calories; 12g total fat; 30g total sugars; 11g protein.

#5) Trader Joe's Pumpkin is a Greek nonfat yogurt. It had the least pumpkin flavor and reminded me of apple cider. One 5.3 oz serving is 130 calories; 0g total fat; 17 total sugars; 12g protein.

I did look for Chobani pumpkin yogurt but I only saw Chobani Zero Sugar pumpkin spice. I found all but Trader Joe's yogurt at Whole Foods. I was surprised that Whole Foods didn't have Siggi's Pumpkin & Spice skyr. I still hope to find it. It has less sugar than all the brands that I reviewed. 

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.