Claremont, California Froyo Guide

Fro-yo girl here. As a college town, Claremont, CA has been blessed with an abundance of froyo options for a town of 36,000 residents and most of them have been in business for quite a few years. Currently, you can get froyo at Yogurtland, Yocrepe and two 21 Choices Frozen Yogurt locations.

Current shops

• 21 Choices, 460 W 1st St, opened this location in Claremont Village in 2008. The shop has aged well and still looks stylish. Unlike most froyo shops, 21 Choices specializes in mix-in style froyo. Their flavors are made in-house every day. The cookie dough is housemade.
• 21 Choices, 817 W Foothill Blvd., is the only froyo shop in North Claremont. The shop was closed for renovations for a few months starting in 2018 and reopened in 2019.
• Yocrepe & Boba, 328 S Indian Hill Blvd, (formerly Cefiore) used to be known as Cefiore, an early froyo counter serve froyo chain that specialized in tart froyo. Froyo is still served but crepes and boba drinks are emphasized. Cefiore opened in Claremont in 2008. The name change occurred in 2013 and they switched to a self-serve froyo format with 6 flavors a day.
• Yogurtland, 101 N Indian Hill Blvd., Suite 103, opened in 2009 in Claremont Village, finally bringing self-serve to Claremont. Before Yogurtland arrived, locals had to go to Upland for self-serve froyo. When Yogurtland Claremont first opened, it was a mere 30 cents an ounce with 16 flavors on tap. In 2018, the price had gone up to 49 cents an ounce.

Former shops

• 21 Choices opened first location in Claremont opened in 2006 at 328 S Indian Hill Blvd. They moved to North Claremont in 2007 or 2008.
• Kiwibear (formerly Kiwiberri), 373 W Bonita Ave, opened in 2007 as Kiwiberri. Yes, it was similar to Pinkberry (counter serve, tart froyo) and Pinkberry’s lawsuit led to the name change. They started with two flavors – original tart and green tea, just like Pinkberry at that time. The short-lived shop closed in 2008.
• Silver Spoons took over the 21 Choices space after 21 Choices moved in 2007. Silver Spoons offered froyo and gelato and seems to have lasted a year before Cefiore took over the space.
• The Sweet Swirl, 450 Auto Center Dr., was a cute self-serve froyo and desserts shop that opened in 2017 and closed in 2019. I was sad to hear that it closed because it was so cute. Unfortunately, the yogurt wasn’t great but I did like the waffle stick, ambiance and customer service.

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.

Pasadena 2020 Froyo Report

Fro-yo girl here. Has it really been over seven years since my last Pasadena froyo report? The coronavirus outbreak has inspired me to update my old posts. I can’t go out for froyo that often, so it’s a good time to reflect.

Every froyo shop mentioned in the 2013 report has closed, except for 21 Choices, which moved about a block or two from its previous location in Old Town Pasadena. The new address is 44 N Fair Oaks Ave.

Closures since 2013 report:

• Buzio’s
• Cherry on Top
• Moka Café
• Pinkberry

Cold Stone Creamery is still open, but it’s not a froyo shop. I think they still have scoopable froyo. Jamba Juice stopped offering mix-in froyo at all their locations.

Since the 2013 report, the following froyo shops have opened in Pasadena:

• Blissery Frozen Yogurt, 1727 E Washington Blvd, took over the Yoguroo space in East Pasadena and was in business from 2013-2017. They made the space more colorful.
• Bloomfield Creamery, 1727 E Washington Blvd, took over the Blissery space in 2017. They kept the self-serve froyo but added their own ice cream and cookie dough. They made it less colorful.
• Freshii inside Target on Colorado briefly served froyo starting in 2016 and then closed in 2017.
• Froyolife, 1709 E Colorado Blvd, was part of a small local self-serve froyo chain which only has one location left, in downtown Montrose. The Pasadena location was across the street from Pasadena City College and was only open from 2014-2015. The Los Feliz location was razed and will be replaced by a medical office. Yawn.
• Sunlife Organics, 146 S Lake Ave., opened in 2016 and had organic froyo. It was one size, huge, and it wasn’t that good. I’m not sure if they still offer froyo but it isn’t listed on their online menu.
• Yogurtland Lake, 415 S Lake Ave., C107, opened in 2013 and was my regular location for years. I have many fond memories of this location. Sadly, ownership changed in December 2018 and things went downhill quickly. It’s still open but a shell of its former self.
• Yogurtland Old Town Pasadena, 30 W Colorado Blvd, was the second Yogurtland location to open in Pasadena, CA and it operated from 2014-2019. The Old Town location was smaller with fewer machines than the Lake location. It looks like someone new is taking over the space.

So, the current places for soft-serve froyo in Pasadena are: 

• 21 Choices
• Bloomfield Creamery
• Yogurtland Lake

And in South Pasadena:

• Menchie’s 
• Penguin’s

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.

21 Choices Frozen Yogurt Crunchy Choices

Fro-yo girl here. When 21 Choices reopened in its new spot on the corner of Fair Oaks and Union, they added vertical batch freezers. These freezers allowed them to offer something new, Crunchy Choices. Basically, it’s like their regular soft serve frozen yogurt, but with bigger pieces of toppings, e.g., brownies, cake, marshmallows, chocolate chips – that is, the froyo is crunchier. I finally tried Crunchy Choices. It’s scooped out of the batch freezer but has a similar consistency to the soft serve with more texture because of the toppings. You can also have them add mix-ins on the marble slab.

Crunchy Choices of the day:

Nutella Caramel Brownie made with Nutella, Guittard caramel, house made brownies & Guittard chocolate chips

Fluffy Peanut Butter made with organic soy milk, natural peanut butter, marshmallows & Guittard chocolate chips. I could see the marshmallows and the chocolate chips. The yogurt had a fluffy, whipped texture which was pleasant. It tasted like peanut butter, so I liked it, but I think the marshmallows made it too sweet.

Crunchy Choices are good choices. They’re as good as the soft serve.

Prices: Small $4.25/ Medium $5.25/ Large $6.25

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

* 21 CHOICES: 44 N Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, CA 91105

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.

Soy Froyo, Wherefore Art Thou?

Fro-yo girl here. Did you know that April is National Soy Foods Month? This is the month to celebrate the soybean and it made me miss soy frozen yogurt all the more. Anti-soy sentiment has been around for years, probably because most domestic soybean crops are genetically modified. But, there isn’t strong evidence that GMO-soybeans are harmful. In fact, soy has many health benefits. Soy is a complete protein that’s low in saturated fat. It may reduce levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol), diabetes risk and the risk of some types of cancer.

Years ago, Loving Cup in San Francisco offered a soy base option for their hand-mixed froyo. But, since soy fell out of favor, they switched to a banana base and the last time I went, the vegan option was coconut based. Fraiche used to have a soy froyo but all their locations have closed, except for the one at SFO International Airport. Also, I think they switched to making vegan froyo using almond milk.

Tutti Frutti and 16 Handles are the only sizeable chains that have introduced soy froyo. Tutti Frutti may still offer soy froyo but I haven’t seen it there for years.

These are the places where you can still get soy froyo.

1. 16 Handles introduced its first soy flavor in 2014, Yo Soy Vanilla, followed by Yo Soy Chocolate. I’m not sure how often it’s offered now, especially since they’ve gone on to introduce other types of dairy-free froyo, including almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, and oat milk (new in 2020).
2. 21 Choices Frozen Yogurt (Claremont & Pasadena, CA): The soy froyo is made with organic soy milk and their flavors are all made in-house. Soy froyo is sometimes offered. Even if it isn’t there, they always have a dairy-free option. I like their peanut butter soy froyo.
3. Bishco (Gloucester, MA) is a cafe that also serves mix in froyo, including tofu froyo.
4. Cafe 472 (Boston, MA) serves pizza, sandwiches, salads, and froyo, including tofu frozen yogurt.
5. Cafe Podima (Boston, MA) is a pizza restaurant that also serves froyo. Tofu froyo is listed on the menu.
6. Chil (London, ON, Canada) claims to have Canada’s largest selection of froyo toppings and vegan froyo, had soy froyo but I’m not sure if they still offer it. They also have vegan froyo made with almond milk, oat milk, and quinoa milk. The single location is self-serve.
7. Citra (Seattle, WA) in Seattle’s University District has dairy-based froyo but it’s the soy froyo that gets the rave reviews. Try your froyo with snow ice.
8. Frozen By a Thousand Blessings (Australia), the first froyo shop in Australia to use biodynamic milk and yoghurt, offers two vegan soy-based flavors, Mango & Soy and Soy Strawberry. The froyo is self-serve.
9. Humphrey Yogart (Sherman Oaks, CA): Humphrey Yogart has been serving up old school mix in style froyo since 1984. They moved across the parking lot and into Gelson’s in 2016 but they brought their organic soy base option for mix in froyo with them. I like their matcha froyo that’s made with imported Japanese matcha powder.
10. Kushco Bistro (Salem, MA) is another greater Boston eatery that carries tofu froyo with mix-ins. I'm sensing a pattern here. Bishco and Kushco sound so similar. 
11. Moochie (Belgium) is a counter serve froyo chain that according to Happy Cow, offers vegan soy froyo. There’s even proof in the form of a picture.
12. Tutti Frutti (worldwide) started offering soybean frozen yogurt in 2012. The soybean froyo is made with non-GMO, US grown soybeans. Their range of 19 soy froyo flavors is the widest I’ve seen. Some of the soy flavors are Spiced Cake, Red Bean, Latte, Black Sesame, and Taro. And 10% of the sales go to the Real Green Project to help fight childhood hunger. I noticed that many Tutti Frutti locations don’t carry any soy flavors though. Tutti Frutti La Crescenta used to on a regular basis but then they closed (and moved). I haven’t been going to the new location, so I’m not sure how often they carry soy froyo.
13. Yo-Chi (Australia) is a self-serve froyo mini chain that sometimes offers a soy-based froyo. Banana Soybean is one of their soy flavors.
14. Yo-Get-It (Australia, China) has a variety of soy froyo flavors and a self-serve format. Soy froyo flavors include Banana, Chai, Mango, Passionfruit, and Wildberry.
15. YOMARO (Germany) offers a vegan soy froyo that gets good reviews, along with the vegan bubble waffles.
16. YOMG (Australia) started as a self-serve froyo shop and expanded into burgers. Their vegan soy froyo flavors include banana soy cinnamon and soy chai. They even have vegan burgers and vegan waffle cones.
17. Yumorama (Mexico) is a self-serve froyo chain that has a soy froyo option that’s also free of added sugars

Even though it isn’t froyo, I did want to give a shout out to the tofu flower soft serve at Big Softee in Monterey Park, CA. If you like tofu pudding, Big Softee’s version has the ginger syrup and flavor of tofu/soy milk that you’ll recognize. Uji Time has tofu soft serve too, but it isn’t as good as Big Softee’s.

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.

21 Choices Pasadena Reopens After Move

Fro-yo girl here. After enduring a grueling ten-month building renovation in late 2016-April 2017, 21 Choices reopened at its original location in Old Town Pasadena. And then it closed again at the end of last year!!! This time, the closure was accompanied by a move to the new food hall on Union Street. Pasadena froyo eaters, 21 Choices is back open! The soft opening started on Friday, October 4 and it continues this weekend. They were giving out free froyo on Friday night. And they're giving out free froyo (one small per person) today, Saturday, October 5. No mix-ins are available yet, but they'll be ready for mix-ins on Sunday.

The opening flavors are:

• French vanilla
• Belgian chocolate
• Baby Oreo
• Pumpkin spice
• (Non-Dairy) Build Me Up Buttercup
• (Non-Dairy) Strawberry Mango:

The new space is nice. You can’t miss it if you’re driving down Union or Fair Oaks. I spotted two marble slabs for mixing froyo with add-ins, soft serve machines and new vertical batch freezers. Yes, they have a new product called Crunchy Choices. It will feature a yogurt base with larger pieces of cookies, cake, and other add-ins. During my visit they didn’t have the toppings out. I wonder where all the toppings will go.

Soft serve prices: Small $4.25/ Medium $5.25/ Large $6.25

Welcome back, 21 Choices!

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

* 21 CHOICES: 44 N Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, CA 91105

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.

LA Weekly’s 10 Places to Get Your Fro-Yo Fix, the Update 10 Years Later

Fro-yo girl here. Back in 2009, LA Weekly published an article called Top 10 Places To Get Your Froyo Fix. Since ten years have elapsed, I thought I’d take a look at the places that made the Top 10 list.

• Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt: It’s not the same Golden Spoon that was founded in 1983. In 2012-2013, Golden Spoon experimented with converting stores to self-serve and ultimately decided not to convert any other locations. In 2017, seven locations closed, along with the corporate office. There are no longer any Golden Spoon franchisees or a corporate office to oversee Golden Spoon locations. However, there are still Golden Spoon locations. 
• Pure Naked Yogurt: I believe all the locations have closed: Encino and Westfield Century City. They only had one flavor of yogurt, tart, and only had healthy toppings. 
• 21 Choices: 21 Choices started in Pasadena in the 90’s. Later, they expanded to Claremont and USC. The USC location closed. The Pasadena location was going strong after being closed for months, because their building needed earthquake retrofitting. 21 Choices decided to move their Pasadena location to the corner of Fair Oaks & Union. The new shop is still under construction. They're known for their mix in style froyo, creative flavors, and wide toppings selection. 
• Studio Yogurt: Studio Yogurt opened in Studio City in 1997 and closed in 2014. The location was taken over by Yogurtland. It was an old school yogurt shop known for generous portions. 
• Humphrey Yogart: Humphrey Yogart almost closed when they lost their lease in 2016, but at the last moment, they found a new space, inside Gelson’s in Sherman Oaks. The menu has been pared down, but you can still choose your frozen yogurt base and mix-ins. 
• Yogurtland: Yogurtland basically took over self-serve froyo in California and they expanded to other states and countries. There are more than 320 locations. 
• Pinkberry: Pinkberry started the froyo craze in 2005 and was acquired by Kahala Brands in 2015. 
• Menchie’s: Menchie’s started in Valley Village, CA and grew to become the largest self-serve froyo franchise in the world. It now has over 530 stores. 
• New Zealand Natural: New Zealand Natural was the only place on LA Weekly’s list that I never tried. It is a global franchise network based in Auckland, New Zealand. All the locations in Southern California have closed. They served scoopable frozen yogurt that could be blended with fruit and turned into soft serve. 
• Red Mango: Red Mango had 8 SoCal locations when the article was published in 2009. Only one location remains in Southern California, the one near Staples Center. It opened in 2013. 

Two of the top 10 went out of business: Studio Yogurt and Pure Naked Yogurt. That’s impressive, considering ten years have gone by, and not many frozen yogurt shops or restaurants last ten years. Studio Yogurt was replaced by Yogurtland and Westfield Century City, where Pure Naked Yogurt was, has multiple froyo options (Bloomingdale’s Forty Carrots, Yogurtland). New Zealand Natural still has locations in Asia, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand (but none in the US). 

I’m surprised the Bigg Chill didn’t make the list, since it was open at the time the article was written and has quite a following. Only two of the top 10 were self-serve, though Red Mango added the self-serve format in 2012. That's because the list is old and self-serve hadn't taken over yet.

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.

21 Choices to Move to Another Location in Pasadena, CA

Fro-yo girl here. 21 Choices is moving soon to a new location, not far from their current location in Old Town Pasadena. The new location will be the corner of Fair Oaks and Union – in a new food hall that’s currently under construction. Expect the move to take place in early 2019.

I love the current location – it’s so central. It will be hard to see it become something else…

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.

Los Angeles Healthy “Froyo” Recommendations

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve put together this list of the best places to satisfy your craving for healthier froyo (and soft serve) for those of you who are looking to eat healthier this year. I wrote about the health benefits of froyo back in 2008. It’s lower in fat and calories than ice cream and probiotics help with digestion.

But if you’re following a specific type of diet or are looking for froyo that’s even healthier than average, here are some recommendations.

Low sugar/No sugar added

There are many sweeteners out there, some of which are natural and others are not. I personally do not like the bitter taste of Stevia. I’ve tried a variety of sweeteners and my favorites based on taste are agave nectar and dates.

My favorite no sugar added frozen yogurt can be found at Yoga-urt (1407 W Kenneth Rd., Glendale, CA). Currently they offer two NSA date sweetened flavors, Ganesha’s Sweet Greens and Purple Power. Both flavors are fresh, complex, and hand-crafted with love. They are not always offered, so check their Instagram account, @yoga_urt, or call ahead. They’re currently swirling both Ganesha's Sweet Greens and Purple Power!

If Yoga-urt doesn’t have any NSA flavors on tap, ask if they’re available by the pint. If they don’t have any, then I recommend heading to Pressed Juicery for a Freeze. The Freeze is much icier and not as flavorful or interesting as Yoga-urt, but it is made with just a few ingredients and has a clean, simple flavor. Not every Pressed Juicery location offers Freeze, though I think most of the newer ones do. I usually go to the one at the Americana at Brand in Glendale.

Low carb

I don’t eat low carb frozen yogurt but Menchie’s often will carry at least one low carb flavor. Also, Humphrey Yogart (4520 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks), The Bigg Chill (10850 W Olympic Blvd., West Los Angeles) and The Yogurt Shoppe (11726 Barrington Ct., Brentwood & 873 N Swarthmore Ave., Pacific Palisades) are good about carrying low carb flavors. Humphrey Yogart also has multiple vegan bases for their mix-in style yogurt.

Dairy free

It’s easy to find dairy-free options. Most frozen yogurt shops offer at least one dairy-free option nowadays. If I had to choose my favorite, it would have to be something from Yoga-urt. Their hand-crafted, plant-based, organic, soy free, kosher frozen yogurt/soft serve is the best. My favorite flavor is Vanilla Harmony but there isn’t a flavor there that I don’t like. Try them all!

Nut free

For nut avoiders, I recommend going with a vegan base (soy) from Humphrey Yogart or 21 Choices (Pasadena & Claremont). Check http://www.21choices.com/ for the day’s flavors. I think they always have a dairy-free option but sometimes it has nuts. They sometimes have no sugar added flavors too. If you prefer soft serve that isn't mix-in style, Frozen Fruit Co. (729 Montana Ave., Ste 2, Santa Monica) makes their soft serve 100% from fruit.

Most frozen yogurt is gluten-free and much of it is kosher. If you have doubts, ask to see the nutritional information.

Don't forget healthy toppings: fresh fruit and nuts!

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.

21 Choices Frozen Yogurt Pasadena – It’s Back

Fro-yo girl here. Pasadena froyo eaters, the day you’ve been waiting here has finally arrived. After ten long months, during which their building was being seismically retrofitted, 21 Choices has reopened as of today, April 22, 2017. The marble slabs aren’t working though, so they’re only doing soft serves this weekend.

The opening flavors are:

• French vanilla
• Old school chocolate
• Simply yogurt (plain tart)
• Princess peach 
• Circus animal cookie
• Nutella malt
• (Non-dairy) Peanut butter pretzel: Made with natural peanut butter, pretzels, chocolate chips and organic soy milk
• Root beer float

I like getting the soy milk non-dairy soft serve when it’s available. It’s one of the few places to get soy based froyo. Their peanut butter flavors are great too.

The interior looked similar to what I remember. Mix-ins will be available this Tuesday.

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

* 21 CHOICES: 85 W Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91105

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.

21 Choices Pasadena to Reopen Next Month?

Fro-yo girl here. The white spray that they sprayed the windows of 21 Choices with has started to wear away. The building retrofit is taking forever. While there is no new sign at the location, the 21 Choices website now says, “The construction to our building seems to be finishing up! We do not have an opening date yet but are hoping to be back next month.”

Meanwhile, you can stop by and peek inside. The 21 Choices sign is still up and you can see the menu board.

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.

21 Choices Pasadena (Temporarily) Closed, Building Undergoing Earthquake Retrofit

Fro-yo girl here. Bad news, Pasadena froyo eaters – 21 Choices is closed indefinitely while their building undergoes earthquake retrofitting. The closure affects the other tenants that share the building as well: Father Nature Lavash Wraps and Sunglass Hut.

A sign in the window of 21 Choices says “we are told that we will have to close for about 4 months.” They list their other locations in Claremont. They’ll be back and the building will be safer than ever. It will be a long four months though. Miss you already, 21 Choices.

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

* 21 CHOICES: 85 W Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91105

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.

21 Choices Customer Appreciation Day

Fro-yo girl here. Today is 21 Choices Free Day (aka Customer Appreciation Day), a thirty year tradition. All 21 Choices locations are participating by providing guests with their choice of a small frozen yogurt all day.

At the Old Town Pasadena locations, there are 6 flavors to choose from and you can get more than one flavor plus free toppings.

Pasadena free fro-yo flavors: 

• Madagascar Vanilla Bean
• Belgian Chocolate
• Oreo Cookie Magic with Oreos, cookie dough and rainbow sprinkles
• Nutella Chocolate Chip
• Non-Dairy Build Me Up Butter Cup with natural peanut butter, carob chips, flaxseed oil and organic soy milk
• Baja Strawberry with fresh strawberries and mangos

The line moves quickly and they’re still happy to give you free samples.

Thanks 21 Choices! Love you too.

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

* 21 CHOICES: 85 West Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91104 

About 21 Choices

“Gourmet frozen yogurt made fresh all day long using only the best and freshest ingredients available. 21 Choices uses only the best and freshest ingredients like fruits, nuts, chocolates and coffees to make each and every yogurt. 21 Choices will make almost any yogurt your imagination can think of right in front of you in our Mix-in machines or on our frozen table top. Additionally, we make 6 different gourmet soft serve choices everyday that are unmatched anywhere.”

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’s Froyo Guide to Greater Los Angeles

Fro-yo girl here. Los Angeles is where the frozen yogurt trend started and it’s still the home of some of the most interesting froyo shops in the country. Here’s my list of must see froyo shops in LA and Orange County. 

FUN IN HOLLYWOOD

* Frog Frozen Yogurt Bar (1550 N Cahuenga Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028): Hanging out late in Hollywood? Frog’s décor with the rainbow colored overhead lights and the work of local artists keeps the club experience alive. It’s open late and even delivers (the only froyo shop in LA to do so). Frog offers self-serve organic and vegan flavors plus free wi-fi. They’ve added color changing spoons that are worth collecting.

* Yogurt Stop (8803 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069): Sassy but classy, Yogurt Stop in WeHo (West Hollywood) is a celebrity favorite and it has the best names for froyo flavors. Flavors include I’m Comin’Out Cake Batter, Milk My Harvey Chocolate and Orange U a Top? Orange U a Bottom? Their motto is Pump It Yourself.

REAL GREEK FROZEN YOGURT 

* Go Greek Yogurt (425 N Bedford Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210): Most of the Greek yogurt you encounter is Greek style. Go Greek has the real thing. Their yogurt is made in Greece and flown over. They offer Greek refrigerated and triple strained Greek frozen yogurt with authentic imported Greek toppings like sour cherry, quince, rose and carrot. Toppings are healthier and you can serve yourself if you’d like their super thick frozen yogurt. Try the honey froyo.

ENDLESS VARIETY

* SweetXO (5285 Kanan Rd., Agoura Hills, CA 91301, additional locations in Huntington Beach, Thousand Oaks, Manhattan Beach and Arcadia): Admittedly the froyo isn’t the main attraction at SweetXO, but that’s only because they have so many offerings. In addition to 18 self-serve flavors of froyo and over 200 toppings, SweetXO has ice cream, cupcakes, cookies, make your own floats, candy, and a full blown sweets inspired selection of non-edible gifts. It’s a mini department store for your sweet tooth.

* Yogurt Passion (17037 Brookhurst St., Fountain Valley, CA 92708): Looking for the shop with the most frozen yogurt flavors to choose from? Yogurt Passion has 20 flavors of self-serve froyo a day. It’s in an Asian area, so expect to find some Asian flavors and toppings.

KOSHER AND PARVE

* Milky’s Frozen Yogurt (1429 S. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035): Not too many froyo shops can claim to be kosher and dairy-vegan-parve friendly like Milky’s. Milky’s offers 4 kosher parve vegan flavors a day plus 14 dairy flavors. It’s self-serve and even the toppings bar is kosher. Try the vegan soy froyo.

BEST EXTERIOR DESIGN

* Yogurtland CityWalk (1000 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608): Do your LA plans include a trip to Universal Studios? If the answer is yes, you need to check out Yogurtland’s CityWalk location. The exterior of the shop features a giant 3-D fro-yo machine dispensing fro-yo into a fro-yo cup with a green Yogurtland spoon and a big splash of fro-yo. The fro-yo cup and logo are outlined in neon lights. Of course this location also has Yogurtland spoons as door handles.

* Treats Frozen Yogurt (1700 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405): The cutest froyo shop exterior belongs to Treats. Love the giant cone out front and the colors: white, sky blue and silver. It’s not self-serve but that’s what makes it better. Employees carefully craft your treat putting toppings in the middle and on the top of a generous swirl of froyo. You can also get freshly shaved California snow and pretty froyo pies. 

MIX IN STYLE 

A fun alternative to the usual self-serve froyo shop, mix-in style yogurt allows you to create and customize your own froyo flavor (though you don’t do the mixing yourself). You pick the base and the add-ins and they are mixed together by machine or by hand.

* 21 Choices Frozen Yogurt (85 W Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91104, additional locations in Claremont, CA): Each location carries 6 soft serve froyo flavors a day. You can customize any of these with mix-ins and toppings. Your custom flavor is mixed before your eyes on a frozen marble slab. They’re known for unique flavors like Circus Animal and Nutella Cookie Dough. If you love toppings, this is the place for you. Don’t want to add mix-ins? Head to the express line for faster service.

* Humphrey Yogart (4574 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403): Take a step back in time to the 1980s, to the time of the low carb crazy and San Fernando Valley’s valley girls. Humphrey Yogart got its start in 1984. At Humphrey Yogart, yogurt is yog-art. You’re invited to create your own frozen yogurt flavor by choosing a base (tart vanilla, sweet vanilla, chocolate, soy, organic tart or their low carb froyo flavors), choosing your blend ins and/or toppings (fruit, candy, cookies, cream cheese, nuts), and choosing your size. Your froyo & blend ins are mixed together in a blending machine. You can get your froyo in a cup or cone and top it with hot fudge or whipped cream. Interesting blend ins include pumpkin, espresso, malt powder, butterscotch, pistachios, peanut butter, and cinnamon. Try the tart vanilla base for a creamy, tangy treat.

If you can only go to one froyo shop during your visit, make it Go Greek Yogurt.

Enjoy your frozen yogurt and keep your froyo spoon busy!

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.