Search For the Best Froyo in San Diego

Fro-yo girl here. I’m back from San Diego. I hadn’t visited for years so I had a lot of froyo to catch up on. There are over 200 froyo shops in the greater San Diego area and many of them are small independent shops. Frozen yogurt is everywhere and I saw many froyo shops while we were out and about. There are froyo kiosks at the airport, inside the Hilton Bayfront Hotel (across from the Convention Center) and Petco Park.

Many of the froyo shops are highly reviewed, including My Yogurt, Fiji Yogurt, Yogurt on the Rocks, In the Mix, Rockie’s Frozen Yogurt, Yogurt Express, Cloud 9, Forbidden Yogurt, and more.

Froyo shops visited:

• Chillbox (214 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA): Located in downtown San Diego right by Petco Park, Chillbox is Greece’s largest self-serve frozen yogurt chain. Their frozen yogurt comes from Greece and it’s richer, creamier, thicker and milder than other yogurts. They only carry 4 flavors a day. Try the natural flavor.
• In the Mix (Poway, CA): Winner of the 2016 Best Frozen Yogurt in San Diego A-List award, In the Mix is known for its unique specialty flavors like ube and banana shake. This quaint small family owned shop feels well-maintained and clean. While we were there someone came out to test/maintain the machine. The ube was sweet, creamy, mild and pleasant. The tart frozen yogurts tasted more tart than average. 
• Rockie’s Frozen Yogurt (7612 Linda Vista Rd #114, San Diego, CA): This is the old school option but where they swirl the froyo for you (and the swirls are generous). There’s just as much variety as with self-serve shops with 16 flavors a day. They also have smoothies, acai bowls and other treats. We loved the old school vibe and the original froyo artwork on the walls. The froyo also had wonderful consistency and appearance. The flavors weren’t the best that I’ve had but I was definitely charmed.
• Yogurt World (4646 Convoy St., San Diego, CA): Yogurt World was one of the earliest self-serve shops in the San Diego area. This is their first location; it opened in 2007. There are 16 self-serve flavors a day, including “Asian” flavors like green coconut, taro and Asian peach tart. The consistency was on the loose, icy side and the toppings didn’t look fresh.

Each of the froyo shops we visited had a different vibe. For sweet froyo, I would go to Rockie’s. For tart froyo, the choice is a bit more difficult. Chillbox is definitely different but their tart froyo is not that tart nor is it refreshing. I’d probably go to In the Mix or a chain (Pinkberry, Yogurtland).

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 Shop Openings and Closings in California 2015

Fro-yo girl here. California is a mighty large state and it’s difficult to track every froyo shop opening and closing. The openings are easier to track. Shops generally close quietly, sometimes with no announcement. It’s also more difficult for me to track shops outside of the Bay Area and Los Angeles, yet that’s where most of the action is at these days. 

Here’s my (imperfect) attempt to track froyo shop openings and closings in California this year:

Openings

1. Bailey’s Frozen Yogurt, Escondido
2. Blush Organic Frozen Yogurt, Pleasanton
3. Buono Vita Yogurt, Rancho Murieta
4. Coolberry, Glendora
5. Crème Bee, Alhambra
6. CUPS, Northridge
7. Easy Breezy, Castro, San Francisco
8. Forever Yogurt,  Morgan Hill
9. Frozen Flavors, Santa Rosa
10. Frozen Yogurt Spot, Sebastopol
11. Go Greek Yogurt, Canoga Park
12. Green Apple Yogurt, El Monte
13. IceKrave, North Hollywood
14. Kiwifrost, Rancho Cucamonga
15. Major Brain Freeze, Rialto
16. Menchie’s, Corona
17. Menchie’s, Folsom
18. Menchie’s, Fresno
19. Menchie’s, Murrieta
20. Menchie’s, Oceanside
21. Menchie’s, Palmdale
22. Menchie's, Santa Rosa
23. Menchie's, Carlsbad
24. Menchie's, Oceanside
25. Menchie's, Bell Gardens
26. Menchie's, Clovis
27. Menchie’s,  San Jose Mineta International Airport
28. Menchie’s, Riverside Dr., Fresno
29. MiaBella, Vista
30. Mickey’s Frozen Yogurt, Fresno
31. Midtown Cafe, Mountain View
32. Myo, Seaside
33. Pit Stop Froyo & More, Burbank
34. SnapFit, Canoga Park
35. Summit Swirl, Truckee
36. Sweet & Swirly, Port Hueneme
37. Sweetfrog, Camarillo
38. Sweetfrog, Victorville
39. Sweet's Yogurt, Riverside
40. Tasti D-Lite, Santa Monica
41. YoBoLand, Tarzana
42. Yogurt Blast, Duarte
43. Yoga-urt, Glendale
44. Yogurt Mill, Turlock
45. Yogurtland, Alameda Landing, Alameda
46. Yogurtland, Irvine Spectrum
47. Yogurtland, Santa Teresa, San Jose
48. Yogurtland, Canoga Park
49. Yogurtland, Chino
50. Yogurtland, Lynwood
51. Yogurtland, Montebello
52. Yogurtland, Compton
53. Yogurtland, West Covina (on S Azusa Ave.)
54. Yogurtland, Mountain View
55. Yogurtland, Eagle Rock, Los Angeles
56. Yogurtland, San Luis Obispo
57. Yogurtland, La Quinta
58. Yogurtland, Indio
59. Yogurtland, Studio City

Closings

1. Bali’s, San Luis Obispo
2. BrazzleBerry, Half Moon Bay
3. Cherry on Top, Monrovia
4. Cherry on Top, Fullerton
5. Cherry on Top, Mission Viejo
6. Chilaberries, Manteca
7. Coco Swirl, Walnut Creek
8. CUPS, Westminster
9. Flavory Yogurt, Seal Beach
10. FroyoFace, Burbank
11. Frozen Yogurt Spot, Sebastopol
12. FruittiYogi, Alameda
13. Golden Spoon, Irvine
14. Golden Spoon, Escondido
15. Golden Spoon, Del Mar
16. Golden Spoon, Walnut
17. Golden Spoon, Seal Beach
18. Golden Spoon, Lake Forest
19. Honeyberry, Berkeley
20. Honeyberry, Milpitas
21. Menchie’s, Orange
22. Menchie's, Torrance
23. Pinkberry, Brea
24. Pinkberry, Davis
25. Pinkberry, Irvine Spectrum
26. Pinkberry, Old Town Pasadena
27. Pinkberry, Santa Ana
28. Pinkberry, Westfield Topanga, Canoga Park
29. Pinkberry, Westlake Village
30. Pure Yum, Fremont
31. Red Berry, Commerce
32. Red Mango, Mineta San Jose International Airport
33. Skinny Sippin, San Carlos
34. Sweet XO, Arcadia
35. Sweet XO, El Segundo
36. Sweet XO, Huntington Beach
37. Sweet XO, Thousand Oaks
38. Tutti Frutti, Azusa
39. Yippee Yogurt, Tracy
40. Yogofina, Pleasanton
41. Yogoholic, Pleasanton
42. Yogurt Factory, Los Angeles
43. Yogurt Island, Torrance
44. Yogurtland, Sawtelle, Los Angeles
45. Yogurtouille, San Mateo
46. Yolo, Mill Valley
47. Yoogl, Mountain View
48. Yoppi Yogurt, Oakland
49. Yoppi Yogurt, Polk St., San Francisco
50. Yoppi Yogurt, Stonestown Galleria, San Francisco

Opening soon

1. Chillbox, San Diego
2. Chillbox, Sacramento
3. Chillbox, Orange County
4. Forever Yogurt, Walnut Creek
5. Go Greek Yogurt, Newport Beach
6. Go Greek Yogurt, Corona Del Mar 

Change of ownership/closed & reopened the same year

• Menchie’s, Ventura

Interestingly, frozen yogurt shop openings outpace closings (yay for California froyo). The growth is mostly coming from Yogurtland and Menchie’s while chains also account for the majority of the  closings. Menchie’s is growing in Central California. Yogurtland is solidifying its hold on SoCal. Other chains have been closing, including Golden Spoon, Sweet XO, Cherry on Top and Pinkberry. What's going on at Sweet XO; they only have one location left.

I didn't count the non-traditional locations for froyo machines; they appeared at Ralph's, Circle K, a Union 76 gas station, Rite Aid, etc. 

Expect to see more authentic Greek yogurt next year, with new locations for Chillbox and Go Greek. The Chillbox location in San Diego will be its first in California.

Support your favorite frozen yogurt 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.

New York City Froyo Report

Fro-yo girl here. New York City has always been a trendsetter when it comes to food and it’s no different when it comes to froyo. I’m always excited to visit and check out the froyo offerings. The diversity of froyo offerings is impressive and the city offers much more than your typical froyo, including many counter serve shops and innovative froyo offerings.

Homegrown Favorites

GRK is a quick-serve chain of Greek cafes serving fresh Greek food, Greek drinks and Greek yogurt (fresh/refrigerated or frozen). GRK started in NYC and now has a Washington DC outpost.

There’s a separate express line for counter-served fresh or frozen yogurt (spelled ygrt on the sign). Toppings are limited but include interesting Greek toppings like cherry preserves, fig preserves, rose petal preserves along with figs, fresh fruit, Greek honey and nuts. They only have one flavor of yogurt, plain. The yogurt contains no added sugar and is sweetened with honey. It’s on the icier side with a sweet, clean finish – it tastes like real yogurt with natural tanginess.

Culture: An American Yogurt Company is still my favorite NYC froyo shop. The housemade yogurt and housemade toppings are a notch above what you can find elsewhere. They take their yogurt very seriously, making Greek yogurt from scratch from locally sourced Hudson Valley milk and live probiotic cultures. The counter-served yogurt is available fresh or frozen. One variety per day is organic. The frozen yogurt is super thick, clean, tangy with a refreshing edge, less sweet – what froyo should taste like. Gourmet toppings include fresh key lime custard (recommended, very tangy), strawberries macerated in balsamic vinegar and pineapple roasted with cardamom in maple syrup. The key lime pie sundae features key lime custard, lime syrup and graham cracker crumbs (yum). They also have yogurt drinks, froyo cookie sandwiches and Stumptown Coffee. Culture has two locations in NYC and its fresh Greek yogurt is available at select local markets, including Whole Foods.

Victory Garden (31 Carmine St., New York (West Village), NY) is the only goat milk soft serve ice cream and frozen yogurt shop in town. The goat milk is sourced from a local farm. Flavors and toppings are seasonal. The goat milk frozen yogurt flavor is distinctive and delicious. The texture is smooth, dense and creamy and the aftertaste is sweet and clean. It tasted “cleaner” and less processed than the typical frozen yogurt. The flavor was tangy but moderately so and the slight refreshing edge was also pleasant. You can taste the goat milk. The flavors are more sophisticated and the toppings healthier. Look out for unusual toppings and sauces like mole sauce, raspberry rose sauce, edible flowers, blackcurrant bay leaf sauce, fennel pollen, bitter orange drizzle, and candied pine nuts.

Butterfield Market (1114 Lexington Ave., New York, NY) is a smallish Upper East Side gourmet market with a froyo/smoothies counter and walkup window. The froyo is counter-served and they serve Frogurt, the same frozen yogurt carried by Forty Carrots (Bloomingdale’s, 1000 3rd Ave., New York, NY).

Blue Olive Market (210 E 41st St., New York, NY) is an upscale Greek market and café in Murray Hill known for its made to order frozen Greek yogurt. The yogurt and toppings are combined and then frozen with liquid nitrogen. 

Greecologies (379 Broome St., New York, NY) serves grass-fed Greek fresh yogurt served in terracotta bowls, smoothies, desserts, coffee and tea in Little Italy. The yogurt is made with local milk and can be topped with sweet or savory toppings like sour cherry, quince, quinoa, muesli and olive oil. There was talk of adding frozen yogurt but they are currently still working on the recipe.

Invasion of the Foreign Froyo Chains

“If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere. It’s up to you, New York, New York.” New York is where Chillbox (of Greece) and Yooglers (of Spain) chose to open their first US locations. Yooglers recently closed for good before I had a chance to try it.

Chillbox (204 E 60th St., New York, NY) has one Upper East Side location. I was told that the frozen yogurt comes from Greece and so do some of the toppings like the honey and sour cherry syrup. I suppose this explains the price, 78 cents an ounce. While the frozen yogurt is good (tangy, whipped, light and smooth), it isn’t the best in town and some of the toppings didn’t look that fresh.

Yogorino (657 Broadway, New York, NY) of Italy opened its first US location in Philadelphia. The NYC location added a new flavor, chocolate, a few months ago. The chocolate flavor tasted too much like cocoa powder, but the original flavor is as good as I remembered it: thick, creamy, whipped/light with a light tang and mild flavor. It’s not as tart as tart froyo but it does have some tang. This location also offers crepes, gelato, milkshakes and beverages.

Froyo for Travelers

Penn Station’s Chickpea cafes feature Red Mango frozen yogurt. You can also find Red Mango at JFK International Airport Terminal 7 and LaGuardia International Airport.

Of course there are many other froyo shops in NYC, including 16 Handles, Pinkberry, Yogurtland, Red Mango, Off the Wall, YoArt, Yorganic, Fresko, Uptown Swirl, etc. Unfortunately I didn’t have the chance to visit them all.

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 Souvenirs: FroyoWorld Spoons, Cups from Yogorino and Chillbox Froyo Souvenirs: FroyoWorld Spoons, Cups from Yogorino and Chillbox

Fro-yo girl here. My favorite souvenir is a cute froyo spoon and I brought a couple back from a recent visit to the East Coast. I finally have FroyoWorld Elfy spoons!!!

I also picked up a Yogorino cup (the design is different now, with a slightly wavy bottom), FroyoWorld cup and cup divider, and Chillbox box and cup.

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.