World's Largest Frozen Yogurt Store

Fro-yo girl here. The other day someone suggested that I should review the world's largest frozen yogurt store. That sounds like a task I'd be up for...if only I knew where it was. I'm not even sure which shop is the largest in the Bay Area.

Coco Swirl Walnut Creek has the most fro-yo machines (10) and it has plenty of seating. Maybe it's the largest in the Bay Area? Tuttimelon Union City might be the largest in the Bay Area?

Back in 1987, I Can't Believe It's Yogurt claimed that its Lawrence, Kansas store was the World's largest frozen yogurt store. I don't think that location is still open. I Can't Believe It's Yogurt is now owned by Yogen Fruz.

Here's another blast from the fro-yo past. Back in 1991, four girls were killed at the I Can't Believe It's Yogurt location in Texas. The crime was shockingly brutal and it happened at the fro-yo shop. How awful.

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

* COCO SWIRL: 1273 Locust St., Walnut Creek, CA
* TUTTIMELON: 32200 Dyer St., Union City, CA

Fro-yo Road Trip: Santa Cruz

Fro-yo girl here. My friend wanted to go to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to ride the Giant Dipper. Of course I had to check out every fro-yo shop in the area. I didn’t try all of them but some of them have other locations that I’ve been to, so I think I have a good feel for the Santa Cruz fro-yo scene. And my favorite is…Yogizmo.

* Yogizmo, 1717 Mission St, Santa Cruz, CA: They have sweet and tart fro-yo as well as mix-in style fro-yo (called Infuzions). I liked how they had some organic toppings and free honey. The plain tart was tangy, milky, smooth, firm, creamy, and dense texture. They claim that their fro-yo is all natural and that it’s the only fully cultured fro-yo in the area. They might not have mochi (their Scotts Valley location didn’t have any).

* Froyo?, 1010 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz, CA: I’ve been to their Cupertino location and think it’s okay. The concept is strange because it’s only partially self-serve. You tell them the fro-yo flavor and size that you want, they put it in a cup and then you add your own toppings (39 cents an ounce).

* Yogurt Delite, 1306 Mission St, Santa Cruz, CA: It looks like an old school, sweet fro-yo place. It’s cash only, like most old school fro-yo shops. I think it’s part of a chain since I’ve seen other locations with the same logo in Oakland and San Jose.


* Swirl, 1315 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz, CA: Definitely the cutest fro-yo shop in town with 6 self-serve flavors a day (39 cents an ounce). The machines let you swirl two flavors together. However, the fro-yo texture is too fluffy and airy.

* Marini’s Downtown, 1308 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz, CA: It looks like a candy store first, then an ice cream shop, but now they also have tart fro-yo. The pictures of the fro-yo didn’t look appealing.


* Marini’s Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: You can find soft serve ice cream all over the Boardwalk but I only spotted one place that has fro-yo, the Marini’s near the arcade. They still make candy there, including the classic boardwalk candy, salt water taffy. To find the fro-yo, go inside the arcade passed the Marini’s express window (towards the old time photographs area). It’s next to a shooting gallery.

* Top A Lot, 738 Water St, Santa Cruz, CA: Another self-serve fro-yo shop, also 39 cents an ounce. I didn’t check it out.

* The Sweet Spot, 827 Water St, Santa Cruz, CA: I didn’t see this place but it sounds like an ice cream shop that also sells fro-yo.

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

Future Fro-yo Shop Picture: Coco Swirl Walnut Creek

Fro-yo girl here. Self-serve fro-yo Coco Swirl is replacing Moonstruck Chocolatier in downtown Walnut Creek. The Moonstruck sign is still up and it looks like it will take a few months before Coco Swirl is ready to open. This is their second location (the first one is in Pleasant Hill). I hope they can keep up with the increased demand for their homemade mochi!

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

* COCO SWIRL: 1273 Locust St, Walnut Creek, CA

Spotlight on Mochi Balls

Fro-yo girl here. I'll be honest. Mochi balls are the reason I first tried tart frozen yogurt. When I first heard of mochi balls, I couldn't stop thinking about them, wondering what they were like. Most fro-yo shops seem to use Dae Doo Food's bingsu rice cake. Made in Korea, these mochi balls come in a light blue package and can be purchased from the refrigerated section at Kukje in Daly City (and probably most Korean markets). A package costs $2.99. The main ingredients are:

• glutinous rice powder


• sugar


• corn syrup


• salt


• wheat flour

I found another brand of mochi balls, German Bakery, at Kukje. The balls had a stronger rice flavor and were more uneven in shape and size than the Dae Doo brand. However, the mochi balls were harder and not as fresh tasting as Dae Doo's.

I love how the sweet, chewy mochi balls add texture to the fro-yo experience. The downside is that they do become stale. You can spot a stale mochi ball by looking for a dried out, hardened texture.

A few fro-yo shops in the Bay Area make their own mochi balls and these deserve special mention:

* Coco Swirl - made by the owner's mom on a daily basis, comes in white and pink. The pink color comes from strawberries. Add as much as you want since it's a self-serve joint.
* Fraiche Yogurt - the best homemade mochi topping, big, chewy, soft squares. I find their fro-yo bland and not tart.
* Clear Optometry - offers the most variety, six flavors of mochi topping: strawberry, green tea, lemon, orange, original, Ghirardelli chocolate.

Of the three, I recommend trying Clear Optometry.

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

* KUKJE SUPER MARKET: 2350 Junipero Serra Blvd, Daly City, CA 94015
* COCO SWIRL: 35 Crescent Dr Ste E, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
* FRAICHE YOGURT: 644 Emerson Suite 110, Palo Alto, CA 94301
* CLEAR OPTOMETRY: 138 E 3rd Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401