Costco Drops Frozen Yogurt!

Fro-yo girl here. Costco no longer serves frozen yogurt? Say it isn’t so! Given the volume of frozen yogurt sold by Costco at its food court, this was major news. They’ve been serving YoCream froyo for many years. For many years, they offered two froyo flavors, nonfat vanilla and chocolate. You could also get froyo with strawberries. Many people loved the froyo. If you search Costco froyo on Twitter, there are many mentions. For some, the froyo was the main reason they went to Costco. The froyo was just $1.35 or $1.65 for the very berry sundae. 

In mid-2018, Costco dropped chocolate frozen yogurt, replacing it with soft serve acai, in an effort to provide healthier options. The acai was also much more expensive than the chocolate froyo ($4.99 bowl, $2.99 for a froyo/acai swirl). I never tried the acai (I don’t like acai bowls because the acai usually has banana) but the reviews were mixed.

Costco replaced frozen yogurt with soft serve ice cream in June/July 2020. The ice cream is $1.99 for a cone or $2.49 for a sundae, still plenty cheap.

One thing that I don’t understand is why they don’t still offer froyo when the soft serve machines have a dual hopper and they could easily offer two flavors. There was no announcement or official word from Costco. 

IKEA, don't fail me now...

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 Scene in Portland, Oregon

Fro-yo girl here. I recently went to Portland, Oregon, which of course means that I had froyo on my mind. 

Years ago I had froyo at Skinnidip in downtown Portland and at the YoCream Company Store. Skinnidip had four flavors and were counter serve, very much inspired by the Pinkberry model. This was before the influx of self-serve froyo shops. With Dannon YoCream’s froyo plant in Portland, YoCream supplied many of Portland’s froyo shops. Portland is also the home to the YoCream Frozen Yogurt Company Store and Showroom (10209 NE Cascades Pkwy), located close to YoCream factory in Northeast Portland.

The YoCream Frozen Yogurt Company Store at Cascade Station serves YoCream froyo and it’s a clean, bright shop that also sells YoCream merchandise and carries Joe Froyo, a blended iced coffee beverage made with Dannon YoCream frozen yogurt. This is the only YoCream company store and it opened in 2009.

The one-stop shopping retailer Fred Meyer, which started in Portland, recently added a self-serve froyo section to their Hawthorne location. They serve Dannon YoCream froyo. (see previous post).

About a year ago, Eb & Bean (1425 NE Broadway, @ebandbean) opened in Irvington/Lloyd District. Flavors, many of them creative and seasonal, are handmade with local organic milk, handmade flavors and artisanal toppings. In their first year they created 72 new seasonal flavors. 

More organic froyo is coming. The Maple Parlor (3538 SE Hawthorne Blvd., @themapleparlor) is replacing Swirl Frozen Yogurt. It will offer organic all natural soft serve, including tart froyo, made with locally sourced ingredients. While they were hoping to open on July 1st, they haven’t opened yet. The Swirl sign was still up.

Eb & Bean is not the first organic, handmade froyo shop in town. Bleuet (2007-2010) opened its doors in the Alphabet District in 2007, offering European style organic tart frozen yogurt in a boutique setting. Cool Harry's Yogurt (2010-2013) was the first froyo cart in town; they served organic, local froyo and toppings in downtown Portland. I visited Portland a few times while Cool Harry's was still in business but it wasn't open year-round so I never had a chance to try it.

Although Portland has its share of froyo spots (I counted 18 of them – and no national chains), we didn’t see many in the neighborhoods we visited. I also didn’t see any at Portland International Airport. 

Save on froyo at Skinnidip with Groupon.

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.

Frozen Yogurt at Fred Meyer

Fro-yo girl here. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you’re likely familiar with Fred Meyer – the retailer that started in Portland, Oregon and pioneered the idea of one stop shopping. Fred Meyer stores are huge and they strive to save customers time and money with service, selection, quality and prices. A typical Fred Meyer store has groceries, clothes, home products, electronics, health and beauty care and more under one roof.

Last month the Fred Meyer in the Hawthorne neighborhood of Portland, OR unveiled its self-serve frozen yogurt station. The station is called Fred’s Frost-O-Matic and it features three Electro Freeze machines that offer six flavors at a time, plus a toppings bar. The froyo and toppings are sold by weight at the price of 43 cents per ounce.

The frozen yogurt is from Dannon YoCream. Toppings include candy, cookies, fresh fruit, chocolate chips, granola and sprinkles (fewer toppings than your typical self-serve froyo shop).

Fred Meyer and Ralph’s have the same parent company, Kroger. The Fred Meyer and Ralph’s with self-serve frozen yogurt have a similar look – with sushi bars and a Murray’s Cheese area – but the Ralph’s is nicer. Both use the same froyo machines and use the same frozen yogurt mix. Ralph’s dessert bar had more toppings and was clearly staffed. The Fred Meyer froyo station didn’t appear to be staffed and no one offered sample cups.

During my visit the flavors were Original Tart, Salted Caramel Corn, White Vanilla, Dutch Chocolate, Very Strawberry and Mango Tango sorbet.

The original tart was a bit soft but had a pleasant flavor and refreshing finish. I would have tried more flavors if I’d been offered or spotted sample cups.

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

* FRED MEYER: 3805 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97214

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.

Expansion of Ralph’s Westwood Village Includes Self-Serve Froyo

Fro-yo girl here. Where can you find the largest Ralph’s supermarket in California?  The answer is Westwood Village, at the former location of Bullock’s, on the edge of the UCLA campus. This location is a monster – it looks like a merger of more than one market because one side looks different from the other.  That’s because it was expanded by 40,000 square feet in November 2014.

The Ralph’s of the future/Ralph’s 2.0 is open 24 hours and includes a several prepared food bars (including an organic salad bar), Cork & Tap wine and beer bar with flatscreen TVs, walk in wine vault, Murray’s Cheese counter, staffed sushi bar with counter dining and the Dessert Bar.

The Dessert Bar had its grand opening on Friday, June 26. The staffed area features gelato, cupcakes, a self-serve froyo bar and toppings. It’s the first Ralph’s with a self-serve  froyo bar. There are 10 flavors on tap (housed in five Electro Freeze machines) and a middle handle to swirl two side by side flavors together. The froyo is from Dannon. The flavor signs have nutritional information. The yogurt had a nice creamy, smooth texture (the same Dannon yogurt at Rite Aid, which uses Stoelting machines, was icy and gritty). They had sorbets and no sugar added options as well.

The toppings bar is smaller but they offer some healthy items like hemp seeds, pecans, almonds and fresh fruit, along with candy, cookies, marshmallows, chocolate chips and syrups (even Nutella). Froyo and toppings are 45 cents an ounce.

They’ve done a nice job with the Dessert Bar. Having it staffed helps a lot. The staff person was friendly and offered samples. Plus he kept the area clean.

This Ralph’s also has an excellent select of fresh yogurt and packaged frozen yogurt – it’s like they’re trying to carry everything. 

Get two hours free parking in the parking lot with validation.

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

* RALPH’S FRESH FARE: 10861 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles (Westwood Village), CA 90024

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.

Frozen Yogurt for Weary Travelers Passing Through Avenal, CA

Fro-yo girl here. When a tiny city in the middle of nowhere gets a froyo machine, call me impressed. Most people on the I-5 probably drive past Avenal (population 13,239) in Kings County unless they need gas, a snack or bathroom break or they’re forced to stop there (it’s a Greyhound rest stop). The Avenal Hillcrest Travel Plaza doesn’t have much but it will meet those needs and it is open 24 hours.

The 76 gas station convenience store just added one Electro Freeze countertop machine. It’s self-serve with two flavors (during my visit they had White Vanilla and Chocolate Classic from Dannon YoCream. You can get a cone or cup (flat rate cup price $3.99). They don’t have a toppings bar yet, but one is on the way.

The frozen yogurt was surprisingly thick, creamy and smooth (not bad at all for a gas station). While there is no toppings bar yet, there are plenty of snacks that you could buy and add to your froyo…cookies, candy, popcorn, potato chips, jerky. Hey, you can’t get froyo in Kettleman City though you can get soft serve ice cream at McDonald’s and scoopable ice cream at Doc Burnstein’s.

Sure the flavors are basic but basic good flavors are still satisfying.

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

* 76 Gas Station: Hillcrest Travel Plaza, 44779 S Lassen Ave., Avenal, CA 93204

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.

Reliant Expo2015 in Anaheim, CA: Froyo Product Show Featuring Over 80 National Manufacturers

Fro-yo girl here. Reliant FoodService’s annual product expo, Expo2015, takes place at the Anaheim Hilton on June 6th from 9 AM – 4 PM.

Over 80 national manufacturers will be at the product expo, which takes place at the Anaheim Hilton on June 6th. Some of the companies that will be attending are Chloe's Soft Serve Fruit, Electro Freeze, Flavormine, Honey Hill Farms, Karat, Sambazon, Stoelting, Taylor, and TR Toppers.

Attend the Expo to:

• Sample the newest flavors from Dannon YoCream and save with show specials
• Try Reliant's newest frozen yogurt, California Cultures, a non-fat premium and organic frozen yogurt, Expo attendees get $2 off every case from June 15-July 15
• Save money with other show specials
• Sample froyo, toppings, syrups and sauces
• Learn about new products

Look for the International Frozen Yogurt Association and its partners, Payality and Green Payment Solutions, at the Dannon YoCream booth. Be sure to also visit our partner, Select Marketing Insurance, for your California worker's comp insurance needs. Ask IFYA’s partners about their special deals for IFYA members.

If you’re interested in attending, register at http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07eanlss8aa9335bf7&llr=iggf76iab

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.

Loop Neighborhood: A New Kind of Convenience Store, Featuring Froyo (and Free Wi-fi)

Fro-yo girl here. Meet Loop – a new kind of convenience store. Loop opened its first location in Santa Clara, CA in June 2013 and now has a dozen locations in Northern California. Additional locations are on the way, including one on Hickey Blvd. in Daly City (currently under construction).

The Loop seeks to redefine your local convenience store by offering healthier options, including organic, natural and gluten free products. The Loop has a modern, sleek design with white and orange as the color scheme and encourages people to linger and enjoy free wi-fi, a cup of froyo, fresh pastries, and espresso drinks. They carry things like kale chips, roasted seaweed snacks and bubble bath.

The Loop location that I visited was at a Shell gas station. 

The froyo station consisted of two Electro Freeze soft serve machines, each carrying two flavors with the twist option. The froyo is from Dannon YoCream. A small toppings bar on the side offered 14 options, including popping boba, sprinkles, candy, mochi, nuts, and chocolate chips. There wasn’t any fresh fruit. During my visit the flavors were: Country vanilla, Pistachio, Very strawberry and Chocolate classic.

You can choose between two sizes. A small is $2.99 and a large cup $3.99, with toppings an additional 50 cents. It’s self-serve and they don’t weigh your cups.

They didn’t have sample cups but were nice enough to improvise. The froyo tasted fine but it was way too soft. It would be difficult to pile a lot into a cup because of the soft texture. I hate it when froyo is too soft…so please, convenience stores and supermarkets take note – if you want to offer froyo, please make sure the texture is right because it so rarely is. Who wants to buy a big cup of runny, melted froyo?

As for the rest of the market, the hot food options weren’t that different from 7-Eleven: wings, rollers, hot dogs, potato wedges, etc. You can still get Icees. Loop has fancier soda and coffee machines and their own blend of coffee. The pastries looked fresher (and weren’t wrapped in plastic). There were a few tables. It’s a nicer looking cousin to 7-Eleven, AMPM and Circle K.

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

* LOOP NEIGHBORHOOD: 950 Hillside Blvd., Daly City, CA 94014

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.