Easy Breezy Frozen Yogurt Opens in Corte Madera (Marin County)

Fro-yo girl here. With Woody’s Yogurt Place of Strawberry Village (Mill Valley) closing on January 5 (RIP, hope they find a new location), the froyo options in Marin County dwindled – but just for a few days, because Easy Breezy Frozen Yogurt just crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and landed at Town Center Corte Madera. Believe it or not, it’s the first froyo shop in Corte Madera! It’s at the mall across from REI.

This is Easy Breezy’s fourth shop. The other three are in San Francisco, with the first opening eight years ago. Owner Ariel Ford is the queen of SF froyo! Her shops raise the froyo bar by making froyo daily with their own proprietary recipes. They chop, blend and hand squeeze the fruit they use to flavor their froyo. Having fresh mint in froyo makes a difference. Also, the froyo flavors and toppings are premium and creative. They use organic yogurt and also offer many vegan options. There’s even a coconut milk based soft serve for those with nut and dairy allergies. Flavors are posted on their Facebook page and website. Some of the current flavors are Moscow Mule, Vietnamese Coffee, Chocolate Orange, and S’mores.

EB in Marin County features 8 self-serve flavors a day, quality toppings (including organic berries), and warm sauces for 86 cents an ounce. The shop had a soft opening on January 13, 2020. Expect an opening celebration this spring, after the soft opening.

Choose your cup size or get a cone. Toppings included sauces, candy, cheesecake, mochi, cookie dough, popping boba, fresh fruit (the blueberries and strawberries were organic), brownies, chocolate chips, yogurt chips, granola, cereal, nuts, sprinkles, gobs of cookie dough, potato chips, etc.

The shop is adorable with wood accents and Breezy the mascot. The yogurt comes out of the machine quickly, so that's something of which to be aware. If you want samples, an employee will dispense them for you. Ask for a frequent buyer card. Students get 10% off. They started selling pints! At $9 each, they’re a steal. 

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

* EASY BREEZY FROZEN YOGURT: 119 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera, CA 94925

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.

Tenth Blogiversary of Fro-yo Girl Speaks

Fro-yo girl here. This is embarrassing, but I forgot to acknowledge my tenth blogiversary on October 20, 2018. I was so busy planning for Halloween that it just slipped my mind. This week I finally organized my froyo spoon collection and I realized I’ve been collecting froyo spoons for almost ten years. I have so many spoons that I need to sell or trade some of them (see my next post).

Ten years. I’ve seen so many froyo shops come and go. The ones that closed that I really miss are:

• Culture Organic Frozen Yogurt in Palo Alto (my 2008 cup of Culture strawberry froyo with nectarines is pictured, the first picture ever posted to this blog) 
• Jubili in San Francisco: The first place I tried tart froyo and mochi balls
• The original (1st) Tuttimelon on Irving St. in San Francisco 
• Pinkberry in Pasadena and Glendale 
• Sno:la in Beverly Hills 

The question I get asked the most is who has the best froyo. During the past few years while froyo shops have added soft serve ice cream, gelato, and frozen custard, along with indulgent flavors, I’ve been obsessed with the simplicity of the plain Greek frozen yogurt with Greek toppings at Souvla in San Francisco, the organic, sophisticated flavors at Easy Breezy in San Francisco, and the plant-based, organic, kosher, soy-free, probiotic luscious offerings at Yoga-urt in Glendale, CA. The frozen yogurt at the three places I listed tastes fresher and less processed.

If I lived in NYC, I’m sure that I would be a frequent visitor to Culture. I’m happy that I’ve been there more than once. 

My favorite froyo memories over the years are:

• Attending the 2014 Critics Choice TV Awards as Yogurtland's guest. Yogurtland served froyo at the event. The big winners that year were Orange Is the New Black, Masters of Sex, and True Detective. Thanks, Yogurtland!!!
• Attending YoCream's Froyo Conference in 2011 as YoCream's guest. I learned about froyo store operations, toured the factory, and met the founder of YoCream, John Hanna, and other important people in froyo. Thanks, YoCream!!!
• Visiting Yogurtland HQ and talking to Phillip Chang in his office.
• Visiting Menchie's HQ and talking to Amit Kleinberger. He kept smiling!
• Meeting the Pinkberry team, including Ron Graves, and sampling test flavors at Pinkberry HQ
• Attending the NRA Show in Chicago
• Meeting Roy Lam of Tuttimelon and getting the VIP treatment at Tuttimelon openings. I still have all the t-shirts, Tuttimelon merchandise, and Tuttimelon bear.
• Visiting Jonathan Rim, the owner of Blush Organic Frozen Yogurt in Dublin and getting free froyo to take home
• Spending time with the owners of the Bay Area Red Mango locations: Richard, Steven and Yul
• Every National/International Frozen Yogurt Day
• Starting the National Frozen Yogurt Association
• Conducting froyo research
• Winning the Yogurtland San Francisco marketing plan competition
• The time Yogurtland sent me a set of Tokidoki froyo spoons and a Tokidoki t-shirt

I started the blog in 2008 to track frozen yogurt news – and that’s still the main purpose. Thank you so much to my fans and readers and keep eating frozen yogurt! 

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.

Easy Breezy Opens in West Portal (San Francisco)

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve been going to Easy Breezy since day 1 of their first location, which opened in Noe Valley (San Francisco, CA) in 2012. I fell in love with their creative, fresh, hand-crafted flavors and their commitment to quality frozen yogurt and toppings. They even had premium and sometimes creative toppings. I’m definitely excited to see them expand; the newest location is in West Portal. The space used to be occupied by Tuttimelon and then Quickly, so I’ve been there many times. In fact, it was the first place that I ever met Mr. Tuttimelon on the day that Tuttimelon West Portal opened.

Since I moved away from San Francisco, I wasn’t able to attend Easy Breezy West Portal’s opening day, March 3rd. But, I did swing by recently during a quick trip to the Bay Area in April.

The shop was super cute with wood accents and the signature blue Easy Breezy color. Breezy, the mascot, appears outside the shop and inside too. The signs are super eye-catching and appealing.

It was very busy during our visit. All the tables inside were taken and people were sitting on the bench outside. The customers were mostly young families.

There were four machines serving 8 flavors. It’s self-serve like the other Easy Breezy locations. Toppings included sauces, candy, cheesecake, mochi, cookie dough, popping boba, fresh fruit (the blueberries and strawberries were organic), brownies, chocolate chips, yogurt chips, local granola, cereal, nuts, sprinkles, etc. I love the Belgian butter waffle cookies that I sometimes find there but they didn’t have any during my visit. It’s 81 cents an ounce.

Flavors of the day:

• Acai & me (vegan) 
• Chocolate amaretto (vegan) 
• Chocolate custard 
• Vanilla bean (organic yogurt)) 
• Cookie dough monster (organic yogurt) 
• Vanilla custard 
• Original tart (organic yogurt) 
• Mango tajin (organic yogurt) 

The vegan flavors are made with different bases, including coconut milk and cashew milk. There were lots of organic froyo options, plus indulgent frozen custards as well.

Congrats, Easy Breezy, and welcome to West Portal.

* EASY BREEZY WEST PORTAL: 44 W Portal Ave, San Francisco, CA 94127

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 Month 2017: Reflections on Frozen Yogurt Trends

Fro-yo girl here. It’s June which means it’s the 24th annual National Frozen Yogurt Month. The first National Frozen Yogurt Month was declared by TCBY. National Frozen Yogurt Day is the first Sunday in June, or June 4, 2017. It’s also the time of year that I like to look at frozen yogurt trends.

Looking at Google Trends, one sees the continual slow decline in the number of searches for the term, frozen yogurt. The peak occurred in July 2013. The number of searches for frozen yogurt shows a cyclical pattern, with fewer searches during the winter months and localized peaks in the summer months.

Interestingly, the number of searches for the term "Greek yogurt" also peaked in 2013 and have been declining since. The search pattern there is different because the number of searches peaks in January, when people are presumably thinking about New Year’s resolutions like eating healthier. The number of searches for the term acai bowl is definitely on the rise though more so in Australia than in the US.

It's interesting to look at the searches by region. The top 5 countries by interest in frozen yogurt are #1. United States, #2. Canada, #3. Denmark, #4. Greece and #5. Australia. These were also the top five countries last June though tiny Denmark (population 5.676 million) has overtaken Greece (population 10.82 million). The two most popular related queries were “yogurt near me” and “frozen yogurt near me.” Consumers are clearly looking for frozen yogurt shop locations. A couple of years ago, they were searching for Pinkberry but now they're searching for Menchie's.

Everyone that I’ve spoken to has mentioned the number of frozen yogurt store closures. I’ve seen many frozen yogurt stores that didn’t have anything unique to offer. Even some frozen yogurt chains lack personality. This is the time that the shops that survive should be sure that they have established a distinct brand identity and that they’ve actively cultivated the loyalty of their customers. It’s a good time to emphasize product quality and customer service. In the end, the places that I want to return to are the higher quality shops. I’d like to see healthier options (lower sugar) too. Places like Yoga-urt in Glendale, CA, Easy Breezy Frozen Yogurt in San Francisco, CA and Culture in New York that make frozen yogurt in small batches, from scratch.

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.

San Francisco Froyo Guide

Fro-yo girl here. It’s been almost three years since my Fro-yo Visitor’s Guide to San Francisco post and it’s time for an update. Sadly, some of the frozen yogurt shops on the original list are no longer in business but the good news is that new places have opened. This guide contains the frozen yogurt shops that are worth visiting.

* Hayes Valley: Hayes Valley, the artsy shopping/dining district has long been devoid of good dessert places but all that has changed and the neighborhood is now a frozen dessert mecca with Smitten (freshly made nitrogen ice cream), Miette (ice cream sandwiches made with Straus organic ice cream) and my froyo pick. Souvla (517 Hayes St.) is a crazy popular casual Greek eatery that specializes in spit-fired all natural meats. Get a Greek sandwich or salad, drink some Greek wine or beer and enjoy a cup of creamy Greek froyo for dessert. The Greek frozen yogurt comes in one size and one flavor (plain) with your choice of toppings: baklava crumbles with syrup, sour cherry, olive oil and sea salt or honey. It comes in a cute coffee cup that’s perfect for strolling over to Patricia’s Green (Octavia at Hayes), the neighborhood urban park with rotating art exhibits. 

* Japantown/Fillmore: There are so many cute places to shop in Japantown. My top picks are New People, Daiso, Ichiban Kan and Kinokuniya. Fillmore St. is also a shopping destination with Marc by Marc Jacobs, Paper Source, Jonathan Adler, Steven Alan, NARS, Kiehl’s and Nest. Fraiche Yogurt (1910 Fillmore St.) offers artisanal yogurt and fro-yo made from scratch. The soy fro-yo is excellent and the combination of steel cut oatmeal and fro-yo is an unexpected delight. The housemade chocolate shell sauce is out of this world. I also recommend afternoon tea at the British owned Crown & Crumpet (1746 Post St., make reservations) and Jane (2123 Fillmore St.) for a fresh baked treat and Four Barrel Coffee.

* Union Square: No trip to San Francisco is complete without visiting Union Square, the main shopping destination in SF. Pinkberry (170 O’Farrell St.) is conveniently located at Macy’s Union Square. There are other froyo shops in the downtown area (e.g., Yoppi, Caffe Ambrosia) but Pinkberry is the best one. You can never go wrong with the original tart with fresh fruit – such a refreshing, light treat after a long day of shopping.

* Castro/Noe Valley/Inner Sunset: Easy Breezy Frozen Yogurt (4028 24th St., 718 Irving St., 4092 18th St.) became the International Frozen Yogurt Association’s first Swirl of Honor recipient. Look for the IFYA Swirl of Honor decal and know that you’re in for a treat – hand-crafted unique frozen yogurt and frozen custard flavors (e.g., Lemon Ginger Zinger, Cherry Marzipan, Vietnamese Coffee, Banana Cream Pie), including organic and non-dairy flavors made with almond milk and coconut milk. There are three locations and the décor is super cute. Swirl your own cup and head over to the toppings bar which features local toppings and toppings you won’t see elsewhere. The Inner Sunset location is close to the San Francisco Botanical Garden (9th Ave. & Lincoln) and museums in Golden Gate 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.

Future Froyo Shop Picture: Easy Breezy 3

Fro-yo girl here. Happy days are ahead…work is underway on Easy Breezy’s third location in San Francisco. They’re taking over the former Frapez spot at 4029 18th St. It’s a small space and the first frozen yogurt shop in the Castro (finally!)

The Easy Breezy sign isn’t up yet but the construction zone sign is good till March 22…hopefully the construction will be finished by then.

Easy Breezy is one of my favorite frozen yogurt shops, thanks to its creative, hand-crafted delicious flavors that you can’t find elsewhere. They offer organic yogurt, organic non-dairy options, and frozen custard/yogurt blends. And Easy Breezy was the very first shop to be awarded three swirls from the International Frozen Yogurt Association’s Swirl o f Honor program.

Be sure to visit their other locations (4028 24th St./Noe Valley and 718 Irving St./Inner Sunset) while you wait for the one in the Castro to open.

P.S. Happy birthday to Easy Breezy 2 (Inner Sunset) which turned 1 this week (on 1/19).

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

* EASY BREEZY 3: 4029 18th St., San Francisco, CA

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.

Easy Breezy 2 Opening Day

Fro-yo girl here. Easy Breezy’s Inner Sunset location opened today! Of course I couldn’t stay away. There are four shiny new Carpigiani soft serve machines serving up 8 scrumptious hand-crafted frozen yogurt and frozen custard flavors a day. I love checking out the toppings bar because they’re always adding unique toppings. Today they had potato chips, bacon and my favorite, waffle cookies. I love seeing the sweet froyo cup logo/character named Breezy too.

Here are some pictures from opening day!

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

* EASY BREEZY FROZEN YOGURT: 718 Irving St., San Francisco, CA 94122

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.

Best New Froyo Flavor of 2013

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve sampled many new froyo flavors this year. Some of the new froyo flavors I really enjoyed include Yogurtland’s Lemon Cream Cookie and Tiramisu, Cherry Pinkberry, Key Lime Pinkberry, and Easy Breezy’s Mint Mojito with fresh mint leaves.

Now that the year is coming to the end, it’s time to declare my favorite new froyo flavor of the year…it’s Cucumber froyo from Easy Breezy in San Francisco, CA. Cucumber froyo is made with fresh cucumbers and it works well because of the natural properties of cucumber: sweet, crisp, refreshing and light. The cucumber flavor is distinct and doesn’t overwhelm the natural yogurt flavor. Even better, the froyo is organic. Cucumber froyo might not be for everyone but I love the flavor of cucumber. Easy Breezy also makes some amazing froyo flavors with fresh mint - e.g., Mint Mojito.

Check Easy Breezy’s Facebook page for the current flavor line up.

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

* EASY BREEZY FROZEN YOGURT: 4028 24th St., San Francisco, CA

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.

October is Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt Month

Fro-yo girl here. Ahhhh October, my favorite month of the year...everyday is a buildup to the best day of the year, Halloween. The leaves taken on rich autumnal hues and the pumpkin frozen yogurt returns. I hope to enjoy Blush, Easy Breezy, and Fraiche’s pumpkin frozen yogurt multiple times. 

For those of you who aren’t in the Bay Area, do have some Pumpkin Pie frozen yogurt at Yogurtland. It’s lovely and pumpkiny without being too sweet. Menchie's has just introduced a new pumpkin flavor called, It's Pumpkin Time, made with real pumpkin puree and available in October. I haven't tried it yet.

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream offers Dutch Apple Crunch Yogurt and Pumpkin Yogurt throughout October. I’ve never been to one of their locations (it's not in my area) but their seasonal flavors, especially the October ones, sound tempting.

Every October I go to Half Moon Bay to pick out my pumpkins from a real pumpkin farm (Bob’s). The HMB fro-yo shops better have that pumpkin frozen yogurt ready for me.

I might be making some pumpkin frozen yogurt at home. I made a few batches last October but I’m still tweaking and perfecting my recipe. I also love pumpkin muffins...maybe I’ll save one and use it as a frozen yogurt topping.

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.

Happy Birthday Easy Breezy! And a New Location is Coming!

Fro-yo girl here. Happy birthday Easy Breezy!!!! Yes it was a year ago on 7/13/2012 when Easy Breezy first opened its doors. I remember going there on that day and getting a cup of Lime and Plain tart frozen yogurt. So amazing.

Guess what? They’re opening another location! This one will be taking over the old Tutti Frutti location (ironically it was a card shop, not Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt) in the Inner Sunset. There’s a small sign in the window. They’re hoping to open this fall.

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

* EASY BREEZY FROZEN YOGURT: 4028 24th St., San Francisco, CA

* EASY BREEZY FROZEN YOGURT: 718 Irving St., San Francisco, CA 

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.

Best Fro-yo Shops in the Bay Area

Fro-yo girl here. It’s time to update my list of fro-yo shops that deserve recognition for their excellent fro-yo. Some of the best shops on my 2008 list are still around but they’re not as good as the shops on 2013 best of list.

* EASY BREEZY FROZEN YOGURT (4028 24th St., San Francisco, CA): EB brought a ray of sunshine to Noe Valley about a year ago with its higher quality self-serve frozen yogurt. They offer some organic frozen yogurt flavors and frozen custard. I love their creative flavors like Cucumber, Mint Mojito and Lime Breezy. They also have great toppings too, like bacon, potato chips, waffle cookies and more. The shop is adorable.

* YOGORINO (2 locations in SF): This Italian import only has one flavor of fro-yo (plain) and the flavor and texture are like no other. It’s super creamy yet not heavy. The toppings, including their signature dessert sauces, and cups are also from Italy.

* BLUSH ORGANIC FROZEN YOGURT (locations in the Bay Area in Dublin, Burlingame and Walnut Creek): Once you taste some of their proprietary flavors like Blush (pomegranate-dragonfruit), Gingerbread, Pumpkin, Green Tea and others, you’ll understand why Blush made the list. All of their fro-yo flavors taste like real yogurt. They’re not overly sweetened. It’s fro-yo for fro-yo lovers. They’ve had creative toppings like Choco Pie and madeleines.

I wanted to put Fraiche on the list since they make their own yogurt and it’s usually fantastic but it hasn’t been consistent. I’ve encountered fro-yo texture issues many times and sometimes their housemade mochi is dried out. I’ll always go there in October for their pumpkin fro-yo (it’s amazing).

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.

Happy Fro-yo Easter 2013

Fro-yo girl here. Happy Easter, fro-yo fans! Let Easter inspire your cup of fro-yo today. I spotted my favorite Easter egg candy, Cadbury Mini Eggs at Easy Breezy Frozen Yogurt. They also had marshmallow peeps. Cute!

Cadbury Creme Eggs have been spotted at various Menchie's locations.

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

* EASY BREEZY FROZEN YOGURT: 4028 24th St., San Francisco, CA

New Flavor Alert: Cucumber Froyo at Easy Breezy

Fro-yo girl here. Noe Valley’s charming neighborhood fro-yo shop, Easy Breezy, has been quietly creating some of the best fro-yo flavors. This week they introduced organic cucumber fro-yo and it is DELICIOUS. I wasn’t sure what to expect but it exceeded my expectations.

The cucumber flavor is distinctive but not overpowering. It’s lightly sweetened, extra refreshing and super fresh/natural tasting. Plus you can still taste the natural yogurt flavor and enjoy the creamy, light texture. If you like the flavor of cucumber, it’s a must try.

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

* EASY BREEZY FROZEN YOGURT: 4028 24th St., San Francisco, CA

Best New Flavor of 2012

Fro-yo girl here. Peach Pinkberry, Blackberry Passionfruit (Yogurtland), Honey Badger (Red Mango)...2012 had its share of brand new fro-yo flavors. My favorite new fro-yo flavor for 2012 was from a new local (San Francisco) self-serve shop, Easy Breezy Frozen Yogurt: Lime Breezy fro-yo. 

Lime is one of my favorite flavors and it’s one that I rarely see in fro-yo form. Easy Breezy makes Lime Breezy with fresh lime juice. The fresh, tangy natural lime flavor shines through. The texture is creamy, light and smooth. The color is natural (not green). Check Easy Breezy’s Facebook page for the current flavor line up.

I also liked Yogurtland’s Key Lime Bar Tart fro-yo flavor, which was introduced early in 2011 and was made with real key limes.

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

* EASY BREEZY FROZEN YOGURT: 4028 24th St., San Francisco, CA

Year End Fro-yo Wrap Up

Fro-yo girl here. Where has 2012 gone? It’s time for my year end summary of the world of fro-yo. 

Bay Area comings and goings: In Bay Area news, fro-yo shops continued to close but new ones, particularly from chains, continued to open. Red Mango returned to the Bay Area, opening a self-serve shop in Emeryville. Yogurtland finally opened a store in SF this month. SF earned the distinction of being the location for Pinkberry’s 200th store. I’m really happy that Easy Breezy opened in Noe Valley. Sadly, the Bay Area said goodbye to fro-yo shops like The Mix, YoSwirl, Yogurt Train, SoFrais, Luscious, and one of my former favorites, Culture Organic Frozen Yogurt. YoCup changed ownership.

Special fro-yo spoons: It was a very good year for fro-yo spoon fans. Yogurtland gave us four new limited time only Sanrio fro-yo spoon designs: TuxedoSam, Bad Badtz Maru, Hello Kitty and Little Twin Stars. Menchie’s introduced limited edition Chip fro-yo spoons. Tutti Frutti now carries fruit shaped logo fro-yo spoons in five colors. 

Supermarket fro-yo offerings keep expanding: Ben & Jerry’s, Ciao Bella, TCBY, Healthy Choice, Trader Joe’s, Stonyfield Oikos, and Yoplait launched new fro-yo flavors this year. The Ben & Jerry’s truck visited SF and handed out Greek fro-yo in May. Supermarket yogurt brands aren’t content to stay in the supermarket either. 

(Non-frozen) yogurt shops open: Chobani and Yogurt Culture Company (owned by Dannon) opened yogurt shops in SoHo and Midtown, respectively. Pinkberry launched Greek yogurt (not frozen) at a few locations.

More chains go self-serve: TCBY, Golden Spoon, and Yogen Fruz joined the list of self-serve fro-yo shops. With so much self-serve fro-yo, fro-yo creations now look uglier than ever. Pinkberry seems to be the only major chain that's holding out against the trend.

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

Search for the Best Pumpkin Fro-yo

Fro-yo girl here. Pumpkin season runs from October and November and it’s the time of year that I develop a seemingly tireless craving for pumpkin fro-yo. I recently tried the pumpkin fro-yo at several Bay Area fro-yo shops to see which place had the best pumpkin fro-yo. 

* Fraiche Yogurt: Their organic pumpkin fro-yo comes back in the fall and it’s a strong contender for best pumpkin fro-yo. The flavor is clean and natural with a good balance of pumpkin flavor, spices and yogurt flavor. It’s not too sweet and tastes great with their toppings. It leans towards the icy side as well though it isn’t watered down.
* Yogurtland: Pumpkin pie fro-yo has returned to many Yogurtland locations for a limited time. It has a thick, smooth, creamy texture. I like how it isn’t super sweet and the spices aren’t overpowering.  
* Blush Organic Frozen Yogurt: Blush pumpkin fro-yo has returned and it’s one of their best flavors. Their pumpkin fro-yo is not too sweet. There’s a hint of spice that doesn’t overwhelm but rather complements the natural, clean pumpkin and yogurt flavors. It’s thick, smooth and refreshing.
* Jamba Juice: The Great Pumpkin Swirl Whirl’ns fro-yo flavor shows up in the fall around the same time as their Pumpkin Smash smoothie. This mix-in style fro-yo features a base of vanilla fro-yo swirled with several scoops of spiced pumpkin puree. The two are combined in Yogen Fruz’s mix-in fro-yo machines. The fro-yo texture was thick and creamy but had larger ice crystals and the pumpkin and vanilla wasn’t evenly mixed in sections. The flavor was good but very sweet with an overwhelming amount of cinnamon.
* Easy Breezy: New pumpkin pie fro-yo flavor introduced in October. The squash/pumpkin flavor is clearly distinguishable. The flavor tastes natural and isn’t too sweet. I think it could use a bit more spice. It leans towards the icy side though it’s not watered down.

I’m pleased with the current crop of pumpkin fro-yo. I really like how most of the pumpkin fro-yo flavors that I tried weren’t too sweet and the spices complemented but didn’t overwhelm the pumpkin flavor. My favorite pumpkin fro-yo is still Blush’s, followed closely by Fraiche. Both offer a natural, clean tasting fro-yo that isn’t heavily sugared.

I like adding graham cracker crust and almonds to my pumpkin fro-yo.

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


* BLUSH ORGANIC FROZEN YOGURT: 1212 Donnelly Ave., Burlingame, CA
* EASY BREEZY FROZEN YOGURT: 4028 24th St., San Francisco, CA
* FRAICHE FROZEN YOGURT: 1910 Fillmore St., San Francisco, CA

Happy Fro-yo Halloween

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve been out looking for Halloween spirit again this year and I haven’t seen many Halloween decorations at fro-yo shops. I have run into pumpkin fro-yo and Halloween toppings like candy corn and fall sprinkles at a few places. One of my local favorites, Easy Breezy, is currently serving pumpkin pie fro-yo with candy corn.

I walked by Pinkberry yesterday and they didn’t have pumpkin fro-yo (also confirmed this by looking at the Pinkberry app). Shocking. I’m not sure what they’re waiting for. Yogurtland has been good about offering pumpkin pie fro-yo at their locations (yay). Some Yogurtland locations are offering buy one get one free fro-yo offers for those who come in costume from 11 AM - 5 PM on Halloween.

Happy Halloween!

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

Free Easy Breezy Tote Bag

Fro-yo girl here. Pick up a complimentary Easy Breezy tote bag at the shop (while supplies last). The white tote bag is spacious enough for groceries and features their cute smiling yogurt cup logo.  

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

* EASY BREEZY FROZEN YOGURT: 4028 24th St., San Francisco, CA

Fro-yo Visitor’s Guide to SF

Fro-yo girl here. Before I go on any trip, I’ll research the fro-yo shops in the area to see which ones are worth visiting. I’ve put together a list of notable SF fro-yo spots for fro-yo tourists. 

* AT&T Park: Visit Blush Organic Frozen Yogurt on 219 King St., between the Caltrain station and AT&T Park for the best organic fro-yo in SF. Be sure to sample their perfect original tart and signature Blush flavor (pomegranate-dragonfruit). Safeway offers parking validation in their parking structure.
* Embarcadero/Ferry Building: Hit Yogorino at the Embarcadero Center (50 Drumm St.) for gourmet, decadent Italian fro-yo. There’s one flavor and the toppings are imported from Italy. SF and Philly are the only US cities to have Yogorino locations. Or get your Straus Family Creamery (organic & local) fro-yo at the Ferry Building at Gott’s to Go takeout window (1 Ferry Building) where you’ll find some of the best fro-yo toppings in town, including Miette’s cookies, McEvoy EVOO, and TCHO chocolate covered cacao nibs..
* Fisherman’s Wharf: Take your picture with the Ben & Jerry’s Greek Frozen Yogurt head in a hole picture board at 475 Jefferson St. but get your fro-yo at Yogorino at 79 Jefferson St.
* Japantown/Fillmore: Take a break from shopping at Daiso and Ichiban Kan and walk over to Fraiche Yogurt (1910 Fillmore St.) for artisanal yogurt and fro-yo made from scratch. The soy fro-yo is excellent and the combination of steel cut oatmeal and fro-yo is an unexpected delight.
* Noe Valley/Castro: Try the popular new self-serve fro-yo spot, Easy Breezy (4028 24th St.) that opened last month. Look for local, organic fro-yo flavors and organic berries as toppings.
* Outer Sunset/Irving St.: Be sure to pay your respects to the original Tuttimelon location at 2150 Irving St. before walking over to their newer, larger, self-serve spot at 2045 Irving St. Save your Tutti Spoon to remind you of your trip to SF. If you’re thirsty or hungry, try Tuttimelon owned Teaway for tapioca drinks and Let’s Roll for katsu and takoyaki.

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

Yogurtland to Open First Store in SF

Fro-yo girl here. The San Francisco Planning Commission met this week to discuss Yogurtland’s plans to open at 1250 Ocean Avenue. Thanks anonymous tipster for the heads up! The space in question is brand new (the Avalon building), by City College of San Francisco (CCSF). Whole Foods is opening up in the same complex. My fingers are crossed that SF will finally get a Yogurtland.

What a momentous week it’s been for Bay Area fro-yo.
* July 10: New Sanrio spoons arrive at Yogurtland
* July 12: Pinkberry opens first SF store, store #200, Planning Commission meets to discuss Yogurtland’s application
* July 13: Easy Breezy opens in Noe Valley

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