Golden Spoon Grand Opening in Tustin

Fro-yo girl here. I attended my first froyo shop grand opening of 2024 today, April 7, at Golden Spoon in Tustin, California. Golden Spoon was founded in Tustin in 1983 by Jeff Barnes, so it’s nice to see it return to its place of origin.

For the grand opening, guests were treated to free minis (up to two flavors, with toppings) from 12 PM – 1 PM. Choose from ten froyo flavors a day. There was one non-dairy and one no sugar added option offered today. I also spotted milkshake machines, though I didn’t see shakes on the menu today. The number of toppings offered was typical for a froyo shop. There were a few warm sauces offered.

Prices: Mini ($4.75)/ Regular ($5.75)/ Large ($6.75)/ Quart ($15.50)

The mini was a generous size and the yogurt texture was smooth and thick. The shop had a soft opening last week. It looked new and clean inside. 

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

* GOLDEN SPOON: 1090 Irvine Blvd, Tustin, CA 92780

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.

Golden Spoon Returns to Valencia, California

Fro-yo girl here. Golden Spoon has returned to Valencia/Santa Clarita as of May 30. The new location is at Northpark Village Square, a shopping center anchored by Ralph’s. It’s counter-serve with 10 flavors a day. They also serve coffee and sell sweet treats. And they’re open early, so you can have froyo for breakfast. A mini is $4.50, regular $5.50, large $6.50 and toppings $1.50. For toppings they had fresh fruit, chocolate chips, candy, sprinkles, nuts, popping boba, cheesecake, fruit, cookie dough, mochi, brownies, etc.

The shop looked nice and modern with a mostly white color scheme and framed pictures of froyo. And yes, they had golden spoons. And a reward program. I didn’t notice any opening day specials. It’s also hard to see the shop because of the lack of exterior signage.

The old Golden Spoon in Valencia was located at the Tesoro Village Shopping Center, at 23886 Copper Hill Dr, Valencia, CA 91354. It was open from 2016 – 2021. There was also an older location at River Oaks Shopping Center, 24317 Magic Mountain Pkwy that closed in 2017 and Stevenson Ranch at 24921 Pico Canyon Rd, Stevenson Ranch that also closed in 2017. I’m confused about the difference between Valencia, Santa Clarita, and Stevenson Ranch, but they’re all close to each other.

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

* GOLDEN SPOON: 27748 McBean Pkwy, Valencia, CA 91354

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.

Golden Spoon Replaces Menchie's in Whittier

Fro-yo girl here. I knew that Menchie’s moved to the old Frugos space on Whittier Blvd. in Whittier, California last year and I knew they closed the 10122 Carmenita Road location but I didn’t realize that Golden Spoon took over the Carmenita space till recently. They opened this summer. You can serve your own froyo or have them serve you.

This isn’t the first Golden Spoon location in Whittier. They used to have a shop at 15588 Whittwood Ln. I didn’t make it there before the shop closed in 2013. It’s also not the first time Golden Spoon has offered self-serve. A few of their locations went self-serve back in 2015.

The Carmenita space was occupied by Menchie’s from 2012-2019. Golden Spoon took over, painted the walls pastel pink and mint green and changed the decals, though the interior still looks like a Menchie’s. The toppings bins are the same. The toppings are the same as they were at Menchie’s – candies, cookies, fruit, nuts, syrups, chocolate chips, sprinkles, marshmallows, graham cracker crumbs, etc. The round chalkboard that was at Menchie’s now belongs to Golden Spoon. They kept Menchie’s chairs and tables too.

Self-serve froyo (14 flavors a day) and toppings are 49 cents an ounce (Menchie’s charged 53 cents an ounce). If you want them to serve your froyo, a mini is $3.99, regular $5.99, large $6.99 and quart $12.99.

Gloves were provided and most of the toppings were covered. I was allowed to get my own froyo and toppings. They even had sample cups.

Golden Spoon offers freshly made waffle bowls, shaved ice, banana splits, bottled drinks and cones. The freezer that used to hold cakes was empty.

Sign up for rewards through Five Stars. They were giving away 2 ozs free during my visit or $1 off your first purchase.

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

GOLDEN SPOON FROZEN YOGURT: 10122 Carmenita Rd., Whittier, CA 90605

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.

Golden Spoon Reopens in Glendora, CA, Under New Ownership

Fro-yo girl here. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Golden Spoon Glendora, which closed late last year, is BACK. They moved one spot over and have new ownership, a new sign (the logo looks different), and an expanded menu. Since they just reopened, they're still in soft opening mode, without the full menu.

During my visit, they had 4 froyo flavors and limited toppings. I was told that they'd have 10 flavors swirling later this week and they’ll also offer coffee and gelato. The froyo machines are behind the counter, so it's not self-serve. Ask for samples. 

Prices: Mini ($2.95)/ Regular ($3.95)/ Large ($4.95)/Quarts ($8). Toppings: 60 cents for mini, $1 for other sizes. They have cups and cones.

It’s not the same Golden Spoon that was founded in 1983. GS had a tough year last year. Not only did seven locations close, but so did the corporate office. There are no longer any Golden Spoon franchisees or a corporate office to oversee GS locations.

The girl who swirled my froyo had impressive swirling skills. They still have golden spoons.

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

* GOLDEN SPOON FROZEN YOGURT: 1365 E Gladstone St., Ste. 100, Glendora, CA 91740

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 & Worst Fro-yo Shops of 2008: Where Are They Now?

Fro-yo girl here. Back in 2008, I named the best and worst fro-yo shops in the Bay Area. Ever wonder what happened to those businesses?

Of the 7 worst shops, all 7 have closed. The places with below average fro-yo have usually stayed open two years or less. Even large chains haven’t been able to make it in the Bay Area (e.g., Golden Spoon). There are plenty of average frozen yogurt shops. The worst ones had fro-yo with horrible texture and flavor.The toppings were often stale or rotten as well.

Of the 10 best shops in 2008, 5 are still open, though a few of those have moved (e.g., Harmony Yogurt, Tuttimelon) or changed ownership. Poco Cafe closed after being open for years because the owner decided to retire. The best frozen yogurt shops offered consistency, cleanliness, freshness and superior customer service. You could tell that the owners cared about offering quality frozen yogurt.

Out of curiosity I looked at my old frozen yogurt reviews, the first 300 frozen yogurt shops that I reviewed. These reviews were written between December 2007 and 2010. Of the 9 shops with a 1 star rating, all have closed. Of the five star shops, 50% are still open.

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

Future Fro-yo Shop Picture: Menchie’s Belmont

Fro-yo girl here. About a month ago, the Belmont Patch reported that Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt would take over the Golden Spoon space in the Belmont Village Shopping Center. Golden Spoon never opened their Belmont location and they seemed to have abandoned the space. The Golden Spoon signs and menu board are still up and there isn’t any sign of the future Menchie’s location yet. Menchie’s signed a five year lease for the space. Menchie’s is expected to open in fall 2012.

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

* MENCHIE’S FROZEN YOGURT: 1200 El Camino Real, Belmont, CA

Fro-yo Store Count

Fro-yo girl here. It's time for another update of the chain store location count. The counts are based on the locations listed on the company websites. Yogurtland just announced the opening of store #150 in Bakersfield, CA, on August 14. The figure includes U.S. and international locations. Their goal is "to open 550 stores by 2015."

* YOGURTLAND: 147 locations in the U.S., 3 outside (Mexico, Guam and Japan), 96 U.S. locations last August
* RED MANGO: 128 locations in the U.S. though a recent article says 132 stores are in operation in the U.S., "230 locations in over 17 countries across the world," 70 U.S. locations last August
* PINKBERRY: 116 locations in the U.S., 17 locations outside the U.S., 95 U.S. locations last August
* GOLDEN SPOON: 102 locations in the U.S., 25 locations outside of the U.S., 113 U.S. locations last August
* MENCHIE'S: 98 locations in the U.S., 2 in Canada, 47 U.S. locations last August
* YOGEN FRUZ: 56 locations in the U.S., locations in 13 other countries, 40 locations in the U.S. last August

Red Mango's growth has been impressive with 62 new U.S. locations since the last time I counted about a year ago compared to 21 for Pinkberry and 51 for Yogurtland. Menchie's has proven to be one to watch with 51 new U.S. locations since last August.

It will be interesting to see what impact the new CEO of Red Mango, Barry Barron, will have. They've embraced self-serve as well as other products (smoothies, parfaits, iced tea) while Yogurtland and Menchie's offer only fro-yo.

TCBY continues to be the largest fro-yo chain, with over 470 U.S. locations.

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

Christmas Fro-yo Gift Card Deals

Fro-yo girl here. Are you still looking for stocking stuffers? Give your fro-yo loving friend or family member fro-yo gift cards. Check out these special offers. I used to think gift cards were boring, but now I'm a fan (especially of the fro-yo ones).

* RED MANGO: Buy $25 worth of gift cards, get a $5 RM voucher for yourself
* TUTTIMELON: Buy $20 worth of gift cards, get a free small fro-yo with two toppings
* BLUSH ORGANIC FROZEN YOGURT: Buy $20 worth of gift cards, get a free small fro-yo with toppings
* GOLDEN SPOON: Buy $20 worth of gift cards, get a free small fro-yo (deal is only valid in Orange County, CA though)

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

Fro-yo Store Count

Fro-yo girl here. As promised last August, I am updating my chain store location count. I'm assuming that the information on the company website is fairly accurate and up to date. So let's see how things have changed since last August?

* Golden Spoon: 103 US locations last August, 113 this August
* Red Mango: 57 US locations last August, 70 locations this August, many self-serve locations coming soon (the coming soon ones weren't counted)
* Pinkberry: 56 US locations last August, 95 locations this August
* Yogurtland: 55 locations last August, 96 locations this August
* Cefiore: 31 US locations last August, 17 locations this August
* Yogen Fruz: 29 US locations last August, 40 US locations this August, hundreds of locations in other countries, many of these are express locations, located often in movie theaters
* Yogurberry: 24 US locations last August, unknown number this August. The site definitely is out of date. It lists Ventura and that location closed a long time ago. I know they're still around.
* Tutti Frutti: I started to count these but I can tell that they don’t distinguish between open and coming soon/not open stores on their website. It looks like there are around 100 open in the U.S.

I added a few more chains to the list:
* Menchie's: 47 locations this August
* Yolato: 42 locations this August, all but one is an express location
* Tuttimelon: 25 locations this August
* FreshBerry: 20 locations this August

Cefiore and Yogurberry have lost momentum but other chains continue to expand. Pinkberry is finally expanding in areas other than SoCal and NYC. It's interesting that Yogurtland and Pinkberry had nearly identical store counts last August and this August too.

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

Future Fro-yo Shop Pictures: Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt in Belmont

Fro-yo girl here. Golden Spoon Belmont looks ready to open at any moment. The red & white tiles are in place, the signs are up and the black chairs are stacked inside. They're taking over the old Baskin Robbins space near Peet's Coffee. I jotted down the prices: $2.25 child, $3.25 regular, $4.25 large, $6.75 quart.

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

* GOLDEN SPOON FROZEN YOGURT: 1200 El Camino Real Unit A3, Belmont, CA
www.goldenspoon.com

Golden Spoon Livermore Opening Soon, Free Fro-yo!

Fro-yo girl here. Time to mark your calendars again, fro-yoholics. Golden Spoon's grand opening weekend (Jan. 30 & 31) features FREE FRO-YO for everyone. No coupon is needed. Just show up and enjoy the complimentary cup of small fro-yo!

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

* GOLDEN SPOON: 2100 Portola Ave. (Portola Village Shopping Center), Livermore, CA
http://www.goldenspoon.com/

Yogurtland Celebrates Its 50th Location

Fro-yo girl here. Earlier this week, Yogurtland announced the grand opening celebration for its 50th location, in Anaheim. With free fro-yo, free gift cards, free t-shirts and the Kogi BBQ truck, I can’t even imagine how crazy it’s going to be. Congrats to Yogurtland! Love the new logo and the poster design.

I’d like to take a moment to see where the chains stand right now (as of August 21, 2009) and I’ll update this again if I remember to, about a year from now. Also, the information on their website might not be completely accurate but I assume they update their locations listings on a regular basis.

* Golden Spoon: 103 US locations, I counted 101 but they didn’t list San Jose and Castro Valley and I know those are open. They’ve been around the longest and they’re still the largest.
* Red Mango: 57 US locations
* Pinkberry: 56 US locations
* Yogurtland: 50 locations according to the poster but I counted 55 US locations on their website. They probably opened five between the time they ordered the poster and now.
* Cefiore: 31 US locations
* Yogen Fruz: 29 US locations
* Yogurberry: 24 US locations
* Tutti Frutti: I started to count these but I can tell that they don’t distinguish between open and coming soon/not open stores on their website.
* Orange Tree: 10 US locations

Red Mango and Pinkberry are truly neck and neck. I wonder which one will make it to SF first. Yogurtland seems to have the real momentum? It seems like certain people can’t stop talking about self-serve.

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

Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt Grand Opening Coverage

Fro-yo girl here. This was the third fro-yo store grand opening I attended on Aug. 8th (what can I say, I can’t resist free fro-yo). The San Jose Golden Spoon is their second store in the Bay Area (Castro Valley was the first and I’m not counting the ones in the North Bay). A bit larger than the CV location, the San Jose Golden Spoon also has more fro-yo machines. Choose from 16 flavors of fro-yo a day (and no, it isn’t self-serve). While they strive to offer “ice cream like flavor” and fro-yo for ice-cream lovers, they also carry some tart flavors (simply tart and mango tart appear to be the only tart flavors for now) and fresh fruit toppings.

The store was decked out in black, red and white balloons. The interior is somewhat like an old fashioned ice cream parlor (not really), fairly sparse and utilitarian. Portions are generous and your fro-yo comes with a gold spoon.

You can still get a free regular cup of fro-yo there today (Aug. 9) from 11 AM – 11 PM.

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

* GOLDEN SPOON FROZEN YOGURT: 5126 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose, CA

Harmony Frozen Yogurt Burlingame Grand Opening Event, Aug. 8

Fro-yo girl here. I've got a serious case of fro-yo conflict on this weekend. Fruittiyogi opens in Alameda (free fro-yo from 12 - 2 PM), Golden Spoon opens in San Jose (free fro-yo all day on 8/8, 8/9) and Harmony in Burlingame is having a grand opening event.

About the Harmony event, the store has been open for a few weeks now. To celebrate, Harmony fro-yo and toppings will be 50% off all day (Burlingame location only). The first 150 customers will receive a Harmony glass mug or sports bottle. I have the Harmony mug (thanks Linda W.)...the sports bottle isn't as appealing. Doors open at 11 AM this Saturday.

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

* HARMONY FROZEN YOGURT: 1243 Howard Avenue, Burlingame, CA

Golden Spoon San Jose Grand Opening Event, August 8 & 9, Free Fro-yo!

Fro-yo girl here. Time to mark your calendars again, fro-yoholics. Golden Spoon is just about ready to open its doors in San Jose. They’re going to celebrate the grand opening of their new store with free fro-yo (regular size) all weekend long (August 8 & 9) at the San Jose location. No coupon is necessary.

They’re adding fresh fruit toppings to their toppings line up. Though I haven’t seen the San Jose store, I’m told that it’s bigger than the Castro Valley location.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Golden Spoon, they call themselves one of the pioneers of the fro-yo industry and they have over 100 locations.

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

* GOLDEN SPOON FROZEN YOGURT: 5126 Stevens Creek Blvd., San Jose, CA

Golden Spoon Grand Opening Weekend Coverage

Fro-yo girl here. I stopped by Golden Spoon today for some free fro-yo (the promo continues tomorrow from 11 AM – 11 PM). They had 12 flavors to choose from (it’s not self-serve) and 2 of these were tart (mango, simply tart). They have 50 rotating flavors. For toppings, they had candy, cheesecake bites, mochi, granola, sprinkles, and syrups.

I met up with Robert M., their marketing guy, and chatted over a bowl of fro-yo. Robert’s favorite is old fashioned vanilla and he also recommends chocolate malt.

Golden Spoon started out 25 years ago in SoCal, so naturally this franchise specializes in sweet fro-yo. Almost all of the flavors are non-fat (peanut butter is one exception) and their fro-yo does contain live and active cultures. They've developed their own fro-yo recipes.

The San Jose shop is currently under construction and they plan to open on August 8th. That location is larger, so they’ll have space for two more fro-yo machines.

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

* GOLDEN SPOON FROZEN YOGURT: 4065 E. Castro Valley Blvd, Castro Valley, CA

Picture from Opening Day at Golden Spoon Castro Valley

Fro-yo girl here. I've received a picture from this morning's Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt store opening in Castro Valley along with a report that the free fro-yo drew hundreds of fro-yo lovers. Check out the clock in the picture - you're seeing the first people served at Golden Spoon.

Remember that you can get your free regular sized fro-yo on July 3, 4 & 5th from 11 AM - 11 PM. No purchase or coupon necessary.

About Golden Spoon
"Golden Spoon was founded in southern California over 25 years ago and has now grown to over 100 stores in the western United States and Japan with many more coming soon. The Castro Valley store is the first location of 30 that will be owned and operated by Pacific Yogurt Partners LLC founded by former food industry executives born and raised in the Bay Area." More Golden Spoon locations are on the way! They're going to be in Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Mateo counties. Hmm, so no store in San Francisco.

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

* GOLDEN SPOON FROZEN YOGURT: 4065 E. Castro Valley Blvd., Castro Valley, CA

Celebrate Independence Day with Fro-yo

Fro-yo girl here. I remember eating a bowl of strawberry fro-yo with almonds on July 4, 2008. How will you celebrate the 4th of July? Why not have a red, white and blue cup of fro-yo?

RED: Dried cherries, dried strawberries, strawberries, strawberry syrup, raspberries, raspberry puree, strawberry mochi, strawberry fro-yo, pomegranate fro-yo, watermelon, pomegranate syrup, pomegranate seeds (not in season right now)

WHITE: Plain/original tart fro-yo, vanilla fro-yo, lychee fro-yo, coconut fro-yo, marshmallow fro-yo, plain mochi, coconut mochi, yogurt chips, coconut, whipped cream, lychee, young coconut, marshmallow crème, marshmallows

BLUE: Blueberries, blueberry fro-yo, blueberry syrup, blackberries, blackberry fro-yo, taro fro-yo

July 4th Specials: Buy one, get one free from 10 AM – 2 PM at participating Yogen Fruz locations, free regular size fro-yo at Golden Spoon Castro Valley, 11 AM – 11 PM

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

* GOLDEN SPOON FROZEN YOGURT: 4065 E. Castro Valley Blvd, Castro Valley, CA

Golden Spoon Grand Opening, Free Fro-yo

Fro-yo girl here. Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt is finally opening a store in the Bay Area! To celebrate, they're giving away free fro-yo on July 3, 4 & 5th from 11 AM - 11 PM. Get a free regular-sized frozen yogurt. No purchase or coupon necessary.

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

* GOLDEN SPOON FROZEN YOGURT: 4065 E. Castro Valley Blvd., Castro Valley, CA

www.goldenspoon.com