An Update on Loop Neighborhood, Froyo Disappears

 

where the froyo station used to be

Fro-yo girl here. In 2015, I wrote about Loop Neighborhood, the new kind of convenience store founded in Northern California in 2013 and located at Shell gas stations. Loop carried healthier options and had a modern, sleek design. Some of their stores even offered self-serve froyo. They chose top-of-the-line Electro Freeze soft serve machines, Dannon Yo Cream froyo, and flat-rate pricing. I went once and the froyo was too soft – so there was some issue with how they were using and maintaining those soft serve machines, unfortunately. 

Over the years, I watched Loop grow and I was excited because it meant more places to get froyo. In 2017, Loop had 23 locations in Northern California. By 2020, Loop had 35 stores and 33 of them offered self-serve froyo. The Loop website indicated which locations offered froyo.

And then the pandemic struck. I’m assuming that this is why they stopped offering froyo. Self-serve froyo wasn’t allowed for about a year.

Do any Loop Markets still carry froyo? The Union City branch removed the froyo machines and toppings bar and that area is now used for storage. I have the before (2018) and after pictures (2024).

where the froyo toppings used to be

froyo machines

Loop's website lists the features (e.g., coffee, car wash, Amazon lockers) and which locations offer each, but froyo is no longer on the website.

Loop currently has 56 markets in California. Other gas station convenience stores still offer self-serve froyo and they survived the pandemic, but those stores are not in California.

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 Coming to Union City, CA (Bringing More Froyo?)

Fro-yo girl here. I first wrote about Loop Neighborhood in May 2015. At the time, it had about a dozen locations in Northern California. The first location opened in June 2013. Loop seeks to be a new kind of convenience store, with a nicer café, water for your pets, healthier food, a soup bar, coffee and a frozen yogurt stand, featuring self-serve froyo and toppings.

Loop currently has 23 locations in Northern California and a new one is being built at the corner of Decoto Rd. and Alvarado-Niles Blvd. in Union City, CA. There was a Shell Gas station at that corner before but it’s been demolished.

I assume that the new location will have froyo.

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

* LOOP NEIGHBORHOOD: 32187 Alvarado Niles Rd., Union City, CA 94587

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.