Froyo Scene in Downey, CA

 

Fro-yo girl here. Downey is a city in Southeast Los Angeles County with a current population of 108,816. It’s the home of the original Taco Bell. The city's median household income was $87,400 in 2023, and the per capita income was $37,122.

Currently, there are three places to get froyo: Yogurtland, Mangos, and Pita GR. My favorite of the three is definitely Pita GR. Penguin’s was probably the first froyo shop in town.

Current places to get froyo

• Mangos Frozen Yogurt, 130 Stonewood St., replaced Wild Berry at Stonewood Mall in 2019. It is also a self-serve froyo shop.
• Pita GR, 9905 Paramount Blvd., is a fine-fast casual Greek street food eatery that opened in late September 2018. They make their own frozen Greek yogurt with their own recipe. There's only one flavor, plain. It can be topped with sour cherry syrup, lemon preserve, housemade baklava, or wildflower honey. It’s really good – best place for froyo in Downey.
• Yogurtland, 8250 Firestone Blvd, opened in 2013 at the Downey Gateway.

Closed froyo shops

• Blizz, 10033 Paramount Blvd, Ste E, was an outpost of a LA-based self-serve froyo franchise. The Downey branch opened in 2009 and closed in 2021. In addition to froyo, they had crepes, acai bowls, juice, and more.
• Menchie’s, 12146 Lakewood Blvd, opened in 2011 and closed during 2020, probably due to the pandemic.
• Penguin’s Frozen Yogurt, 9234 Lakewood Blvd, opened a long time ago and closed in 2010.
• U-Swirl, 8855 Apollo Way St. 220, opened in 2016 and closed in 2020. It was an outpost of a self-serve froyo chain.
• Wild Berry, 130 Stonewood St, was a self-serve froyo shop that first opened at Stonewood Mall in 2011. It closed in 2019 and was replaced by another self-serve froyo shop, Mangos.

Prinkipia at the mall didn’t have froyo, though some of their other locations did. Did I miss any froyo shops in Downey? Let me know.

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 Brea, California

Fro-yo girl here. Brea is a city in northern Orange County that's about thirty miles southeast of Los Angeles. The word Brea means “tar” in Spanish and reflects the city’s history as a center for crude oil production. The population of Brea in 2022 was 46,993 with a median household income of $122,051. It's smaller than neighboring Yorba Linda and La Habra.

TCBY was probably the first froyo shop in town or it could have been Golden Spoon. It was inside the Brea Mall. I’m not sure when it opened or closed. The newer shops were mostly self-serve. 

Yogurtland is the only froyo shop left in Brea. However, there are two places to get soft serve froyo in Brea in 2024. With Pita GR opening in Brea, Brea residents have access to froyo with housemade baklava. Drool. 

Current Froyo Shops

• Pita GR, 2445 E Imperial Hwy, Unit F, opened in August 2023. This is the second location. The first opened in Downey in September 2018. The chef is Greek and they make their own Greek froyo. The froyo toppings are Greek-inspired. It's not a froyo shop but a fast-casual restaurant that serves froyo.
• Yogurtland, 730 E Imperial Hwy B, opened in 2009. The froyo was $0.30/oz back then. Yogurtland was founded in Orange County; the first location was in Fullerton.

Former Froyo Shops

• Freshii, 855 E Birch St, was inside Target Brea from 2016 – 2017. They served bowls, smoothies, and froyo. Target closed all the Target Freshii locations in 2017.
• Golden Spoon, 101 E Imperial Hwy # D, closed in 2017 and seems to have been open before 2008. It had the older Golden Spoon look. It was counter-serve. Golden Spoon was founded in Orange County.
• Pinkberry, 1623 E Imperial Highway, opened in 2011 in Brea Plaza and closed in 2015. It was one of the few self-serve locations.
• Prinkipia Frozen Yogurt, 315 N Puente St, Ste G, has no reviews so I’m not sure when it opened or closed. It was self-serve.
• TCBY, 2116 Brea Mall, was inside the Brea Mall. I couldn’t find the opening or closing date.
• Tutti Frutti, 955 E Birch St, opened in 2009 and closed in 2016. It was self-serve and $0.35/oz in 2009.
• Yogurt Hub, 1065 Brea Mall, opened inside Brea Mall in 2017 and might have closed in 2017. It was self-serve and offered 18 froyo flavors a day.

Did I miss any froyo shops in Brea? Let me know.

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.

Pita GR Opens in Brea, California (North Orange County)

Pita GR in Brea, CA

Spaceman USA machine

Greek froyo with vissino

Fro-yo girl here. I was out of town for one week and missed the grand opening of Pita GR in Brea, CA, on August 8. During the grand opening, they even served free lunch: a pita or a salad with a beverage.

Pita GR is a Greek street food fast casual restaurant that first opened in Downey, CA in September 2018. The chef is Greek. The restaurant is inspired by the traditional Greek pita sandwich shops in Greece. The Brea location is their second and their first in Orange County.

They make their own frozen Greek yogurt with their own recipe. There's one flavor, plain, with Greek toppings: Greek honey, housemade baklava or Greek sour cherry preserves. You can also enjoy the froyo plain. I noticed they switched soft serve machines and now use Spaceman USA (the Downey location has a Carpigiani soft serve freezer).

Greek froyo with vissino ($6): Their Greek froyo is excellent: smooth, creamy, dense. It tastes fresh, mildly tangy, and has a clean finish. It doesn’t seem as sweet or processed as the froyo you get most places. They layered the froyo with sour cherries and sour cherry syrup. The cherries are more sweet than sour but the syrup makes the froyo tangier.

The food is good too! I usually get a salad and froyo for dessert.

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

* PITA GR: 2445 E Imperial Hwy, Unit F, Brea, CA 92821

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.

2020 Froyo Guide to Los Angeles

Pita GR

Fro-yo girl here. My froyo guide to greater Los Angeles will be six years old in October. With so many froyo changes since then, the guide could definitely use an update. Some of the shops in the 2014 guide have closed (e.g., Yogurtland CityWalk, SweetXO) or moved (e.g., Humphrey Yogart).

Downtown/Central LA

Spread Mediterranean Kitchen (334 S Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90034) isn’t a froyo shop and that’s a good thing because you can enjoy a delicious meal here with froyo for dessert. They also have craft cocktails. I like getting the hummus plate with lamb meatballs or falafel, cheesy and spicy style. I also like how the froyo comes in a mini size, perfect for dessert or a snack. The housemade Greek froyo comes in one flavor, plain and it’s icy and refreshing. Note: Spread is currently a specialty market (delivery or pickup only).

Craving super flavorful, tart froyo? Head to an ice cream shop! Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams in Los Feliz (1954 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027) makes scoopable frozen yogurt that will leave tart froyo lovers swooning. Rainbow Yo features three tangy froyo flavors all made with biodynamic dairy from Ohio.

Yoga-urt

East

21 Choices Frozen Yogurt (44 N Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, CA 91105, additional locations in Claremont, CA) stays on the list because it offers something hard to find: housemade froyo flavors that you can customize with mix-ins. Your custom flavor is mixed before your eyes on a frozen marble slab. They’re known for unique flavors like Circus Animal and Nutella Cookie Dough. If you love toppings, this is the place for you. If you like your froyo with more texture, try their Crunchy Choices which has bigger pieces of toppings. 

Yoga-urt (two locations: 1407½ W Kenneth Rd., Glendale, CA 91202 & 2211 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026) was the first plant-based, gluten-free, kosher, soy-free, organic “froyo” shop in Los Angeles. I’m thrilled that they’ve done well enough to open a second shop in Echo Park. They make their own froyo (yes, it is froyo because it’s probiotic) from scratch. The main base is almond and cashew milk. Their flavors are unique and often intriguing, e.g., Purple Power has beets, Ganesha’s Sweet Greens has spinach. Their yogurt is so fresh and delicious that you don't miss the dairy at all. My favorite flavors are Vanilla Harmony, True Tahini, Pistachio Passion, and Ganesha’s Sweet Greens. 

West Side

While the original Pinkberry location in West Hollywood has closed, the Beverly Hills Pinkberry (240 S Beverly Dr #A, Beverly Hills, CA 90212) continues to offer what Pinkberry is known for: original tart froyo and a chance to spot a celebrity or two. While you’re in Beverly Hills, you can walk over to the next spot, Go Greek.

Another returning shop from the 2016 guide, Go Greek (425 N Bedford Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210, other locations in Santa Monica, Woodland Hills & Las Vegas) offers self-serve premium froyo made with Greek yogurt, smoothies, and fresh Greek yogurt. Authentic imported Greek toppings like sour cherry, quince, rose and carrot are available. Their froyo is super thick, creamy, and rich.

South

Pita GR (9905 Paramount Blvd., Downey, CA 90240) is a fast casual Greek street food eatery with a Greek chef. They make their own frozen Greek yogurt with their own recipe. There's only one flavor, plain. It can be topped with sour cherry syrup, lemon preserve, housemade baklava, or wildflower honey. The food is also delicious. Warning, the froyo is large so don’t order a big meal. Save room for froyo!

OC

Yes, there are countless Yogurtland locations in Southern California, but there’s only one original location and it’s in Fullertion. Yogurtland Fullerton (501 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA 92831) opened in February 2006 and has been remodeled several times over the year, but a few things stayed the same: self-serve froyo and proprietary froyo flavors.

San Fernando Valley

Menchie’s started in Valley Village, CA in May 2007 and grew to become the largest self-serve froyo franchise in the world. The original location feels different. The décor is a bit different and the service is something that every Menchie’s should strive towards. Even the cheerful phone manner makes this location different. It’s always clean and well-stocked.

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.

Blogiversary Number 11 for Fro-Yo Girl Speaks

Fro-yo girl here. It’s hard to believe that Fro-Yo Girl Speaks is over 10 years old. Today marks the eleventh anniversary of my very first blog post. Eleven years is a long time and I still love froyo. Here’s a quick overview of what I’ve been up to over the last year.

Pasadena fro-yo update: My favorite Yogurtland location on Lake Ave. in Pasadena changed ownership late last year, raised prices, and went down hill. I’m very sad about it. I miss the owner, Steve, and the employees (the old ones left). Yogurtland Old Town Pasadena closed. I haven’t been going to Yogurtland as often as I did in previous years. On a positive note, 21 Choices just reopened, after moving from De Lacey and Colorado to chose to the new food hall on Union at Fair Oaks.

Progress towards meeting the blog’s original goal: I had to change my old goal of going to every froyo shop in the Bay Area to going to every froyo shop in greater Los Angeles. The rate of new openings has slowed and more froyo shops have closed, so I’m making good progress. I think I’ve been to every froyo shop within a 15-20 mile radius of my residence. I’m moving onto the 20-30 mile range, including Downey, Compton, and Santa Monica

Froyo spoon collection: I was able to sell about half of my extra froyo spoons on eBay. Hope I can sell more spoons in the future.

Soft and grand openings attended this year: So far, I’ve been to the openings of Yoga-urt in Echo Park, Menchie’s Sycamore Hills (Upland, CA), 21 Choices Frozen Yogurt in Old Town Pasadena and Eb & Bean #3 in Portland, Oregon. 

Current froyo obsessions: We're regulars at Yoga-urt in Glendale and Echo Park. So much about Yoga-urt is amazing - the vegan, organic soft serve, those crunchy gluten-free housemade cones, the housemade chocolate sauce. Drool. I still go to Souvla every time I go to SF. And I think about Pita GR's Greek frozen yogurt all the time but Downey isn't close, unfortunately.

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.

The Best Frozen Yogurt in Los Angeles Is Not Where You Think It Is

Fro-yo girl here. When someone asks, where’s the best frozen yogurt, do you automatically think of a frozen yogurt shop? I know that I did, for many years. But that’s partly because froyo shops were the only place to get frozen yogurt and coffeehouses, bakeries, convenience stores, and other places that added frozen yogurt seemed to do so as an afterthought. Frozen yogurt wasn’t their main business, so they didn’t seem to invest much time or effort in creating a high-quality product. Even many frozen yogurt shops served mass-produced, overly sweet frozen yogurt because it was easy and cheap.

The popularity and mainstreaming of frozen yogurt had the benefit of attracting a diverse group of entrepreneurs, some of which wanted to put their own spin on frozen yogurt. Specifically, there was a trend towards chef-driven fast-casual restaurant concepts in the late that emphasized convenience, affordability, and quality. And some of these chef-driven fast-casual concepts started offering frozen yogurt, but not mass-produced frozen yogurt. The recipes were developed by chefs and the yogurt was made in small batches. The end result is fresher, healthier (typically they use less sugar), higher in quality and all around tastier.

You may be wondering where to get your hands on this type of frozen yogurt. In the Los Angeles area, I recommend:

Spread Mediterranean Kitchen (334 S Main St., Los Angeles): Spread opened in downtown LA in 2016, offering one flavor (plain), of housemade Greek frozen yogurt. Their froyo has actually gotten better over time and I’ve always loved their creative toppings like beet salt & citrus powder and sour cherry. I also enjoy the food, especially the falafel over hummus, cheesy & spicy style.

Pita GR (9905 Paramount Blvd., Downey): Pita GR (the GR stands for Greek) is a fine-fast casual Greek street food eatery that opened in late September 2018. The chef is Greek. They make their own frozen Greek yogurt with their own recipe. There's only one flavor, plain. It can be topped with sour cherry syrup, lemon preserve, housemade baklava, or wildflower honey. Everything about this frozen yogurt is incredible – the texture, the flavor, the toppings.

Yoga-urt (1407½ W Kenneth Rd., Glendale): Yoga-urt was the first plant-based, gluten-free, kosher, soy-free, organic “froyo” shop in Los Angeles. They make their own froyo (it’s probiotic) from scratch. The main base is almond and cashew milk. Their flavors are unique and often intriguing, e.g., Purple Power has beets, Ganesha’s Sweet Greens has spinach. Their yogurt is so fresh and delicious that you don't miss the dairy at all.

LA isn’t the only city with froyo created using chef recipes. Souvla in San Francisco, CA definitely falls in this category. There are other places throughout the country, including fine dining establishments in New York, Boston, Chicago, Portland, etc. I haven't tried froyo at the fine dining establishments. If you're wondering where those are, there's a Pinterest board dedicated to froyo at fine dining establishments. Call ahead, because their menus do change.

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.

My Froyo Wish List for 2019

Fro-yo girl here. It’s time for my annual froyo wish list for 2019. Before revealing my wishes for the new year, I like to see if any of my previous wishes from this time last year came true.

Last January I wished for the following:

First, let's see if any of my 2018 wishes came true. Last year I wished for:

* More soy froyo (or tofu soft serve)

Update: The anti-soy sentiment seems to explain the lack of new soymilk based flavors, though I did have some great soymilk soft serve at Big Softee, the new soft serve ice cream shop in Monterey Park, CA.

* Bring back the tart

Update: It was a bad year for tart flavors – didn’t see many new ones. However, Pinkberry did come through with a tarter tart flavor, the new green tea lemonade. It was like they read my mind since the flavor I missed the most was green tea tart froyo. Thanks Pinkberry!

* More Halloween froyo spoons

Update: It was another very slow year for collectible froyo spoons, but Menchie’s did come out with color changing Halloween spoons. I have so many froyo spoons that it’s probably good that the era of collectible froyo spoons is nearing an end. At this point, I don’t want too many new froyo spoons and I’d like to get rid of some of the extra ones that I have.

* Good bubble waffles

Update: Several new places offer these but they’re not froyo shops. Most of them are boba and ice cream shops. Cauldron Ice Cream’s bubble waffles are accessible but they aren’t that good.

So, some of my 2018 froyo wishes did come true. Interestingly, my 2017 wish of trying llaollao is a little closer to coming true, since they opened their first location in the US (in Houston). The next US location will be in Miami. Way back in 2013 I wished to be served by a froyo robot and that seems likely to happen soon.

My froyo wishes for 2019 are:

• Have Pita GR open in Pasadena. Pita GR opened this year in Downey, CA. I love their housemade frozen Greek yogurt. It’s amazing, even better than Souvla’s. I know they plan to open a Greek donut place next but I’m hoping to see them in Pasadena in a year or two. 
• Yellow sesame/tahini froyo. Mr. Froyo has been asking about this flavor for years, so I guess it’s more his wish than mine, but I do love tahini. 
• Frozen skyr. I still love skyr and would love to try a frozen version. Or I’d be happy with a lower sugar froyo, even if it means higher fat (and it probably would). 

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.

New Frozen Greek Yogurt Alert: Pita GR in Downey, CA

Fro-yo girl here. Pita GR (the GR stands for Greek) is a fine-fast casual Greek street food eatery that opened in late September 2018. The chef is Greek. I also learned that there's a good number of Greeks living in Downey and a Greek church.

The menu is simple: choose lamb (soulva or lamb chops), pork (yeero or souvlaki), chicken souvla or roasted sweet potato as a pita sandwich, salad or plate/merida. They also have dips, meat sold by weight, sides, desserts, Greek beer, Greek wine, drinks and GREEK FROZEN YOGURT with sour cherry syrup, lemon preserve, housemade baklava, or wildflower honey.

They make their own frozen Greek yogurt with their own recipe and they make their own baklava as well. There's only one flavor, plain.

* Frozen Greek yogurt with crumbled baklava ($5): I was impressed they had a shiny new Carpigiani soft serve machine. The set up, toppings, machine and cups made me think of Souvla SF. However, Pita GR’s Greek frozen yogurt is better than Souvla’s – and I love Souvla’s. There’s one flavor, plain, and the texture is amazing – it’s thick and smooth, it’s not icy or too creamy either. It tastes fresh and mildly tangy, with a clean finish. They make it with Greek yogurt. The baklava was fresh and soft. If I lived closer, I’d come for the froyo all the time. It's amazing.

Oh, the owners plan to open a Greek donut (loukoumades) shop next, at 9232 Lakewood Blvd. in Downey. They won't have froyo at the donut shop. Greek froyo with fresh loukoumades sounds divine, doesn't it?

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.