The Loft Moves Into the Old Yogurt Haven Space in Eagle Rock

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurt Haven was the oldest froyo shop in Eagle Rock (a neighborhood in Los Angeles). The self-serve shop was open from 2009 – February 2019. Up until the end of last year, you could still see the wall where the froyo machines were inside. The space at 2256 Colorado Blvd. has finally been occupied by The Loft, a hair salon. The Loft moved from their Townsend Ave. location in Eagle Rock.

Yogurt Haven still appears on the strip mall sign.  

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.

Studio City, California Froyo Guide

 

Studio Yogurt

Fro-yo girl here. Studio City is a neighborhood in Los Angeles in Southeast San Fernando Valley. It’s a small neighborhood with a population of approximately 45,000. The neighborhood is popular with entertainment professionals and is next to Sherman Oaks and the Hollywood Hills.

The oldest froyo shop in Studio City was Studio Yogurt, which opened in 1997 and closed in 2014. Today there are two froyo shops left: Pinkberry and Chill Cafe. Pinkberry, 12044 1/2 Ventura Blvd, opened in early 2007 and it’s still offering froyo and smoothies and still counter-serve. Chill Café, 11706 Moorpark St., opened in 2009 and offers bagels, crepes, sandwiches, coffee, and self-serve froyo. It was closed for two years due to the pandemic but has reopened.

Former Froyo Shops in Studio City

• Studio Yogurt, 12050 Ventura Blvd, Ste C105 offered low carb and no sugar options, along with regular froyo. They were known for their generous portions. Yogurtland took over the Studio Yogurt space.
• Yogurt Haven, 12215 Ventura Blvd, Ste 103, was a counter-serve froyo shop that opened in 2008 and closed in 2008? It has the same name as two other froyo shops in LA that were self-serve.
• Yogurtland, 12050 Ventura Blvd, Ste C105, was a smaller Yogurtland that opened in 2015 and closed in 2019.

Pagliacci’s New York Pizzeria, 3990 Vantage Ave., used to serve pizza and froyo circa 2009 but they stopped serving froyo a long time ago. They closed in 2021. The restaurant looked older…not sure when they first opened.

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.

Painful Froyo Shop Closures of 2019

former Pinkberry La Canada location

Fro-yo girl here. Sadly, every year brings froyo shop closures in California. This was the case even in the heyday of froyo. Of the 48 froyo shops that closed in 2019, I visited 21 of them. These are the ones that I will miss the most:

• OMG! Dessert Lounge, Anaheim: This was an interesting funky independent shop in the gas station parking lot that had self-serve froyo, freakshakes, macarons, cheesecakes, smoothies, milkshakes, frappes, etc. The froyo was better than average. 
• Pinkberry: Every location that closes brings pain, since there are so few left. This year’s casualties include the Blossom Hill location in San Jose, Hillcrest in San Diego, La Canada Flintridge, Little Tokyo (downtown Los Angeles), Newport Beach, San Francisco, and Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica. San Francisco no longer has a Pinkberry, unless you count the one at the SFO Airport. Very sad! Outside of the airport, the remaining Bay Area locations are in Sunnyvale and Palo Alto. I used to visit the La Canada and Little Tokyo locations. The La Canada location, which is now a ramen shop called Kotsu, had machine issues for a long time. Little Tokyo, which is now a Somi Somi (soft serve taiyaki chain) was better. Now there’s no Pinkberry in downtown LA. 
• Yogurt Haven was Eagle Rock’s (a neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles) first froyo shop. The space is still available. It opened in 2010. The froyo was decent but it did excel at building a sense of community with its open mic nights, live music, and other local events.
• Yogurtland Westwood Village, Los Angeles: This was the last self-serve froyo shop in Westwood Village, across from UCLA. Another froyo shop called Frozen Land took over the space but it’s not self-serve.
• Yumi Yogurt Redwood City: I wrote about this closure early. The Redwood City location was Yumi Yogurt’s very first. It closed after 35 years of serving froyo. The lease was up and the owner couldn’t afford to renovate the old building in order to stay at that location. The building will be torn down and replaced with boring office buildings.

Farewell, old friends. You are missed.

I was tempted to add Fraiche Yogurt in Palo Alto to this list (the shop closed on December 10), but I noticed years ago that the quality had declined. I first noticed this about two or three years ago, right around the time the ownership changed. Friends noticed it too. It's a shame...they had the best housemade mochi. It sounds like their SFO Airport location has also gone downhill. Fraiche Palo Alto was Steve Jobs' favorite froyo shop. 

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.

Yogurt Haven Closing Soon in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, CA

Fro-yo girl here. The rumors are true. Yogurt Haven (2256 Colorado Blvd., Ste 101, Los Angeles) is closing at the end of this month. You still have a few days to go there and grab one last cup of frozen yogurt and use your gift cards. Tonight is their final Open Mic night, from 5 PM – 8 PM.

Yogurt Haven Eagle Rock would have turned 10 years old this August, but it is closing at the end of this month. It was the first froyo shop in Eagle Rock when it opened in 2009. Their first location was actually in Studio City. That location opened (and closed) in 2008. In 2011, Yogurt Haven opened a third location in Valley Glen (Los Angeles) in 2011.

I got my last cup of froyo, peanut butter frozen yogurt with peanut butter sauce, whipped cream, Butterfinger, and a cookie divider. It was 52 cents/oz.

After Yogurt Haven closes, Eagle Rock will have two froyo shops: Yogurtland and Menchie’s.

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.

Yogurt Haven Celebrates 8 Years in Eagle Rock

Fro-yo girl here. Happy 8th anniversary to Yogurt Haven Eagle Rock. The anniversary celebration this weekend included 50% off all purchases, raffles, prizes, live music and the introduction of their new offering, Dole Whip Floats.

I went when the live band was there and the place was packed. I didn’t see or hear anything about raffles or prizes but I did see Dole Whip floats.

Yogurt Haven was the first froyo shop in Eagle Rock. It’s Boba Time opened across the street in 2014. While it’s primarily a drink shop, it does have froyo. Yogurt Haven added boba drinks even before It’s Boba Time opened, froninis (frozen yogurt pressed donut sandwiches), crepes, and floats.

Yogurtland opened in the next plaza in 2015 and then Menchie’s opened not far away this year. It’s a very competitive area for froyo. Yogurt Haven currently charges 50 cents an ounce compared to Yogurtland’s 47 cents/oz and Menchie’s 51 cents/oz.

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

* YOGURT HAVEN: 2256 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles (Eagle Rock), CA 90041

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 Pictures: Menchie’s Eagle Rock

Fro-yo girl here. Eagle Rock, a neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles, is home to Occidental College and the famous Eagle Rock (the rock with the image of an eagle with outstretched wings). It will soon have its first Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt.

The new Menchie’s will be located in the recently remodeled shopping center anchored by Sprouts. It’s a few blocks from Yogurtland’s Eagle Rock location. There will be 12 self-serve flavors a day. They’re hiring. Email your resume to menchieseaglerock@gmail.com 

Yogurt Haven was the first froyo shop in town. It's Boba Time also serves frozen yogurt.

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

* MENCHIE’S EAGLE ROCK: 4929 N Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90041

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 Fro-yo Toppings: Pop Rocks, Jubes nata de coco

Fro-yo girl. I’m constantly trying new fro-yo toppings at home. I remember Yogurt Haven was the first place I knew that offered strawberry pop rocks as a topping. Yogurtland just started selling packets of Green Apple Pop Rocks to go with Marvin the Martian’s Kosmic Fruit Kaboom Sorbet.

What happens with Pop Rocks meet frozen yogurt? I gave it a try. It’s definitely an interesting experience. The Pop Rocks start popping and fizzing the moment they come in contact with the fro-yo and the action continues for a long time.

I’ve tried nata de coco on fro-yo at a few fro-yo shops (not many carry nata de coco) and liked it, so when I saw Jubes flavored nata de coco at Pacific Supermarket, I wanted to try it. I tried the mango flavor which I really liked though the mango flavor is very, very faint. A pouch (360g) was 99 cents. Nata de coco is a refreshing, firm, chewy jelly (in small cubes) produced by fermenting coconut water.

Ingredients: nata de coco, water, sugar, mango, citric acid, honey

Jubes nata de coco is available in the following flavors: lychee, mango, strawberry, pandan, original, grape and can be purchased online from Asian Grocer.

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

* PACIFIC SUPERMARKET: 1015 El Camino Real, South 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.