Tutti Frutti Montebello Has Closed

 

Fro-yo girl here. It’s been almost two years since my last visit to The Shops at Montebello (I haven’t been since the pandemic) in Montebello, California. It’s not a great mall but it did have two froyo shops: Tutti Frutti and Yogurtland. The Tutti Frutti, which was upstairs, has closed for good.

The equipment and signs are still there. The cup for pens is still by the register. The pens are still in the cup. The froyo machines are still there too. But they’ve been closed for months, according to guest services. I was surprised there wasn’t a gate or something to block off access to the interior of the shop.

Tutti Frutti is still listed on the mall online directory and the directory on site as well.

Guest services told me that Ice Cool in the food court has froyo. I checked and it does – but it’s Dreyer’s. They only have one froyo machine. I really don’t like Dreyer’s froyo, so I couldn’t make myself order any.

I could not find any closing announcement…RIP, Tutti Frutti Montebello.

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.

Partial Self-Serve Returns, Indoor Mall Locations Reopen, Other Shops May Not Reopen?

Menchie's, Ocean Park, Santa Monica

Fro-yo girl here. On April 5, Los Angeles moved to the orange tier for COVID-19 restrictions. Under the orange tier, restaurants can offer 50% capacity for indoor dining. What does that mean for LA’s froyo shops? I’ve seen a few froyo shops in Los Angeles that were full service begin to offer partial self-serve again but technically, self-serve froyo is still not allowed in California. 

At most froyo places that I've been to that allow self-serve, gloves are provided. You can serve your own froyo but an employee adds the toppings. I was able to serve my own froyo and toppings at a few shops even during the height of the pandemic but most froyo shops adhered to the public health department's guidelines of not offering any self-serve. 

With so many froyo shops now offering partial self-serve, I thought it was allowed but it actually isn't yet. I have been cautious throughout the pandemic, but I would feel comfortable with self-serve froyo if customers and employees wore masks and gloves and hand sanitizer were provided. It doesn't feel fair that customers can dine indoors but they still can't serve their own froyo while wearing masks.

I haven’t seen a froyo shop that allows for indoor dining yet. But I got used to eating froyo in my car. You can eat inside a mall again, so froyo shops in indoor malls like Yogurtland Montebello and Yogurtland Century City have reopened. Yogurtand Cerritos is still “temporarily closed.” Will it ever reopen? Menchie’s on Ocean Park in Santa Monica looks like it just closed but it hasn’t been open for months. All the equipment is still inside and the signs are still up.

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.

And a Batch of Yogurtland Closures in California

Yogurtland Media Center, Burbank, CA

Fro-yo girl here. KSBY reported earlier this month that Yogurtland San Luis Obispo closed permanently, vacating 956 Higuera St. location. The shop was five years old. Sadly, I never made it there though I remember hearing about the opening.

I just found out that Yogurtland Ventura at 4960 Telephone Rd, Ste 104, also closed in 2020. The shop opened in 2013 and closed in September 2020. It was owned by the same person who owned Yogurtland Camarillo and Yogurtland Oxnard. The Oxnard location is the only one that remains open. It was a decent location – not the best, the flavors tended to be boring, but it was dependable back in 2018. From the Yelp reviews, it seems like it went downhill before closing for good.

Yogurtland’s website listed Yogurtland Burbank Media Center as temporarily closed on March 12, but I dropped by and the shop was open. They’re open Thursday - Sunday currently. Whew. I was worried.

Yogurtland also lists the following locations as temporarily closed in the LA area:

• Montebello (it’s inside the mall)
• Century City (while it’s at the mall, it is an outdoor mall)
• Cerritos Mall (it’s in an indoor mall)

Hope to see all these locations reopen soon, since Los Angeles has moved from the purple, most restrictive tier, to the red tier.

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.

Montebello, CA Froyo Updates

Fro-yo girl here. I was recently in Montebello, CA and I noticed that Froba, the froyo shop inside the laundromat, no longer serves frozen yogurt. The toppings dispensers were empty and the sign on the door said, “Frozen yogurt will remain out of service until further notice.” The shop hasn’t closed; they still serve coffee and boba drinks. Or is it called Boba Day? There was more than one shop sign, so it’s confusing. I did go there once and the frozen yogurt was okay. They carried Dannon YoCream.

Also, Frozen Yogurt and Deli has closed. Their space is still vacant. I went there once and it was okay. They carried froyo from Honey Hill Farms.

The remaining froyo shops in Montebello are Tutti Frutti and Yogurtland, both at the Shops at Montebello. I don’t like that Yogurtland location though. It’s very expensive and it’s smaller, so the selection is limited.

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

* FROBA: 888 N Garfield Ave, Montebello, CA 90640

* FROZEN YOGURT AND DELI: 2465 W Whittier Blvd., Ste 101, Montebello, CA 90640

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.