Painful Froyo Shop Closures of 2018

Fro-yo girl here. It's a fact of life that many frozen yogurt shops close every year. Some closures are much more painful than others. This is my chance to remember some of my favorite shops that closed in 2018.

* Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt, Irvine, CA: I've never been a big fan of Golden Spoon, but the owners of this location were so nice and they were doing everything right. The shop was spotless, the employees friendly, and the yogurt servings were generous.

* Pinkberry Original Farmers Market, Los Angeles, CA: This location near the movie studios and Hollywood was the site of many celebrity froyo sightings.

* Pinkberry, The Americana at Brand, Glendale, CA: This was the best Pinkberry location in San Fernando and San Gabriel Valley. The owner really cared about froyo quality. They used to have Pinkberry test flavors from time to time. I went there for the 10th Anniversary Pinkberry event. I think they must have lost their lease? They just turned 10 this year. A boring medical practice took over the location.

* Pinkberry, Santana Row, San Jose, CA: This was the first Pinkberry in the Bay Area. It turned 10, which meant the lease was up, and they closed down. I remember going to the grand opening party at night, with Yelper Ann L. According to the owner, Santana Row refused to extend the lease. 

* Yogurtland Palo Alto, CA: It's true that this Yogurtland was never the same after the ownership change, but I still have fond memories of Yogurtland Palo Alto.

* Yummy Yogurt (Rolling Hills Estates): I never made it there (I've never been to Rolling Hills Estates), but Yummy Yogurt had a 34 year run. The outpouring of love before it closed reached my ears.

While it's sad to hear that Penguin's Frozen Yogurt in La Canada Flintridge, CA and Yogurt Stop in Menlo Park, CA closed this year, after 30 and 31 years in business, respectively, I didn't enjoy my frozen yogurt at either place.

Farewell, old friends. You are missed.

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.

Yogurtland Palo Alto is Closing Very Soon

Fro-yo girl here. Thanks to my Palo Alto based froyo tipster, I’ve learned that Yogurtland Palo Alto has lost its lease and will close very soon – as soon as the supplies run out. It will likely close less than a week from now. So, if you have fond memories of Yogurtland Palo Alto, rush over there to say goodbye.

Once Yogurtland closes, there will be two froyo shops left in Palo Alto: Pinkberry and Fraiche. I think Kali on California Ave. still serves frozen yogurt, but it’s not a froyo shop.

Back in 2011, I posted pictures of Yogurtland Palo Alto before it opened. I enjoyed going there until the ownership changed. The old owners were more customer-focused and friendly. It’s still sad news for Palo Alto froyo fans though. The next closest Yogurtland location is in Mountain View.

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

* YOGURTLAND PALO ALTO: 494 University Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301

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.

Palo Alto Froyo Update

Fro-yo girl here. I have a special place in my heart for Palo Alto, CA since I used to live there and they were also way ahead of the froyo curve with Fraiche and Culture Organic Frozen Yogurt. It’s been awhile since I posted an update on the froyo scene in Palo Alto. Much has happened. Red Mango closed and reopened with Auntie Anne’s at Stanford Shopping Center, Pinkberry opened at Stanford Shopping Center in 2010, Yogurtland opened in 2011, and L’Amour, Yoppi Yogurt and Culture (so sad, it still hurts) have closed. 

Today there are five frozen yogurt shops in Palo Alto: Fraiche (the local froyo spot that makes its own yogurt and has two locations in Palo Alto), Pinkberry, Red Mango, and Yogurtland. Fraiche and Pinkberry are counter-serve while Red Mango and Yogurtland are self-serve. 

I hadn’t visited the Fraiche location on the Stanford campus for maybe a year and there have been changes. They remodeled in May 2015 and they added a new savory menu that includes salads, vegan soup, avocado toast, lox tartine, and egg white wraps. These savory items are currently only available at the Stanford location. The items are healthy and “made from scratch with simple recipes that highlight wholesome ingredients.” The items looked really good (I had to get my SF Chronicle special w/ froyo and steel cut oatmeal though). I tried their dairy-free almond milk soft serve for the first time – the chocolate hazelnut flavor was apparent but the texture was rather icy and it was also pretty sweet. I like their soy froyo better but I like soy better than chocolate.

The Axe & the Palm Cafe on the Stanford campus stopped serving froyo (why bother when Fraiche is steps away?) but it now has boba drinks, popcorn chicken and macarons.

Prices have gone way up at Yogurtland. It’s 52 cents an ounce now. It seems like the ownership may have changed.

Pressed Juicery’s Palo Alto location is one of the few in the Bay Area that offers their Freeze dairy-free soft serve. It’s not froyo but it’s refreshing and clean tasting. 

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

* FRAICHE STANFORD: 459 Lagunita Dr, Stanford, CA 94305

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 Fro-yo Shop Picture: Yogurtland Palo Alto

Fro-yo girl here. Yes, it's true...I spotted the Yogurtland Coming Soon sign at the Modernbook shop on University Avenue. While Palo Alto has plenty of quality fro-yo, it lacked a good self-serve fro-yo place (L'Amour Frozen Yogurt is expensive and inferior). It looks like the sign hasn't been there for long. I'm still reeling from the closure of Satura Cakes, so seeing Yogurtland is on the way picks up my spirits. It's going to be even more difficult to pick which fro-yo shop to go to in Palo Alto.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* YOGURTLAND PALO ALTO: 494 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA