Exciting Changes at Bon Bon Berry in West LA

 

Fro-yo girl here. New ownership took over Bon Bon Berry in West LA about nine months ago. The menu has been streamlined to feature better-quality products with a renewed focus on customer service. The space has been redesigned to be cozier and more inviting, making it perfect for families, students, and anyone looking to unwind. There’s free Wi-Fi, plenty of outlets, and spacious indoor and outdoor patio seating. Parking is convenient in the shared lot, and prices are wallet-friendly. And you can earn free acai bowls and free froyo with the frequent buyer card.

The menu includes four daily froyo flavors—tart, vanilla, chocolate, and one rotating sorbet—as well as refreshing smoothies and their best-selling acai bowls, which are vegan, customizable, and packed with delicious toppings. For those who prefer to enjoy their treats at home, delivery is available within a 10-mile radius, including delivery by robot!

Looking ahead, Bon Bon Berry has exciting plans in store. A grand opening and ribbon-cutting event will be held in collaboration with the local chamber of commerce. Pop-up events on the UCLA campus, street teams, and influencer collaborations will help spread the word. They’re also preparing to unveil a brand-new menu item soon—stay tuned for the big reveal! Additionally, the space is available for rental, and they offer catering for events of all kinds.

Stay up to date with the latest news by following their new Instagram account: @bonbonberryla_

* BON BON BERRY: 1848 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

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.

Mrs. Chips Cookies in Sherman Oaks Adds Froyo

Fro-yo girl here. Cookie shops are having a moment, thanks to all the buzz surrounding Crumbl Cookies. In six years, Crumbl Cookies has grown to 700 stores. Other new cookie shops are opening as well, including Mrs. Chips Cookies, which opened in March 2023, after several years as a home-based business.

Mrs. Chips Cookies sells fresh cookies, baked in small batches, coffee, other beverages, frozen yogurt, and ice cream sandwiches from a pink takeout window in Sherman Oaks, a neighborhood in Los Angeles. Cookies are $3.25 each with discounts if you buy 6 or more.

I was there for the froyo, of course, but I also bought cookies. There’s one flavor of froyo, vanilla, and two toppings: sprinkles and chocolate chips. A froyo cone is only $3.25 and toppings, $0.20 cents. It’s a small cone but I like that – it leaves room for a cookie too. There are no plans to carry other froyo flavors. Why aren’t chopped cookies a topping?

Vanilla froyo: thick, rich, and very creamy. It reminded me of the soft serve that Mc Donald’s or Dairy Queen served, something similar to a frozen custard.

The cookies are smaller but thick and very moist. My favorite was the snickerdoodle. Park in the back but it’s tricky to get there (it’s right by the freeway entrance).

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

* MRS. CHIP’S COOKIES: 4533 Sepulveda Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

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.

La Dolce Vita Gelato in Milpitas Serves Froyo

Fro-yo girl here. La Dolce Vita Gelato opened late last year (December?) inside the Great Mall in Milpitas. The shop is in the main food court area. While it is a gelato shop, the sign also says frozen yogurt. They have one froyo machine and two flavors a day. They’ve been rotating the froyo flavors. I think one is usually dairy-free and one is dairy-based. During my visit they had strawberry (dairy-free) and vanilla (dairy). A small is $6 and comes with up to 6 toppings, a medium $7 with up to 7 toppings, a large $8 with up to 8 toppings. They didn’t have that many toppings to choose from though: fresh fruit, sprinkles, candy, nuts, chocolate chips, granola, coconut, sauces, etc. Half of the toppings containers were empty.

Vanilla froyo (small, $6): This was an interesting froyo – lots of vanilla flavor (visible bean specks) and a very tangy yogurt flavor (tangier than average). I don’t encounter tangy vanilla froyo too often. The texture was thick, smooth, and creamy. It tasted natural and had a tangy aftertaste. Some of the toppings I tried tasted stale. They give you a lot for your money. I’d prefer a smaller size.

Strawberry sorbet (soft-serve): I received a sample of this and was impressed by how thick and creamy it was, without adding dairy. Their sorbet is good, better than the usual soft serve sorbet.

In addition to froyo and gelato, they serve Illy coffee, crepes, and waffle bites.

LA DOLCE VITA: 170 Great Mall Dr, Milpitas, CA 95035

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.

Pinkberry Closes at Newport Fashion Island in Newport Beach, CA

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve been trying to go to every Pinkberry with an added sense of urgency, because they keep closing. I went to Fashion Island really wanting to go to Pinkberry after doing some shopping, only to learn that the shop closed less than a week ago, according to mall employees.

I don’t know why Pinkberry closed but it opened in April 2008 and was over 10 years old. Pinkberry Fashion Island was their 50th location when it opened. Maybe they lost their lease? Their Facebook page has already been taken down.

Fashion Island has a Pressed Juicery that serves Freeze, the vegan soft serve, and Bloomingdale’s has froyo. At least there’s still froyo at Fashion Island. I was actually so devastated that I forgot to go to Bloomingdale’s for froyo.

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

* PINKBERRY: 941 Newport Center Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92660

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 Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt Pint Review

Fro-yo girl here. It felt like it took forever for me to find the new Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt pints in Southern California. I kept checking at different stores for two months. Target is finally starting to stock Yasso pints in Southern California. A pint is $4.99.

The new pint flavors are:

• Best of Both Swirlds (chocolate and vanilla froyo) 
• Caramel Pretzelmania (sea salt caramel pretzel froyo w/ pieces of chocolate covered pretzel and a caramel swirl) 
• Chocolate PB & Yay (chocolate froyo w/ peanut butter swirl & peanut butter chips) – why couldn’t this be peanut butter froyo with chocolate chips? 
• Coffee Brownie Break (coffee froyo w/ brownies & crushed cookies) 
• Loco Coco Caramel (toasted caramel froyo w/ caramel swirl & chocolate chips) 
• Mint Champion Chip (mint froyo w/ chocolate chips) 
• Party Animal (cake flavored froyo w/ cake chunks & sprinkles) 
• Rolling in the Dough (vanilla froyo w/ cookie dough pieces & chocolate chips) 

The only flavor that appeals to me is Mint Champion Chip, because the others sound too sweet, with brownies, cookie dough, sprinkles, etc. I do like chocolate chips in my ice cream/froyo though. And I liked Yasso’s mint frozen Greek yogurt sandwiches.

* Mint Championship frozen Greek yogurt: It’s gluten free with live & active cultures, rBST free milk and no high intensity sweeteners. One serving is 130 calories, 3.5g fat, 16g sugars, 6g protein. I really don’t like the taste of Stevia, so I was relieved that Yasso doesn’t use it. The peppermint frozen yogurt was light and refreshing. The chocolate flakes added crunch and chocolate flavor. I liked the color too – not a deep unnatural green. The texture wasn’t icy or creamy but something in between. I liked it a lot because it was flavorful and natural tasting. It could use more chocolate flakes though.

Ingredients: Nonfat milk, Greek yogurt (nonfat milk, yogurt cultures), sugar, chocolate flake (confectioner’s sugar, coconut oil, dutch processed cocoa, cocoa butter oil, soy lecithin, natural flavor), cream, milk protein concentrate, dextrose, maltodextrin, locust bean gum, natural flavors, spirulina extract, fruit juice, soy lecithin guar gum.

4 out of 5 stars.

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.

Pinkberry is Being Served at Clifton’s Republic in Downtown Los Angeles

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve been wanting to go to The Pacific Seas tiki bar inside Clifton’s Republic since it opened last fall but I heard that reservations were necessary and that they were booked for weeks. So, I decided to wait for the excitement to die down before going. I didn’t actually see the Pacific Seas because we went too early in the day (it opens at 6 PM), but we decided to check out Clifton’s Cafeteria instead.

Clifton’s is hard to describe but it’s a part of old LA history (Ray Bradbury and Walt Disney were regulars). It was a well-known chain of cafeterias, with the original location founded in downtown LA in 1931. This location was reopened in 2015 under new ownership. It’s much more than a cafeteria. There are multiple levels with the cafeteria, a ballroom, The Monarch Bar, the Gothic Bar, Pacific Seas tiki bar, gift shop and interesting décor.

People come because of the over the top fantasy décor. There’s a huge redwood tree in the center, more trees, a waterfall, taxidermy (buffalo, bear, peacocks, foxes, etc.), and a rock like chapel you can enter. The place is like a forest meets lodge, meets natural history museum. The interior is dark and it feels like you’re stepping into a different world.

The cafeteria is pretty amazing – so many options and it’s nicer than it used to be (prices are higher too, but not crazy). They serve free range chicken and use quality ingredients. There’s a salad/soup station, carving station, pizza/sandwich station, fresh baked pastries, breakfast bar (we were there on brunch), dessert station (cakes, jello, pies), PINKBERRY station, Stumptown Coffee, Rishi tea, housemade lemonade, etc. Grab a tray and get what looks appealing. Some of the items are cooked to order.

And yes, they have frozen yogurt. They used to serve soft serve ice cream and switched to Pinkberry a few months ago. This is the only place in the downtown core to get Pinkberry!!!! And you can serve yourself. There aren’t as many toppings. Toppings included gummy bears, nuts, coconut, yogurt chips, peanut butter chips, crumbled Oreos, mini M&Ms and granola. A small is $4.95 and a medium is $5.95, flat rate. Sadly, the machine didn’t have a sign saying frozen yogurt and the flavors, original and pomegranate, weren’t even labeled. I didn’t get the feeling that they ever offered other flavors.

* Pinkberry original and pomegranate frozen yogurt: The texture was icier than usual but the flavor was definitely Pinkberry!

This must be the most interesting place to get Pinkberry and the only flat rate, self-serve location that I know of. If you have good swirling skills, you can get a lot for $5 plus tax.

I still have to visit the Pacific Seas, but I doubt it has frozen yogurt.

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

* CLIFTON’S REPUBLIC: 648 S Broadway, Los Angeles (Downtown), CA 90014

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.

626 Night Market Dessert Roundup

Fro-yo girl here. This was my second visit to the 626 Night Market, “the original and largest Asian-themed night market in the United States.” It’s as crowded and crazy as ever but there is food everywhere and so many desserts. What’s nice about the 626 Night Market is that it has become a showcase for new Asian food/dessert trends. The trendy foods are the most popular.

Most of the desserts featured ice cream but in different forms and it was clear that the crowds appreciated novelty. Here’s an overview of the ice cream/froyo offerings: 

• Choctal: prepackaged chocolate and vanilla single origin ice creams
• Crescendo Ice Cream: nitrogen infused ice cream isn’t that novel any more but they also had Singaporean style “ice cream bread.” Ice cream bread features ice cream served with a slice of soft bread. You’re supposed to fold the bread around the ice cream. In Singapore they like using rainbow colored bread with a block of ice cream. Crescendo used plain white bread.
• Dolcissimo: ice cream macaron sandwiches – these were popular of course, the Cookies & Cream one sold out first.
• Frach’s Fried Ice Cream Truck: a decadent creation – ice cream in the middle, cake shell and a crispy fried batter
• Ice Cream Garden: I knew that potted drinks were a trend but now there’s potted ice cream. I don’t really get it. They’re cute I guess.
• Matcha Mochi: Froyo! Matcha Mochi had two flavors, matcha green tea and English Earl grey. You could get a cup ($4) or add toppings (Chinese chewy boiled rice balls, red bean paste, fan waffle cookie) for an additional $2. Both froyo flavors were nice – strong tea flavor, creamy, light texture. The yogurt flavor was overwhelmed though. 
• Melting Fire: crossnut ice cream sandwich (a croissant donut ice cream sandwich)
• Ridges Churro Bar: different kinds of churros plus churro ice cream
• Three Twins: organic prepackaged ice cream
• UniqCone: ice cream J shaped hooks – this strange looking double-ended creation features a corn puff cone that’s filled with soft serve vanilla ice cream (but could easily be filled with froyo). The design eliminates drippy cones. UniqCone makes its own cones and the soft serve machines are modified to make it easy to fill the cones. The J-shaped “Jipangyi” cones started on the streets of Korea…like so many food trends.

None of the dessert or boba places was as popular as Main Squeeze lemonade; people wanted the light up mason jars. RAMNUTS (ramen donuts made with horchata marinated deep fried ramen noodles, stuffed with cream cheese, chocolate or strawberry fillings, iced and  topped with sprinkles) and potato tornadoes on a stick were also extremely popular. 

On the savory side, shark tacos, frog fries, pig feet on a stick, and pho waffles sounded intriguing.

The next 626 Night Market dates are August 7-9 and September 4-6 at the Santa Anita Park (the racetrack). Free parking. Admission is $3. 

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.

Easy Breezy 2 Opening Day

Fro-yo girl here. Easy Breezy’s Inner Sunset location opened today! Of course I couldn’t stay away. There are four shiny new Carpigiani soft serve machines serving up 8 scrumptious hand-crafted frozen yogurt and frozen custard flavors a day. I love checking out the toppings bar because they’re always adding unique toppings. Today they had potato chips, bacon and my favorite, waffle cookies. I love seeing the sweet froyo cup logo/character named Breezy too.

Here are some pictures from opening day!

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

* EASY BREEZY FROZEN YOGURT: 718 Irving St., San Francisco, CA 94122

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.