2023
2025
Fro-yo girl here. Cantaloop was one of the older froyo shops in Los Angeles. This was their first location; it opened in April 2007 and was similar to Pinkberry (i.e., counter-serve, tart froyo specialist). Paris Hilton visited in 2007, in the early days of the tart froyo craze.
In 2008, the owners decided to add coffee, oatmeal, and waffles and convert to self-serve. The menu continued to expand over the years. Additions included shaved ice, smoothies, slushies, ice blended drinks, and boba drinks. In 2022, Cantaloop began offering Ethiopian food, first out of a mobile van parked in the parking lot and later in the actual storefront. Ownership changed a few times. I wish that I had gone when it first opened in 2007.
I hadn’t visited for a long time, because I didn’t like it, but I would always look at it when driving by. The storefront is vacant now. It probably closed earlier this year?
I remember the Pasadena and Culver City locations. Those closed a long time ago. The Cantaloop in Pasadena closed in 2012 and the Culver City one in 2010.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
* CANTALOOP, 7095 Hollywood Blvd Ste 106 Los Angeles, CA 90028
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.
Fro-yo girl here. Loving Cup closed the original location in Russian Hill earlier this summer. No announcement was made, so I’m not sure exactly when it closed. The last reviews were written in June 2023. I hadn’t visited that location for many years since the other ones were more convenient.
Loving Cup opened 2356 Polk St. in late 2008, back when the tart froyo craze had taken over San Francisco. Loving Cup offered something different from other froyo shops because the froyo was mix-in style. Customers selected a size, a base (chocolate, vanilla or non-dairy), and mix-ins. The associate would hand churn everything together using a machine. They also sold rice pudding.
In late 2018, the owners of La Boulangerie acquired Loving Cup. As fans of Loving Cup, Pascal Rigo and Nicolas Bernadi hoped to open 100 locations in a few years. They also talked about adding Loving Cup to a few La Boulangerie locations.
As of September 2023, there are three Loving Cup locations, two in San Francisco (608 Divisadero St, 2201 Union St.) and one in Marin County. Apizza in San Francisco also serves Loving Cup. I haven’t heard anything about Loving Cup in La Boulangerie since 2018. Loving Cup has gone quiet as well. Their last Facebook post was in April 2020 and the last Instagram post in May 2021.
La Boulangerie has five remaining locations. The location in San Francisco's FiDi district that served Loving Cup has closed in 2020 or 2021.
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.
Fro-yo girl here. The owners of Yogurt Stop in West Hollywood announced that the shop will close on October 2, after fifteen years. They wrote the following on Instagram, “THANK YOU for 15 unbelievable and amazing years!!! When we opened January 2nd, 2009, YOU made us a healthy business. For the past 15 years, YOU kept us healthy. Because of YOU, we are able to close our doors a healthy business. Our last day of operation will be October 2nd, 2023. Again, thank you for all your support throughout the years. We’ve made many friends and are so grateful. We couldn’t have done it without you. We love you so much! XXX, Marta & Shoshana (and Elf).”
The shop is closing because the landlord chose not to renew the lease and would not give the owners the option to sell and extend the lease to a potential buyer of the business. The owners have had multiple issues with the landlord over the years. Back in 2019, an attorney for the landlords sent the Yogurt Stop owners a Cease-and-Desist letter because Yogurt Stop was selling items other than yogurt. When the owners of Yogurt Stop found a viable buyer, the landlords declined the buyer. It was known several years ago that Yogurt Stop would not be able to renew the lease. They even posted a sign about it at the shop.
It’s been many years since my last visit to Yogurt Stop because it’s nearly impossible to find parking in West Hollywood. I don’t even want to try to find parking most of the time. But I had to visit one last time and I was actually able to find parking a few blocks away in a residential neighborhood. It looked like I remembered only with a lot more snacks for sale. They had some interesting toppings like a UK candy and popcorn drizzled with chocolate. I got a cup of Peanut Butter Princess froyo with peanut butter chips.
Back in 2011, I wrote, “* YOGURT STOP (8803 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA): the fiercest fro-yo shop I've ever been to - filled with attitude. The fro-yo flavors have the best names, like I'm Coming Out Cake Batter, Lezbionic Tonic, and Milk My Harvey Chocolate. And they have plenty of best of fro-yo awards too. The toppings bins are overflowing and the fro-yo tastes great. They also encourage sampling unlike some self-serve fro-yo places. Fun!”
The Yogurt Stop owners describe the concept: “Yogurt Stop built itself on the simple concept of offering superior frozen yogurt, delicious toppings, including many baked in-house and locally sourced fresh fruit and other frozen delights in a fun-filled chilled-out environment. We set out to create not only a self-serve frozen yogurt shop, but an experience where friends, family, co-workers and citizens of the world could come together in a community setting. Yogurt Stop prides itself in providing each guest with prompt, professional, friendly and courteous service.”
There is a for lease sign on the exterior of the shop.
* YOGURT STOP: 8803 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
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.
Fro-yo girl here. I’m not surprised to hear that Menchie’s on Montana in Santa Monica has closed. In 2021, it was only open Friday – Sunday, and I wondered how long it could continue with such limited hours. The shop was listed for sale for a long time.
Menchie’s on Montana Ave. opened in 2010 and was the scene of many celebrity sightings (e.g., Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner with their kids, John Travolta). It was the first Menchie’s in Santa Monica.
Menchie’s in Ocean Park in Santa Monica closed earlier this year and was purchased by the Yogurt Shoppe. The Yogurt Shoppe took over that space.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
* MENCHIE’S: 732 Montana Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90403
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.
