An Update on Loop Neighborhood, Froyo Disappears

 

where the froyo station used to be

Fro-yo girl here. In 2015, I wrote about Loop Neighborhood, the new kind of convenience store founded in Northern California in 2013 and located at Shell gas stations. Loop carried healthier options and had a modern, sleek design. Some of their stores even offered self-serve froyo. They chose top-of-the-line Electro Freeze soft serve machines, Dannon Yo Cream froyo, and flat-rate pricing. I went once and the froyo was too soft – so there was some issue with how they were using and maintaining those soft serve machines, unfortunately. 

Over the years, I watched Loop grow and I was excited because it meant more places to get froyo. In 2017, Loop had 23 locations in Northern California. By 2020, Loop had 35 stores and 33 of them offered self-serve froyo. The Loop website indicated which locations offered froyo.

And then the pandemic struck. I’m assuming that this is why they stopped offering froyo. Self-serve froyo wasn’t allowed for about a year.

Do any Loop Markets still carry froyo? The Union City branch removed the froyo machines and toppings bar and that area is now used for storage. I have the before (2018) and after pictures (2024).

where the froyo toppings used to be

froyo machines

Loop's website lists the features (e.g., coffee, car wash, Amazon lockers) and which locations offer each, but froyo is no longer on the website.

Loop currently has 56 markets in California. Other gas station convenience stores still offer self-serve froyo and they survived the pandemic, but those stores are not in California.

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.

Frozen Yogurt at Circle K, Electro Freeze Fuzionate in Action

Fro-yo girl here. You may have noticed that frozen yogurt machines are showing up outside of froyo shops – and inside gas station convenience stores, drugstores, and supermarkets. Recently the Circle K 76 gas station in Alameda

This Circle K convenience store is about a year old and near downtown Alameda. Circle K has a frozen treats area with a case of Thrifty’s Ice Cream (sold by the scoop) and an Electro Freeze Fuzionate machine, which carries 9 flavors (a base flavor and others made by adding flavor syrup). Surprisingly, the froyo isn’t self-serve.

This is the first time I’ve seen Fuzionate at a shop so it was definitely exciting. Grab an employee if you want froyo. A small cup is $2.99 and a large $3.99. Toppings are 59 cents – I’m not sure if you can add your own toppings but the toppings were accessible so maybe you can. I didn’t see fruit toppings but they had cookie dough, popping boba, mochi, jellies, granola, cheesecake and syrups. The toppings were covered (good idea).

The flavors on the board didn’t match the flavors on the machine – so that was confusing. The idea behind Fuzionate is appealing – lots of flavors available from one machine – but in order for it to appeal, the flavor syrup needs to be well mixed into the base flavor and taste appealing.

The raspberry froyo that I tried had little flavor syrup so it mostly tasted like vanilla.

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

* CIRCLE K 76: 1716 Webster St., Alameda, CA 94501

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.

Frozen Yogurt for Weary Travelers Passing Through Avenal, CA

Fro-yo girl here. When a tiny city in the middle of nowhere gets a froyo machine, call me impressed. Most people on the I-5 probably drive past Avenal (population 13,239) in Kings County unless they need gas, a snack or bathroom break or they’re forced to stop there (it’s a Greyhound rest stop). The Avenal Hillcrest Travel Plaza doesn’t have much but it will meet those needs and it is open 24 hours.

The 76 gas station convenience store just added one Electro Freeze countertop machine. It’s self-serve with two flavors (during my visit they had White Vanilla and Chocolate Classic from Dannon YoCream. You can get a cone or cup (flat rate cup price $3.99). They don’t have a toppings bar yet, but one is on the way.

The frozen yogurt was surprisingly thick, creamy and smooth (not bad at all for a gas station). While there is no toppings bar yet, there are plenty of snacks that you could buy and add to your froyo…cookies, candy, popcorn, potato chips, jerky. Hey, you can’t get froyo in Kettleman City though you can get soft serve ice cream at McDonald’s and scoopable ice cream at Doc Burnstein’s.

Sure the flavors are basic but basic good flavors are still satisfying.

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

* 76 Gas Station: Hillcrest Travel Plaza, 44779 S Lassen Ave., Avenal, CA 93204

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.