Painful Froyo Shop Closures of 2020

Fro-yo girl here. I’m usually sad when I hear about a froyo shop closing, but some closures hurt much more than others. I’ve already written about the closure of three of the shops on this list. These are the most painful froyo shop closures of 2020 (in alphabetical order). I've visited all the places on this list.

Blush Organic Frozen Yogurt, 4640 Tassajara Rd, Dublin, CA 94568

I have so many fond memories of going to Blush after work, chatting with the owner, Jonathan, and driving home with a cooler full of froyo. His swirling skills were legendary and he was so passionate about developing the best froyo flavors. He was so dedicated and the froyo was something special. My favorite flavors were Green Tea Tart, Original, Blush, and Pumpkin Tart. I also loved Pineapple Tart, Acai Blueberry Tart, Gingerbread, Mango Tart…the list goes on. Blush Dublin first opened in 2008. It closed in May 2020.

Zoeyogurt, 6900 East Green Lake Way N E, Seattle, WA 98115

The original Zoeyogurt, in Green Lake, closed after nine years in Green Lake (Seattle, WA). I visited once and really liked the cozy atmosphere, cleanliness and froyo texture. The owner, Donna, was an earlier supporter of the International Frozen Yogurt Association and all three Zoeyogurt shops were IFYA Swirl of Honor shops.

Woody’s Yogurt Place, 802 Strawberry Village, Mill Valley, CA 94941

A local institution, Woody’s Yogurt Place was owned by the same family, the Woodsons, since 1998. Another Swirl of Honor shop, Woody’s won numerous “best of” froyo and ice cream awards over the years. Woody’s donated gift certificates to every nearby school for their auctions and fundraisers, hosted free ice cream socials for local schools, and more. Woody’s Yogurt Place closed in January due to the rising cost of rent at Strawberry Village.

Yogurtland Fullerton, 501 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA 92831

Yogurtland #1, the original location, closed in October, a victim of the economic effects of COVID-19. The shop was located near Cal State Fullerton and with students staying at home, business must have been slow. The shop first opened in February 2006 and shared a space with Phillip Chang’s other business, Boba Loca, a bubble tea shop. They offered 16 self-serve, non-fat fro-yo flavors a day and toppings for 30 cents. This was the format that early Yogurtland locations continued to offer during the early years.

 

Yogurtland, 152 Sunset Dr., San Ramon, CA 94583

Sure there are plenty of Yogurtland locations, especially in California, but only a few were my regular spots. Yogurtland San Ramon opened in 2009, back when I used to work in San Ramon. I remember when it first opened. I went there many times, often for lunch with my good friend, S (our regular spots were Yogurtland and Top Dog). I collected many froyo spoons from that location, including the Tokidoki Yogurtland spoons. The pandemic led to the closure. 

Yogurtland, 4960 Telephone Rd, Ste 104, Ventura, CA 93003

This was my regular spot whenever I was in Ventura visiting family. Open from 2013-2020, it was the best option in town. The shop was in the shopping plaza with Barnes & Noble, Kohl’s, and Starbucks.

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.

Fro-yo Seattle Report: The Invasion of the Chains

Fro-yo girl here. There’s been quite a bit of fro-yo activity since my visit to Seattle last fall. Self-serve fro-yo has taken off in a big way. Yogurtland and Menchie’s are staking their claim on various neighborhoods.

* Current Seattle area YL locations: Capitol Hill, Wallingford, University Village, Bellevue. Coming soon to Redmond and Kent.
* Current Seattle area Menchie’s locations: Queen Anne, University Village, West Seattle, Vancouver, Federal Way, Lynnwood. Coming soon to Kirkland, Bellingham, Puyallup and Magnolia Village (Seattle).

For some reason the Yogurtland locations seemed more accessible and closer to various colleges and universities. I never made it to West Seattle to see the Menchie’s there. I love how Yogurtland's Wallingford location is right next to a teriyaki restaurant. So Seattle!

Other self-serve fro-yo shops in Seattle include Zoeyogurt in Greenlake and Froyo Fresh in the Columbia Center downtown. Cool Whirled was a self-serve fro-yo shop that didn’t last long in the Fremont neighborhood. It’s the golden age of self-serve fro-yo in Seattle.

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

Fro-yo Seattle report: Self-serve fro-yo

Fro-yo girl here. I've returned to Seattle looking for fro-yo. Since my last visit back March of this year, self-serve fro-yo has really taken hold of the city. Judging from the crowds, it was something that Seattle residents really desired.

Self-serve fro-yo timeline:
* December 2010: Menchie's opens in Queen Anne, offers 14 fro-yo flavors a day, 43 cents an ounce
* March 2011: zoeyogurt opens in Green Lake
* April 2011: Yogurtland opens in Capitol Hill, offers 16 fro-yo flavors a day, 35 cents an ounce


It was very interesting to observe the patrons at these self-serve fro-yo shops. I noticed that their self-serve creations looked pretty awful. They don't have swirling skills yet but I'm sure they'll learn quickly. If their market follows what I've seen elsewhere, some full serve fro-yo shops are going to convert to self-serve soon and Tutti Frutti shops will pop up (seemingly) overnight. Maybe the prices will decline (Menchie's and Yogurtland charge more here).

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

* MENCHIE'S:2101 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA
* ZOEYOGURT: 6900 E Green Lake Way N, Seattle, WA
* YOGURTLAND: 1620 Broadway Suite D, Seattle, WA