Westfield Century City Froyo & Frozen Desserts Report 2018

Fro-yo girl here. Westfield unveiled the “new” Westfield Century City shopping center last September. The two-year $1 billion makeover “reconfigured the mall and expanded it by about a third to 1.3 million square feet. About 90% of the stores, including Nordstrom, are new.” 

I used to shop at the Century City mall regularly and when I stepped off the escalator, I could not recognize the old mall. The layout is so different now and most of the stores are different. Bloomindale’s is still there in the same place but everything else seemed different. I remember parking for free for 3 hours. Now you only get one hour of free parking but some stores validate.

I recently visited Westfield Century City. I was curious about the Yogurtland location there, which closed in January for remodeling and reopened in April of this year with a new look. I haven’t seen that look at any other Yogurtland location.

I noticed quite a few unoccupied or maybe I should say not yet open shops on the second floor. The ground floor is almost fully occupied and open for business. The new Westfield Century City has many places to get frozen treats. Here’s a breakdown of the current frozen treat vendors.

Froyo 

Forty Carrots (inside Bloomingdale’s): Their famous frozen yogurt! It’s $6 for a regular, $8 for a large or $4 for a small if purchased with a meal from their café. They have 6 flavors a day. I recommend the plain or peanut butter. You can also get frozen yogurt smoothies. Take your receipt to the first floor to get your parking validated. You get an hour of free parking with validation (on top of the first hour free which everyone gets).

Yogurtland: It’s an attractive looking spot with geometric white and green tiles, grey wall where the froyo machines are, and white toppings bars. The price doubled – it’s now 85 cents an ounce which seems crazy when there are other Yogurtland locations nearby that still charge over 30 cents less per ounce. This is a smaller location, with just 10 self-serve flavors a day. Look for offers on Instagram, @yogurtlandcc. Currently if you check in on Yelp, you get 5 oz free. 

SunLife Organics (?): I didn’t see this shop while I was there, but if it’s like their other locations, they’ll have organic chocolate and vanilla frozen yogurt. From the pictures I saw of this location, it doesn’t seem like they have frozen yogurt. 

Yogen Fruz (?): The Yogen Fruz website lists a location inside the AMC theater at Century City. I forgot to verify whether this location was still open. 

Ice Cream

Halo Top Scoop Shop: This is Halo Top’s second scoop shop. They have soft serve but it’s ice cream. I haven’t tried it yet but I am curious about their bubble waffles, more so than their Stevia sweetened low calorie ice cream. 

Rori’s Artisanal Creamery: Scoopable ice cream, no frozen yogurt

Smitten Ice Cream: Fresh ice cream is made in front of your eyes with liquid nitrogen. I’ve had it in San Francisco where Smitten is from. It’s good stuff and their housemade toppings are excellent as well.

Gelato 

Bacio di Latte: The reviews are very favorable and they have yogurt gelato occasionally. This chain was founded by two brothers in Milan.

Grom: This Italian gelato shop got its start in Italy. They emphasize fresh, high quality ingredients. They do have a yogurt gelato that’s rich and flavorful. I don’t think that flavor is always offered but it’s worth trying if you see it.

Il Gelato (inside Eataly): I didn’t see any yogurt flavor but maybe they have one from time to time?

Dairy-Free Soft Serve 

Pressed Juicery: Yes, this location does have Pressed Freeze, the vegan, plant-based frozen treat from Pressed. Freeze is made with just a few ingredients and no added sugar. It’s 100% fruit, vegetables, and nuts.

This list doesn’t even include the other eateries that serve dessert and the frozen desserts you can buy at Gelson's. Oh, if you want frozen yogurt in Century City, the only place to get some is at Westfield Century City. If you have a car, drive over to Beverly Hills or Westwood Village for more options.

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

* WESTFIELD CENTURY CITY: 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles (Century City), CA 90067

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.

Go Greek Opens in Thousand Oaks

Fro-yo girl here. Go Greek opened at the Oaks Mall on May 26. It’s on the second floor, the outdoor part, by Vans and not that far from Menchie’s.

Go Greek specializes in authentic Greek yogurt (imported from Greece) that's available fresh or frozen. The fresh yogurt comes in sweet or savoy combinations (starting at $8.50). The fresh yogurt comes in different flavors like fig, lemon, sour cherry, honey, hazelnut, etc.

There are six flavors of Greek froyo on tap. Ask for sample cups. The frozen yogurt is self-serve and the toppings are healthier (fresh fruit, dried fruit, cocoa nibs, chocolate chips, premium sauces, Greek biscuits, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flaxseeds, nuts, peanut chews, granola, coconut).

The yogurt is different because not only is it imported, but it tastes different. And it's made with whole milk, so it's thicker and richer. The frozen yogurt flavors all have some tang, the natural tang of yogurt. While it's pricier at 89 cents an ounce, the quality is higher (and it's imported from Greece). Also, a smaller portion is more satisfying since it’s richer. I recommend the Greek honey flavor.

It's a smaller location with no indoor seating, but there are a few tables outside. The decor is nice - white and blue like the Greek flag.

Go Greek also announced that they planned to open a location in Las Vegas.

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

* GO GREEK YOGURTERIA, 350 W Hillcrest Dr., Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

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.

Yoga-urt Introduces New Flavor, Orange Creamsicle

Fro-yo girl here. Yoga-urt has introduced a new flavor for the summer, Orange Creamsicle froyo. The flavor made its debut at this year’s Eat Drink Vegan. Like all Yoga-urt froyo flavors, Orange Creamsicle is soy-free, gluten-free, vegan, kosher, organic, pro-biotic, and made from scratch.

First, a disclaimer; I’m not a huge creamsicle fan because (1) it tends to be too sweet and (2) I’d prefer a tangy orange flavor maybe paired with fresh herbs like rosemary or tarragon. But I know creamsicle is a big summer flavor.

So how was Orange Creamsicle? I think it will be popular since it’s sweet, creamy, and classic. I could taste the orange juice. There wasn’t any tang. When it comes to oranges, I like sour and/or tangy oranges. I can recognize that it’s a good flavor but it’s not my kind of flavor. But do try it if you’d like a natural tasting orange creamsicle frozen yogurt.

P.S. I chose Ganesha’s Sweet Greens instead and it was perfect.

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

* YOGA-URT, 1407 ½ W Kenneth Rd., Glendale, CA 91201

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 Flavors, The Best and The Worst

Fro-yo girl here. It’s been two months since Yogurtland introduced a new froyo flavor. This feels like the longest time I’ve ever had to wait for a new flavor from Yogurtland. Hmm. The  new spring flavors were released on April 2. The flavors were Sea Salt Caramel ice cream, White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake froyo, and Hibiscus Pear Tart froyo. I did like Hibiscus Pear Tart but I’m ready for new flavors. I keep asking my Yogurtland if new flavors are on the way.

The good news is that Peanut Butter froyo finally returned to Yogurtland Pasadena. I hadn’t had it in almost a year and that’s not because I haven’t been going to Yogurtland. I go to Yogurtland once a week (at least). They just haven’t had it for that long! It’s so good with their peanut butter sauce, peanuts, mini Nutter Butter cookies, crushed Butterfingers and freshly whipped cream. Yum!

The bad news is that Peanut Butter froyo is gone again, though I think I can still find some if I go to another location.

Yogurtland has been emphasizing its existing flavors. If you don’t go to Yogurtland all the time like I do, it’s easy to miss some flavors. They used to come out with so many new ones that were only available for a few weeks, or even less. Some popular promotional flavors ran out in less than a week.

Best Classic Yogurtland Flavors:

• Plain Tart 
• Dragon Passion Tart 
• Peanut Butter 
• Sumatra Coffee 
• Matcha Green Tea 

Mr. Froyo favors Plain Tart, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Milkshake. He will also get Pistachio, but otherwise, he doesn’t eat the other flavors.

 
Obscure Favorite Yogurtland Flavors:

• Honeycomb Tart 
• Yuzu Tart 
• Key Lime Tart 
• Black Currant Berry Tart 
• Wild Berry Tart 
• Blueberry Mangosteen Tart
• Cactus Berry Tart 
• Flan 
• Cookie Butter 
• Tweety’s Lemon Cream Cookie 
• Grandma’s Oatmeal Cookies 
• Caramel Macchiato 
• Geneva Chocolate 
• Chocolate Covered Pretzel
• Rare Madagascar Vanilla 

Worst Yogurtland Flavors: 

• Sun Kissed Strawberry Shortcake 
• Banana Cream 
• Raspberry Banana Greek 
• Chocolate Banana A’peel 
• Marvin the Martian’s Kosmic Fruit Kaboom sorbet 

Wow, that’s a lot of flavors! I probably forgot some that I really like and dislike. I’m looking forward to more new Yogurtland flavors.

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.

Menchie’s June Feature Flavors: Creamy Chocolate & Dole Whip Lime, Sweet Summer Sweeps

Fro-yo girl here. Happy National Frozen Yogurt Month! It’s a new month which means that Menchie’s has new feature flavors. They are:

* Creamy Chocolate froyo: This chocolate flavor is made with Ghirardelli chocolate and real sweetened condensed milk. It has no artificial flavors or colors and no high fructose corn syrup. It’s lowfat. I find that many chocolate flavors taste very similar. This one tasted like fudgsicles, but maybe a little more interesting because of the condensed milk. It was creamy and seemed richer but not heavy like a brownie or cake flavor. Recommended toppings: Chocolate sauce, almonds, Cool Whip, strawberries

* Dole Whip Lime: This is a sorbet. I love lime flavored everything, including this flavor because it delivers on the tang. It’s very tangy. Dole Whip Lime is made with no artificial flavors or colors and contains no high fructose corn syrup. Recommended toppings: Strawberries, mochi, graham crackers

Also, there’s a new Sweet Summer Sweeps from Menchie’s and Dole. The grand prize is a trip to Key West. To enter, use your MySmileage card at Menchie’s between June 1 and June 30, 2018.

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.

Pressed Juicery New Freeze Flavors, New Toppings, New Membership Program

Fro-yo girl here. When Pressed Juicery introduces a new Freeze flavor, they usually introduce one new flavor at a time. It’s been awhile since there was a new Freeze flavor; the last new flavor was Matcha Almond Freeze back in May 2017. I was excited to get an email from Pressed Juicery announcing two new flavors of Freeze, Creamy Coconut and Mango Turmeric. Both are nut free, plant-based (vegan), with no sugar added. I like how Freeze is made with just a few natural ingredients.

I went to Pressed Juicery at the Americana at Brand in Glendale, CA to try the new flavors. However, they were having problems with the soft serve machine, and weren’t able to serve either new flavor. And they weren’t sure when the problem would be resolved. I went to another location and they were having problems with the machine too. However, they did let me try Creamy Coconut though the texture was icier than it should be.

* Creamy Coconut (water, pineapple, coconut, vanilla extract, sea salt): It tasted like sweetened ice. I couldn’t detect pineapple or coconut. But every location that I went to had problems getting the texture right, so I didn’t try it with the texture they wanted to achieve.

* Mango Turmeric (apple, orange, mango, coconut, pineapple, turmeric): Mango flavors can be really sweet because mango is so sweet. I liked how this flavor wasn’t just mango. It was less sweet and I could taste the pineapple and quite a bit of turmeric. It was icier than their almond milk flavors but had a pleasant, clean flavor. They added a new topping for the mango, Tajin.

While I was there I noticed a sign for the new membership program. It’s free to join. You authorize Pressed Juicery to load a set dollar amount ($10 minimum) to your account every month. This allows you to enjoy the member discount, juices and Freeze for $5. The old loyalty program is separate and will continue but you won’t earn points on your membership purchases. You also can’t combine offers. The amounts do roll over and you can cancel at any time. It’s a good deal! Maybe froyo shops should consider offering something similar. It guarantees income, which will help shops deal with seasonal downturns. It might increase consumption too, since members are pre-paying for treats.

Sign up on the Pressed Juicery website or at one of their stores. https://www.pressedjuicery.com/

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.

25th Anniversary of National Frozen Yogurt Month

Fro-yo girl here. Happy National Frozen Yogurt Month. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the first National Frozen Yogurt Month. TCBY declared National Frozen Yogurt Month, National Frozen Yogurt Week (the first week of June) and National Frozen Yogurt Day (the first "Sundae/Sunday" in June) back in 1993.

Search Trends

It’s the time of year that I like to geek out and look at frozen yogurt search trends. That is, how often is frozen yogurt searched for on Google. This is roughly speaking, Google’s way to measure interest over time.

Before looking at the trends, my guess is that interest over time in frozen yogurt is still gradually declining since the peak in July 2012.

Guess what? I was right. The decline is pretty gradual since the frozen yogurt category is now mature and mainstream in the largest market, the US. As in previous years, the search volume is seasonal. Fewer people search for frozen yogurt during the winter.

In 2017, the top 5 countries by interest were #1. United States, #2. Canada, #3. Denmark, #4. Greece and #5. Australia. In 2018, frozen yogurt as a search term is the most popular in #1. United States, #2. Canada, #3. Australia, #4. Greece, #5. Denmark. The top two positions have stayed the same for years.

The top search queries in 2018 were #1. “frozen yogurt near me” and #2. frozen yogurt ice cream. People are using Google to find frozen desserts in their area. By US subregion, the number of searches for frozen yogurt was greatest in Washington (particularly the Seattle-Tacoma area), followed by Massachusetts and Arizona. 

Froyo Trends and Musings

Frozen yogurt shops continue to open and to close. It feels like the industry hasn’t come up with anything innovative in awhile and that prices continue to rise. I don’t want to pay over $6 for a snack. I keep my portions small at self-serve shops but I often see people paying $8-$10 for one cup of frozen yogurt. Portions are out of control and there are too many sweet, indulgent flavors inspired by cookies and candy. I like shops that provide small portions of nicely swirled frozen yogurt – yes, I’m talking about Pinkberry’s model. Soft serve ice cream places are following that model but froyo is stuck in a self-serve rut.

In the end, the places that I want to return to are the higher quality shops. I’d like to see healthier options (lower sugar) too. The best frozen yogurt is made in small batches with the best ingredients, from scratch. That said, I’ll always have a weakness for Yogurtland’s Plain Tart, Peanut Butter, and Sumatra Coffee and Pinkberry’s tart flavors.

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.