More Fro-yo Shops on the Way

Fro-yo girl here. I stumbled upon these two future fro-yo shop locations while leaving one fro-yo shop (and heading to another fro-yo shop).

The Yogurtland location is in the Silver Creek area of San Jose, close to Evergreen Valley College. It’s in a strip mall. The space is completely empty at the moment. Construction hasn’t begun. It’s not listed on the Yogurtland website yet.

The other shop is called Toppings. It’s in a shopping center anchored by Target. The space is empty and construction hasn’t begun. The air around there smells like pho (seriously).

I found a website for a Toppings Yogurt in SoCal (self serve, 39 cents an ounce) but the logos look different so I don't think it's the same company. http://www.toppingsyogurt.com/index.html

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

* YOGURTLAND: 2740 Aborn Rd, San Jose, CA
* TOPPINGS: 1630 E. Capitol Expressway, Suite #202, San Jose, CA

Celebrity Fro-yo Pics

Fro-yo girl here. Here’s a collection of celebrity fro-yo pics featuring Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Garner, Kirsten Dunst and even Gene Simmons strolling with a cup (or cone) of fro-yo. I tried to make out the cups and most of them are from Pinkberry. Yawn. I have respect for celebrities like Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Garner who get their fro-yo elsewhere.

http://www.theinsider.com/galleries/2084902_Stars_Crazy_for_Fro_Yo

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

Story about L’Amour Frozen Yogurt in Paly Voice

Fro-yo girl here. Paly Voice is the online site for Palo Alto High School Journalism. The site has quite a few fro-yo shop reviews, including the most recent one on L’Amour, the first self-serve shop in Palo Alto: http://voice.paly.net/view_story.php?id=8518

It’s a flattering review but seriously, 47 cents an ounce is not a low price. That’s about as high as it gets for self-serve fro-yo and their fro-yo isn’t special. If a decent, lower priced, self-serve place opened in downtown Palo Alto (e.g., Yogurtland, 30 cents an ounce), I’m sure L’Amour wouldn’t last long.
If you’re craving sweet fro-yo, you can get a better deal at Yumi Yogurt.

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

* L’AMOUR FROZEN YOGURT CAFE: 276 University Ave, Palo Alto, CA
* YUMI YOGURT: 947 El Camino Real, Redwood City, CA

Construction Pic: Happy Yogurt Los Gatos

Fro-yo girl here. This picture of Happy Yogurt Los Gatos was sent in by a reader (the same one who sent me the Happy Yogurt coming soon sign months ago). Thank you secret member of my fro-yo army!

It looks close to opening since the tiles are in place and the fro-yo machines are there. I think they only have room for three fro-yo machines (which isn’t much for a self-serve fro-yo place).

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

HAPPY YOGURT: 13 N. Santa Cruz Los Gatos, CA 95030

Why I’m Anti Self-Serve Fro-yo

Fro-yo girl here. I know self-serve fro-yo is all the rage these days, but I just don’t like it. I will never like it for the following reasons:

1. Inferior quality. While there are plenty of bad full-serve places, on average self-serve fro-yo is inferior in taste and texture to full-serve. Often self-serve fro-yo is runny, watered down or too icy. Part of it may be that people might not put the handle back up after they’re finished with dispensing.
2. It's Unsanitary. I have seen more than one person TOUCH the nozzle to sample the fro-yo. Imagine how many dirty hands have touched the levers and spoons. Gross people could sneeze on the toppings and touch the toppings. Also, I have the feeling that they clean the machines less often than at a full-serve place because they have more of them and it takes 25 – 30 minutes to clean each machine.
3. Buffet atmosphere. Like a buffet, self-serve fro-yo encourages you to take a little bit of everything, which can result in a crappy combination. I don’t need to have that many fro-yo flavors or toppings.
4. Less attractive. A pretty swirl of fro-yo with toppings pleases one’s senses. My self-serve creations look like crap. Those ginormous cups they usually give you don’t help either. I’d rather have someone who knows how to swirl dispense my fro-yo.

The only positives about self-serve are (1) you can take just a tiny bit, (2) you can control the toppings to fro-yo ratio, (3) it’s cheaper (usually), and (4) you get exactly what you pay for - the hole in the middle becomes irrelevant. However, if the fro-yo is good, I don’t want just a tiny bit and I’m happy with the usual toppings to fro-yo ratio. I don’t mind paying more for better fro-yo.

People say that it’s more fun to swirl the fro-yo yourself and add your own toppings. I completely disagree. I like having people serve me!

P.S. There are some good self-serve fro-yo places out there. Tuttimelon UC tops my list, followed by Nubi, Tartini, Zuckersuss, Pink Swirl and Yogurt Paradise.

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

Red Mango Fro-yo is Certified as Gluten Free

Fro-yo girl here. A few days ago Red Mango announced that their fro-yo has been certified as gluten free by the Gluten Free Certification Organization (GFCO). According to Red Mango’s founder, president and CEO, Dan Kim, their fro-yo is naturally gluten free but they provided documentation to receive the GF Certification Mark. Stonyfield Farms went through a similar certification process. They didn’t change their yogurts (they were already gluten free).

It’s estimated that 2.3 million Americans cannot consume gluten. Plain fro-yo is gluten free and many flavors of fro-yo are also gluten free. But if the flavor is something like cookies and cream, malt, or yellow cake batter, then the yogurt will most likely contain gluten.

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

http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/05-19-2009/0005028964&EDATE=

Future Fro-yo Shop Pictures: Blush Milpitas

Fro-yo girl here. I couldn’t find Blush Milpitas the other week (when you get off of the 880, it’s hard to spot the numbers of the buildings) but I found it today. It’s in a new (and nice) shopping center anchored by Safeway. There’s a pretty fountain right outside Peet’s (would be a lovely spot to sit and eat fro-yo on a hot summer day).

I peeked inside Blush and saw two spaces (for two fro-yo machines) along with piles of construction material. Most new fro-yo shops cover up their windows so you can’t see what’s going on inside but this location’s windows aren’t covered. There are two signs posted saying Blush Coming Soon (they hope to open this June).

While there are two other Blush locations currently under construction (SF, Burlingame), expect Milpitas to be the first to open.

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

* BLUSH MILPITAS: 489 E. Calaveras Blvd, Milpitas, CA