Another Closure: Menchie’s Alhambra?

Fro-yo girl here. Don’t you hate when you can’t tell if a business is temporarily vs. permanently closed? It’s late August, prime froyo season, and Menchie’s Alhambra hasn’t been open since I’m not sure when. The signs are still up but it looks like much of the interior is in storage (e.g., containers for toppings).

Is Menchie’s Alhambra closed for good? Here’s what I’ve learned:

• Listed as temporarily closed on Google
• Reported as permanently closed on Yelp
• Last Facebook post in January 2020
• Last Instagram post in 2017 from the business, July 2019 from another use
• Still on the Menchie’s website (update: it's no longer on the Menchie's website as of early September)
• Last Yelp review July 2020 but the review said they were closed. There was a review in June 2020.
• Shop signs up but shop looks abandoned, no one has picked up the mail for awhile 

This location first opened in 2011 and changed ownership in 2015. I rarely visited because they never seemed to have the new flavors till way after they were introduced. It was expensive too (62 cents an ounce) compared to other froyo shops in the area.

Since they haven’t reopened during prime froyo season, I’d be surprised if they ever open again. 

Update: The location is no longer listed on the Menchie's website, so it's definitely closed (for good).

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

* MENCHIE’S: 9 E Main St., Alhambra, CA 91801

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.

The Hidden History of Froyo in Southern California

Photo credit: Marilyn M., Yelp

Fro-yo girl here. Did you know that Yogurtland got its start inside a boba shop in Fullerton? Phillip Chang, Yogurtland’s founder, owned a boba shop called Boba Loca near Cal State Fullerton. In 2006, he added froyo machines. The original location is still a Yogurtland but they no longer serve boba drinks.

When froyo was all the rage in Southern California, you could find frozen yogurt in donut shops, Korean coffee shops, Asian bakeries, boba shops (e.g., It's Boba Time chain) and more. Later, froyo would make its way into restaurants, movie theaters, convenience stores, drug stores, supermarkets, and airports. Many of those places no longer offer froyo, but if you take a close look, you can still see remnants of those froyo days, e.g., cutout walls, old signs, old machines, etc.

AM Donut & Yogurt, 305 W Huntington Dr, Monrovia, CA 91016 

The Google Places description still calls it a donut and frozen yogurt shop, but they no longer carry frozen yogurt. The wall still has cutouts though, 3 of them, for 3 froyo machines. They used to have self-serve froyo from 2011-2013. People still go there looking for froyo since its in the name and on the signs.

Rose Donut & Sandwiches, 6276 Rosemead Blvd, Temple City, CA 91780

Rose Donut added self-serve froyo in 2010 and kept it till 2013 (?). There were 8 flavors day. There’s still a sign for ML Yogurt inside. The owners own Rose Donut & ML Yogurt in Bell, CA.

Cloverleaf Bakery, 9475 Las Tunas Dr, Temple City, CA 91780

Cloverleaf Bakery is an Asian bakery that opened in 2009 with Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt inside. It was self-serve with four machines. They stopped offering froyo in 2011.

Loha’s Fresh Mart, 300 W Main St., Alhambra, CA 91801

Loha’s opened in 2015 with the vision of being a healthy, organic Asian food market. The deli offered bento boxes, salads, fresh soy milk, fresh juice and at one point, organic frozen yogurt. The market closed in late 2019. They had another location in Arcadia that didn’t offer froyo. That location also closed.

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.

Boba Ice Cream Bar Reviews, Part 3: Tiger Sugar Black Sugar Boba Milk Ice Cream Bar and A-Chino Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream Bar

Fro-yo girl here. Boba ice cream bars are good enough that I’m excited to try the different brands and varieties. I’m looking for a milk tea flavored bar with chewy boba and so far, I haven’t found it. This week, I tried two new bars: Tiger Sugar Black Sugar Boba Milk Ice Cream Bar and A-Chino Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream Bar. I found them both at 99 Ranch Market in Arcadia, CA. 

Tiger Sugar Black Sugar Boba Milk Ice Cream Bar: A box of four individually wrapped bars was on sale for $7.99 (regular price $8.99). One 80g bar has 147 calories, 6g total fat, 22g total carbs, 15g sugar and 1g protein. The bar was a bit softer and less icy vs. A-Chino’s. It had a slightly stronger brown sugar flavor compared to A-Chino’s. There weren’t many boba pieces but they seemed larger. The boba were sweet and chewy. The exterior had brown sugar swirls and the interior was creamier. 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

A-Chino Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream Bar: A box of four individually wrapped bars was $4.98 on sale, $5.99 regular price. One bar (80g) had 155 calories, 6g total fat, 23g total carbs, 16 total sugars, and 2g protein. There were more boba and the boba were sweet, soft and chewy. It mostly tasted like sweet cream, with a hint of brown sugar. 4 out 5 stars.

Both brands added molasses for a deep, rich sweetness. Both were imported from Taiwan. They looked very similar in appearance. They’re milkier and don’t have the intense brown sugar flavor of the leading brand, Shao Mei. Shao Mei’s is also the creamiest. Which one you like best will depend on how much brown sugar flavor you prefer. Shao Mei’s brown sugar flavor was overwhelming. My current favorite of the brown sugar boba bars is Tiger Sugar’s, though I prefer the flavor of the milk tea boba bars. 

Catch up on my other boba ice cream bar reviews, Part 1 & Part 2.

* 99 RANCH: 1300 S Golden W Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007

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.

Boba Ice Cream Bar Reviews, Part 2: Pearl Milk Tea & Oolong Tea Boba Ice Cream Bars

Fro-yo girl here. When I first tried boba ice cream bars, I tried two kinds of brown sugar boba ice cream bars, one from Shao Mei and one from I-Mei. The boba in those bars was soft but I missed the milk tea flavor. So, I was excited to try milk tea boba ice cream bars. 99 Ranch in Arcadia, CA had quite a few varieties of boba ice cream bars.

I-Mei Pearl Milk Tea Ice Bar: A pack of four individually wrapped bars was $4.89. The bars are imported from Taiwan. One bar (88g) has 170 calories, 10g total fat, 18g total carbs, 16g total sugars, and 2g protein. It’s made with black tea, tapioca starch, agar and conjac powder. One side of the bar was white, sweet and creamy (like milk) and one side (about 2/3rds of the bar) tasted like milky black tea with a few “boba bits. The boba pieces were small and there were few of them. The bar was delicious and had a strong tea flavor. The boba bits were like jelly though and not chewy. It would have been better without the boba.

A Ching Oolong Tea Boba Ice Cream Bar: A pack of four individually wrapped bars was $6.99. The bars are imported from Taiwan. One bar is 178 calories, 10g total fat, 19g total carbs, 15g total sugars, and 2g protein. The white top of the bar was sweet and creamy and almost caramel like, with a few boba balls. The brown part tasted like oolong tea and it had more boba balls. The balls were crunchy and icy; they tasted more like jelly than tapioca pearls. The bar smelled like boba milk tea. The bar would have been better without the boba balls.

The brown sugar bars that I tried had better boba but if you want tea flavor, these bars were better. They used a different type of tea, so both tasted different. I hope that I can find boba ice cream bars with strong tea flavor and chewy boba.

4 out of 5 stars.

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.

Yoga-urt 5th Anniversary Celebration Recap: New Flavor, New Menu Item

Fro-yo girl here. We’re back from Yoga-urt, 1407 Kenneth Rd, Glendale, CA, and the 31st flavor was finally revealed: Ultimate Ube! I guessed that the new flavor would be purple, but that was easy to guess since most of Yoga-urt’s anniversary flavors have been. The shop looked very celebratory with lots of pink and purple balloons.

Ultimate Ube: The texture was thick though it wasn’t quite as firm and dense as some of the other flavors, possibly because it was a new flavor that was freshly made and/or the fact that it was 98 degrees was taxing the soft serve machine? The flavor was on the sweeter side and had a hint of spice. Mr. Froyo & I thought it was cinnamon and maybe something else. The ube flavor was on the mild side but we were tasting more than just cinnamon, almond milk and cashews. Yes, it’s plant-based, organic, gluten free, soy free and kosher. Recommended toppings: Pistachios, gluten free waffle cone, almonds.

I was so excited about the new flavor that I forgot to check out the brand new Classic Chocolate and Strawberry shakes. Also, you can request a shake made with any flavor that’s in rotation.

The celebration continues tomorrow at the Echo Park location (2211 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles). Enjoy $1 off your purchase on Sunday from 2 PM - 5 PM.

Your froyo purchases will help others too; $1 from every transaction will be donated to the Loveland Foundation, an organization that brings opportunity, access, validation and healing to communities of color, and Support + Feed, a charitable initiative that provides plant-based meals during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond for those in need, including families, seniors, victims of domestic abuse, etc.

P.S. If you’re looking for Pistachio Passion or Vanilla Harmony pints, they’re sold out.

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.

Yoga-urt 5th Anniversary Celebration This Weekend in Glendale & Los Angeles

Fro-yo girl here. I’m definitely going to tell you all about Yoga-urt’s 5th anniversary celebration this weekend, but I wanted to tell you about what it will involve before reporting back on what happens.

Love froyo? Love ice cream? Love soft serve? Vegan? Avoiding soy? Foodie? Come one, come all! In case you didn’t hear, Yoga-urt has the best vegan soft serve froyo in the country (the world?). It’s organic and made in small batches on site, by hand, with lots of love. I’ve been fan since day 1 and Mr. Froyo became one once I brought him to the shop. As wonderful as the product is, the business is made extra special by a loving and caring founder, Melissa Schulman. She often donates to causes she cares about and she created Yoga-urt to share yummy, healthful treats with the world, especially the poor souls with food allergies who were left out of enjoying good froyo. I don’t have any food allergies and I love Yoga-urt, so it’s a place for anyone who appreciates high quality, delicious soft serve. Mr. Froyo even likes the music that they play. It’s our happy place.

This weekend's anniversary celebration will include:

• Unveiling of a new flavor, their 31st
• New shakes, including a Birthday Cake Shake for the anniversary weekend
• $1 discount at the Glendale location on Saturday from 2 PM - 5 PM and the Echo Park location on Sunday from 2 PM - 5 PM
• $1 from every transaction will be donated to the Loveland Foundation, an organization that brings opportunity, access, validation and healing to communities of color, and Support + Feed, a charitable initiative that provides plant-based meals during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond for those in need, including families, seniors, victims of domestic abuse, etc.

Yoga-urt has been recognized by PETA, The Glendale News Press, Los Angeles Times, ABC 7, VegOut Magazine, and others. Readers of the Glendale News Press voted Yoga-urt “Best of Glendale” for the “Ice Cream/ Frozen Yogurt” category by in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Yoga-urt follows all mandated restaurant protocols including distanced patio seating, contact-free curbside pick-up (from 3pm-7pm) and delivery via Postmates or Grubhub.

• Yoga-urt, 1407 Kenneth Road, Glendale, CA
• Yoga-urt Echo Park, 2211 W Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA

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.

History of Corner Stores & Froyo in San Francisco

Foodhall, San Francisco

Fro-yo girl here. Everything’s a little fancier in San Francisco, where corner stores and liquor stores just might carry soft serve froyo. The most famous of these is Michaelis Wine & Spirits in the Marina. Michaelis is a liquor store but they also have a counter for counter serve froyo and toppings towards the back of the store. They’ve been serving froyo for at least 15 years, I’m sure, but I’m not sure when they first started serving froyo. I can’t find reviews from over 15 years ago. Way back in 2005, they had 6 flavors of froyo a day and reviewers liked the generous servings and low prices. It was the first liquor store I ever got froyo from. 

Foodhall, which opened in 2016, is an upscale corner market with a coffee bar, pastries, cheese, produce, pantry staples, flowers, and a large wine and spirits collection. And yes, they serve froyo too. It’s Italian style, plain soft serve, made with local Straus organic milk. There are fancy toppings like hazelnuts, olive oil, pine nuts, and espresso.

Loop Neighboorhood opened its first location in 2013. Started by Bay Area gas station operator, Vintners Distribution, Loop envisioned a new type of convenience store, an upscale one that offered healthy food and fresh foods in an inviting environment. There are currently 35 Loop markets and 33 of those have self-serve froyo. Luckily, all three San Francisco locations offer self-serve froyo.

Corner Stores That Used to Offer Froyo

New Russian Hill Market on Pacific Ave. used to offer self-serve froyo but it looks like they discontinued doing so around 2012.

K & D Market on 16th St. in the Mission is a small liquor store that serves Korean food and used to (?) serve froyo. The newest review that mentions froyo is from 2015 and the neon frozen yogurt sign was removed.

Walgreens isn’t exactly a corner store but when they opened the Union Square flagship in 2013, they had self-serve froyo. Walgreens stopped offering self-serve froyo in 2017. Their Upmarket concept was similar to Loop Neighborhood.

Here are the addresses of the markets with froyo:

• Michaelis Wine & Spirits, 2198 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94123
• Foodhall, 3100 16th St., San Francisco, CA 94103
• Loop Neighborhood, 2890 3rd St., San Francisco, CA 94107
• Loop Neighborhood, 1200 19th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
• Loop Neighborhood, 2501 California St, San Francisco, CA 94115

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.