New Pinkberry Holiday Flavor, Roasted Almond Cookie Frozen Yogurt & New Topping

 

Fro-yo girl here. Pinkberry announced a NEW holiday flavor, Roasted Almond Cookie frozen yogurt. They recommend pairing Roasted Almond Cookie froyo with chocolate chips, crushed almond biscotti cookies, and chocolate sauce drizzle. This means that there’s a new topping, crushed almond biscotti cookies.

Pinkberry describes Roasted Almond Cookie froyo as: “a decadent and creamy almond blend made with real Biscoff® Cookies.” Love Biscoff!

Roasted Almond Cookie froyo: Yum! I liked it a lot. The froyo tasted like almond biscotti, and the texture was smooth, light, and creamy. It’s not as rich as some froyo, and that works well with some of the sweeter flavors. The toppings paired well with the froyo, adding texture and flavor. The biscotti was in tiny pieces, but the pieces were still crunchy. Recommended toppings: crushed almond biscotti cookies, cinnamon crumble, roasted almonds, dark chocolate crisps.

Last year I was disappointed when Pinkberry did not introduce a new holiday flavor. Instead, they brought back Chocolate Chip Cookie frozen yogurt. In 2021, they brought back Tiramisu as the holiday froyo flavor. The last new holiday flavor was 2019’s Cranberry Orange froyo.

So far the holiday froyo picture is bright.

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.

Yogurtland Holiday Flavors

brown sugar boba milk tea mochi

Fro-yo girl here. Now that the day after Halloween seems to be the official start of the Christmas season, holiday froyo flavors are here.

Fan-favorite White Chocolate Peppermint froyo is back. Yogurtland describes White Chocolate Peppermint froyo as, “Our mix of real gourmet white chocolate and delicious peppermint serves up joy by the spoonful, just in time for the holidays.” The flavor is lowfat, gluten-free, and made with real white chocolate peppermint. It wasn’t at the Yogurtland location that I went to but I’ve had it before. I liked it. It’s not too minty. Recommended toppings: chocolate shell, chocolate chips, whipped cream

And there is a NEW flavor, Cinnamon Sticky Bun froyo. Yogurtland encourages guests to “Dive into the flavor of this sticky, sweet treat with a touch of cinnamon.” Cinnamon Sticky Bun froyo is lowfat but not gluten-free. It’s made with real cinnamon, vanilla wafer cookies, English toffee, and sweetened condensed milk. I was expecting a strong cinnamon flavor even though the sign said a touch of cinnamon. The buns in the picture look like they have a lot of cinnamon. Anyway, the froyo tasted more like a caramel cheesecake. It was creamy and smooth. Recommended toppings: cheesecake, Cinnamon Toast Crunch (or S’mores cereal)

I spotted a new topping: brown sugar boba milk tea mochi. These were good! They’re big too. The chewy mochi has a creamy filling with more mochi inside.

I saw a picture of a red Yogurtland holiday cup but I haven’t seen the new cups at my Yogurtland yet.

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.

Ace Frozen Yogurt Closes in Arcadia, 626 Ice Cream Takes Over

Fro-yo girl here. And Arcadia is down to one froyo shop, Yogurtland, with the recent closure of the oldest froyo shop in San Gabriel Valley, Ace Frozen Yogurt. Ace Frozen Yogurt opened in 1986. The counter-serve froyo shop served Dannon YoCream froyo, smoothies, shaved ice, and more.

626 Hospitality Group took over the Ace Frozen Yogurt space and soft opened recently. The owners are SGV natives and so their flavors are LA-inspired, such as mango calamansi, lychee strawberry, and hojicha. While they launched their ice cream business doing pop-ups and selling prepacked ice cream pints at specialty grocers, they decided to offer soft serve ice cream at the new store, using the soft serve machines purchased by the Ace Frozen Yogurt owners, and call the new business 626 Ice Cream.

It's clear that they respect the history of Ace Frozen Yogurt. They kept their trash can and there are photos of the Ace Frozen Yogurt owners on the wall (one from decades ago and a newer one with the 626 Ice Cream new owners). The toppings bar and soft serve machines are from Ace Frozen Yogurt but with different ice cream and different toppings (chamoy, soybean powder, mochi, nuts, pomegranate molasses, aloe vera, hawthorn flakes).

Soft serve flavors: Black sugar vanilla, Lychee strawberry, Yakult, Mango Calamansi, Hojicha, Malted Chocolate. Two of the flavors are vegan and all of the ones listed are gluten-free. They’re housemade flavors that you can’t get anywhere else. Because of that, 626 Ice Cream is better than Ace Frozen Yogurt ever was. It pains me to say that because 626 Ice Cream serves ice cream, but it’s true. The lychee strawberry soft serve was vegan yet it wasn’t icy or sorbet like and it was bursting with lychee flavor but also quite tangy. I loved the tang and the flavor.

One 8 oz cup is $7.25. You can choose up to two flavors. Add 3 toppings for $1.75.

Here's what they had to say about the transition (from Instagram): 

“Ace Yogurt has been in business for 37+ years. Generations have come through the door, grown up, and brought children and grandchildren of their own. Amber and I came in on a rainy spring day, and were welcomed by the sweetest couple in the world, Jay and Soo. They told us how they had been running the store for 20+ years, after they bought it from the original owner (who they are still close friends with). They went on to explain that they were looking to retire, invest in their health, and spend more time together. Jay finished by saying that he's looking to sell the store. The rest is history.

Fast forward, as we were finalizing the transition, Soo, who is quite reserved in manner of speech, asked "I hope you keep the machines." Many of you might know (and hopefully love) our ice cream, but we were all raised to respect our elders. We are going to honor Jay and Soo's wishes and the heritage of Ace Yogurt, while being true to ourselves. The only answer? Made from scratch soft-serve.

The vast majority of soft-serve is made by opening a pack of industrial dry mix or bottle of liquid base and dumping it into a machine. We understand why the temptation is there. It is many times more expensive and labor-intensive to do things ourselves. But it's all for you, our guest. A true labor of love. This will be our flagship store, the only location where you will find 626 Soft-Serve.

We are excited to plant roots in this community we call home. Someone with more business acumen is likely reading this and seeing a lot of unnecessary risk. But, we believe that not all business decisions need to be reduced to economics. There is a human aspect to doing business that matters. People matter, and this neighborhood will see value in what we are doing. Where there is heart, there is a way.”

* 626 ICE CREAM: 626 Ice Cream, 160 E Duarte Rd, Ste E, Arcadia, CA 91006

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.

2023 Halloween Froyo Spirit Shop Award Winner Announced

 

Fro-yo girl here. Happy Froyo Halloween! Every Halloween, I keep my eyes open for froyo shops with Halloween spirit. I’ve been choosing the one with the most spirit since 2014. The winner could be a shop in any country. I consider the shop décor, special flavors, costume parties and events, special Halloween toppings, and more.

It’s so fun to see Halloween being celebrated in other countries. Sadly, I noticed a drop in Halloween froyo shop spirit last year and this year wasn’t that much better. While plenty of froyo shops have put up some Halloween décor, fewer shops seem to have Halloween specials this year. I also noticed that Halloween celebrations seem to start earlier each year.

The winner of the 2023 Halloween Froyo Shop Spirit Award is…SWEESH Fro-Yo in Indonesia. They created a new Halloween flavor, Butterfly Pea froyo, that they call Mud Blood. They tried to make a bloody-looking froyo.

Last year’s winner, Funky Frozen Yogurt of Norway, created a new froyo flavor, Orange & Chili, for Halloween and they had a week long generous Halloween promo, 50% off for guests in costume.

Here’s the list of previous Halloween Froyo Spirit winners:

• 2022: Funky Frozen Yogurt (Norway)
• 2021: Menchie’s (US)
• 2020: Pinkberry (Japan)
• 2019: Menchie’s (US)
• 2018: Smile Yogurt (Hong Kong)
• 2017: Yogurty’s (Canada)
• 2016: Menchie’s (US)
• 2015: Wakaberry (South Africa)
• 2014: 16 Handles (US)
• 2013: Menchie’s (US)

You can find the most comprehensive list of froyo shop Halloween specials and events at https://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/news/halloween-2023-froyo-specials/

For over 2,600 Halloween froyo images, visit IFYA’s Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/froyogirl/halloween-froyo-froyo-shop-decorations/

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.

National Frozen Yogurt Consumer Survey Results Announced

 

The results of the National Frozen Yogurt Consumer Survey are in. Back in September 2023, the International Frozen Yogurt Association invited frozen yogurt consumers in the United States to participate in an online survey about frozen yogurt. The survey measured loyalty, liking for major frozen yogurt chains, frozen yogurt preferences, what they're looking for from frozen yogurt shops, current and future consumption, what would increase their froyo shop visit frequency, etc. The survey is conducted annually to measure trends over time.

Consumer Survey Findings

There were 771 survey responses. About 56% of the respondents were female, 43% male; 77% of respondents were between 18-34 years old; 77% of respondents reported having children under 18 in the household, with one child being the most common (45.62% of respondents).

Froyo shop visit frequency and loyalty have changed little since 2022. And while some respondents said they had reduced froyo consumption due to higher prices, the majority had not. However, value is a growing concern among respondents.

Respondents liked most of the major frozen chains in the US. When asked about their favorite shop, Pinkberry ranked #1. The most important froyo shop attribute was quality froyo; cleanliness was no longer in the top 3.

Availability of Results

The full results are also available for $150. To order the report or for more information, please contact info@internationalfrozenyogurt.com

About the International Frozen Yogurt Association

The International Frozen Yogurt Association (IFYA) serves as an unbiased source of support and information for current and prospective frozen yogurt store operators. Visit the IFYA website, http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/ for additional information.

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.

Dallas Fort Worth Airport Froyo Options

 

Fro-yo girl here. Did you know that the Dallas Fort Worth Airport has the most places inside an airport to get froyo in the world? There are six places to get froyo. Of the five terminals, only Terminal E does not have froyo. DFW Airport is the second largest airport in the US. Luckily the Skylink train connects the terminals and arrives every two minutes.

All the Pinkberry locations have the same owner, same flavors, same menu (froyo and smoothies), two Taylor machines, and same prices. Each has two froyo machines. A small froyo with toppings is $7.89 or $6.09 for the yogurt only. A medium is $7.09 yogurt only and $8.89 with toppings.

• Freshens is in Terminal C. It serves froyo, smoothies, and drinks. I spotted two froyo machines. A cup of froyo was $6.29.
• Pinkberry, located at Terminal A, Gate A19 after security, opened at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport in 2017, possibly. There are two Pinkberry locations in Terminal A.
• Pinkberry, in Terminal A is near Gate A25, seems to have opened after 2015 and possibly replaced the Red Mango near Gate A25.
• Pinkberry, Terminal C at gate 22 seems to have opened after 2015.
• Pinkberry, Terminal D at gate 12 seems to have opened after 2015. Terminal D is the international terminal, the nicest terminal.
• Red Mango, Terminal B, has two twin-twist Taylor soft serve machines. A 12 oz cup of froyo without toppings is $8.56. They also have smoothies and acai bowls. At one time there were five Red Mango locations in the Dallas Fort Worth airport. Today, one remains open.

I wasn't too impressed with the stale toppings and texture of the Pinkberry froyo that I ordered from Terminal C and I was afraid that I would have a similar experience at another DFW Pinkberry.

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.

Northridge Froyo Guide

 

Pinkberry Northridge

Fro-yo girl here. Northridge is a neighborhood of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley. It’s the home of Cal State Northridge and has a population of 72,150. Almost 40,000 students attend CSUN. Northridge has been the home of many froyo shops. Penguin’s Place was the oldest froyo shop and Tutti Frutti was the first self-serve froyo shop.

If you want froyo, you can still get some at Pinkberry, Tutti Frutti, and maybe TCBY.

Current Froyo Shops

• Pinkberry, 8850 Tampa Ave Ste 101 Ste 101, opened in 2008 and is still in business.
• TCBY, 9301 Tampa Ave #185, is still open at the Northridge Mall. It’s basically a Mrs. Field’s Cookies with a case of TCBY scoopable ice cream and frozen yogurt. I’m not sure if they serve ice cream, frozen yogurt or both. I’ve seen more of these locations lately – with barely any TCBY products.
• Tutti Frutti, 10186 Reseda Blvd, 2009-present, was the first self-serve froyo shop in Northridge, beating out Lotus Yogurt Bar by a month.

Former Froyo Shops

• Cool Creations, 9301 Tampa Ave, 2018-?, was the short-lived rebrand of Cups. I’m not sure when Cool Creations closed.
• Cups Frozen Yogurt, 9301 Tampa Ave, 2015-2018, was part of that chain of froyo shops known as the Hooters of froyo. became something else. I went to the grand opening on April 11, 2005. In 2018, the owners changed the name to Cool Creations.
• Freshii, 8999 Balboa Blvd, 2015-2017. Remember when Freshii was located inside some Target locations? They served salads, grain bowls, and froyo.
• Lotus Yogurt Bar, 9420 Reseda Blvd #4, 2009 – 2011, was a self-serve froyo shop with several locations in Southern California. 
• Penguin’s Place, 18641 Devonshire St, 2007-2011, was the old school counter-serve froyo option. I’m not sure when it opened.
• Prinkipia Yogurt, 9301 Tampa Avenue, was located at Northridge Fashion Center. It might have opened in 2016?
• Red Mango, 18514 Devonshire St, 2008-2010, was counter-serve with four flavors a day.
• Rosegreen, 10201 Reseda Blvd, was a Pinkberry-esque counter-serve froyo shop. I’m not sure of the date it opened or closed but it probably opened around 2008 when Pinkberry and Red Mango opened in Northridge.
• Spoon Me, 9301 Tampa Ave, 2012-2014, was a self-serve shop at Northridge Fashion Center.
• Yogurt Planet, 18427 Nordhoff St, 2011-2016, replaced Bounce Boba Loft.
• Yogurtland, 9225 Reseda Blvd, 2012- 2018, was located closed to Cal State Northridge. It was a smaller location with 12 flavors a day. They offered a discount to CSUN students.

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.