Tuesday, December 18, 2018

California Froyo Shop Openings and Closings in 2018


Fro-yo girl here. There are plenty of frozen yogurt shops but there are also many non-traditional places to get frozen yogurt, including restaurants, convenience stores, vending machines, cafeterias, hospitals, etc. The shops that I track are ones that primarily serve frozen yogurt. This would include frozen yogurt trucks and vending machines, but exclude restaurants that have one frozen yogurt machine and convenience stores.

As always, it's much easier to track openings since shops usually have a social media presence and Yelp listing. However, many shops close quietly, without making any announcement. Fortunately, Yelpers are pretty good about reporting closings.

Here’s my attempt to track froyo shop openings and closings in California this year.



Froyo Shop Openings:



  1. Besties Cool Treats, San Diego 
  2. Blitzer’s, Menifee 
  3. Bongo Froyo, Mammoth Lakes 
  4. Cocomo Froyo, Smorgasburg, Los Angeles 
  5. Cool Creations, Northridge (formerly Cups) 
  6. Corner Yogurt, Half Moon Bay 
  7. Cup O’Tea, Menlo Park 
  8. Crazy For Yogurt, Gold River 
  9. Easy Breezy Frozen Yogurt West Portal, San Francisco 
  10. Exquisito, Anaheim 
  11. Floatisimo, La Jolla
  12. Forever Yogurt/Bee & Tea, San Jose 
  13. Froyo Café, Tujunga 
  14. Golden Spoon, Glendora, November 
  15. Golden Spoon Café, Mission Viejo 
  16. Go Greek Yogurt, Glendale Galleria, Glendale 
  17. Go Greek Yogurt, Thousand Oaks 
  18. Jolynn Yogurt, Hemet 
  19. Kiwiblast, Bakersfield 
  20. Loving Cup NoPa, Divisadero, San Francisco 
  21. Menchie’s, Bakersfield 
  22. Menchie’s, El Centro 
  23. Menchie’s Mission Hills, Los Angeles 
  24. Menchie’s Sacramento, Delta Shores 
  25. Menchie’s, Mission Viejo 
  26. Menchie’s Port Hueneme 
  27. Menchie’s, Van Nuys 
  28. Peachwave, Calabasas 
  29. Snowy Frozen Yogurt & Snow Ice, Petaluma 
  30. Sweet Joy Desserts, Santa Ana
  31. UC Yogurt, San Diego 
  32. Yes Yogurt, Morgan Hill 
  33. Yog-art, Grantville, San Diego 
  34. Yogurt N’ Things, Valencia 
  35. Yogurtland, Bakersfield 
  36. Yogurtland, Belmont Shore, Long Beach 
  37. Yogurtland Century City, Los Angeles (remodeled) 
  38. Yogurtland, Hanford
  39. Yogurtland, Irvine (Barranca) 
  40. Yogurtland, 7th St. Long Beach 
  41. Yogurtland, Rancho Mission Viejo 
  42. Yogurtland, Rialto 
  43. Yummy Spoon, Chula Vista 


Froyo Shop Closings:



  1. Bella Frozen Yogurt, Los Angeles 
  2. Berrysweet, Buena Park 
  3. Big Kahuna Frozen Yogurt, Reedley 
  4. Big Spoon, Folsom 
  5. Bougie's Frozen Yogurt, Perris 
  6. Cherries N Berries, Paramount
  7. Cherry on Top, Upland 
  8. Chillbox, Sacramento 
  9. Cindy's Frozen Yogurt, Fresno 
  10. Cool Creations, Northridge (formerly Cups) 
  11. Cuppa, San Francisco
  12. Cups Frozen Yogurt, Irvine 
  13. Cups Frozen Yogurt, Northridge (name changed to Cool Creations) 
  14. Dolce Frozen Yogurt, Cambria
  15. Easy Breezy, Castro, San Francisco  
  16. Eddie’s Frozen Yogurt, Palm Springs
  17. Fiji Yogurt Linda Vista, San Diego
  18. Fiji Yogurt Friars Rd, San Diego 
  19. Fit Fro, Yorba Linda
  20. Fro Yo Delite, Hollister 
  21. Froyo Cafe, Tujunga
  22. Frozen D'lite, Corona 
  23. Fruity Tart Natural Frozen Yogurt, Moreno Valley
  24. Frugo's, Beaumont 
  25. Golden Spoon, Irvine 
  26. Golden Spoon, Lakewood 
  27. Honey Treat Yogurt, Roseville
  28. Jolynn Yogurt, Hemet
  29. Menchie’s, Culver City 
  30. Menchie's, Rancho Santa Margarita
  31. Milk Plus Sugar, Santa Ana
  32. Mrs. Fields/TCBY, Rancho Cucamonga 
  33. N Gelato, Azusa 
  34. Penguin’s Frozen Yogurt, La Canada Flintridge
  35. Pinkberry, Azusa 
  36. Pinkberry Original Farmers Market, Los Angeles 
  37. Pinkberry, Playa Vista 
  38. Pinkberry, Santa Barbara
  39. Pinkberry, Santana Row, San Jose
  40. Pinkberry, The Americana at Brand, Glendale 
  41. Planet Yogurt, Daly City 
  42. Rave Organics, Newbury Park
  43. Red Mango, Livermore 
  44. Sweettooth Yogurt & Boba, Whittier
  45. Star Frozen Yogurt, Covina
  46. TCBY, Exeter 
  47. Teaberry Frozen Yogurt Café, San Luis Obispo 
  48. The Pink Mango, Tujunga 
  49. The Yogurt Shop, Loomis 
  50. Things-N-Yogurt, Valencia 
  51. Tutti Frutti, Menlo Park 
  52. Tutti Frutti, Walnut Creek 
  53. Tutti Frutti, Newark
  54. Tutti Frutti, La Crescenta
  55. Uptown Frozen Yogurt, Whittier
  56. Yogurt & Love, Los Gatos 
  57. Yogurt & Yummies, Escondido
  58. Yogurt At Its Best, Palm Springs
  59. Yogurt Monkey, Gold River 
  60. Yogurt Shop, Danville
  61. Yogurt Stop, Menlo Park
  62. Yogurt Zone, Woodland Hills
  63. Yogurtland, Long Beach Belmont Shore 
  64. Yogurtland, Palo Alto 
  65. Yogurtland, Woodland Hills
  66. Yogurtland, Northridge
  67. Yogurtland, Santa Cruz
  68. Yogurtown, Pinole
  69. Yoppi Yogurt, California St., San Francisco
  70. Yum Yum Yogurt, Clovis 
  71. Yummy Yogurt, Rolling Hills Estates 


It's been pretty typical to find about equal numbers of froyo shop openings and closings, with the exception of last year when there were many more closings than openings. The number of openings and closings are down this year. The majority of openings occurred in Southern California. The closures were more evenly distributed throughout the state. Since closures tend not to be publicized, I'm sure that I'm missing some closures. 

Interestingly, seven Menchie's locations and seven Yogurtland locations opened this year in California. Peachwave opened its first location in California. CUPS no longer has any locations in California and Pinkberry continued to close locations, with five closures. I was surprised that five Yogurtland locations closed. Chillbox, the chain from Greece, no longer has any locations in California.

Another factor in the closings is the age of the shop. As shops turn 10, many are losing their lease. This was the reason cited for several closures, including Yogurtland Palo Alto and Pinkberry Santana Row. Pinkberry at the Americana turned 10 this year. 

When existing frozen yogurt stores change ownership but not names, I don’t consider this to be an opening or a closing. It's too hard to track ownership changes, since they often are not announced, but if I hear of an ownership change, I do make a note of it.


Froyo Shops Under New Ownership:



  • Golden Spoon, Carlsbad 
  • Golden Spoon, La Costa 
  • Hoppy’s Froyo, Fortuna 
  • Menchie’s South Pasadena (same owner as Menchie’s Glendale) 
  • Menchie’s Winepress (Fresno, CA) 
  • Something Sweet Frozen Yogurt, Lake Isabella 
  • Yogurt 101, Solana Beach 
  • Yogurtland, 19755 Colima Rd, Rowland Heights 
Then there's Fruity Tart Froyo in Moreno Valley, which is now called Sweet Beast Dessert Cafe. It's unclear whether ownership has changed.

I've also tried to track new businesses that aren't primarily frozen yogurt shops, but serve frozen yogurt.


Not a Froyo Shop but Has Opened and Serves Froyo:



  • Freshii, Los Angeles
  • Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream & Yogurt, Laguna Niguel
  • Loop Neighborhood, Mountain View
  • Loop Neighborhood Market, Norco
  • Loop Neighborhod Market, Silver Creek/San Jose
  • Loop Neighborhood Market, Union City
  • Nick the Greek, Stevens Creek, San Jose
  • Pita Barn Express, Victorville
  • Pita GR, Downey
  • Popbar, Riverside
  • Rave Organics Café
  • The Argentum Project, San Francisco

Not New, Not a Froyo Shop But Started Serving Froyo


  • Nick the Greek, Almaden, San Jose
  • Nick the Greek, Downtown, San Jose
  • Nick the Greek, Sunnyvale
  • Nick the Greek, Willow Glen, San Jose
  • Nick the Greek, Santa Teresa, San Jose
  • Nick the Greek, King Rd, San Jose
  • Nick the Greek, Redwood City


Another hard to track category is the future froyo shops. Menchie's makes it easy because they list future shops on their website, but otherwise, I have to look for mentions on social media. Next year, there should be a lot of Reis & Irvy robot froyo installations. 


Future Places That Will Serve Froyo:



  • Menchie’s, Arleta
  • Menchie’s, Hanford
  • Menchie’s, Pinole
  • Menchie’s Upland
  • Menchie’s Citrus Heights
  • Nick the Greek, Morgan Hill
  • Peachwave, Los Angeles (downtown)
  • Souvla, Chestnut St., Marina, San Francisco 
  • Yagoot, Hollywood
  • Yoga-urt, Echo Park, Los Angeles (Spring 2019)
  • YogoFarm, Los Angeles
  • Yogurtland, La Habra

I noticed a few places were listed as closed for remodeling.


Closed for Remodeling (or Temporarily Closed):



  • 21 Choices, Claremont (Foothill)
  • Boxcar Eats, Sacramento
  • Tutti Frutti, La Crescenta

The 21 Choices has been closed for remodeling for a long time. Will it ever reopen? 21 Choices in Pasadena will be moving to a new location in Old Town, close to the current one, in 2019.

Since I always wind up finding out about new openings and closings after publishing my post, I’ll keep updating this post. Did I miss any openings or closings? Let me know.

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.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yogurtland Hanford opened December 14th. Located at the Marketplace at Hanford on
12 Ave. & Lacy Blvd.

Lolia S said...

Thank you! Will update my post.

- FYG