Fro-yo girl here. It’s been four years since I posted my favorite locations of several froyo chains in Los Angeles County. I recently reread my post from 2016 and realized that none of the locations that I mentioned in that post are still on my list of favorites. Since not all chain locations are the same, I thought it would be helpful to share the best ones in the area.
Though a considerable number of froyo shops have closed since 2016, it’s still true that the chains with the most locations in Los Angeles are Menchie’s, Pinkberry, Tutti Frutti, and Yogurtland. Red Mango has one location, while Yogen Fruz, Orange Leaf and sweetFrog have no locations in Los Angeles. sweetFrog has a few locations outside of LA county.
2016 Favorite: Yogurtland Pasadena (Lake)
Ownership changed in late 2018 and the shop quickly went downhill. There were multiple price increases which made it one of the most expensive Yogurtland locations. Quality and service declined. The old employees left. They weren’t keeping up with promotions.
2020 Favorite: Yogurtland, 927 E Las Tunas Dr D, San Gabriel, CA 91776
I remember when the San Gabriel location first opened in 2013. Service is good, they keep the place clean and they keep up with current promotions. Sometimes I can find the new flavors here early (earlier than the scheduled start of the promotion), which is always a nice surprise. They tend to have more Asian flavors and they have chocolate shell. Prices are average compared to the other Yogurtland locations in the area. Since they sold coupon books, you can get monthly deals on froyo that aren’t available at Yogurtland locations that chose not to participate in the coupon books promotion.
2016 Favorite: Menchie’s Monrovia
Sadly, the Monrovia location closed in 2018. The signs were still up for two years but they’ve finally been removed. A new business will probably open there soon.
2020 Favorite: Menchie’s, 4849 Laurel Canyon Blvd, Valley Village, CA 91607
It’s a tough call because there are so many exceptional Menchie’s locations in the Valley (SFV), including Menchie’s Encino, Northridge, and Valley Village. The Valley Village location is the very first Menchie’s and it feels different. The décor is a bit different and the service is something that every Menchie’s should strive towards. Even the cheerful phone manner makes this location different. It’s always clean and well-stocked. Too bad it’s not closer to where I live.
2016 Favorite: Pinkberry Glendale
I was pretty devastated when Pinkberry closed the Americana (Glendale) location in 2018. It was the best location. The owner took pride in the shop. In 2018, the California Pinkberry shops in Azusa, Original Farmers Market (Los Angeles), Playa Vista, Santa Barbara and San Jose also closed. What a tough year.
2020 Favorite: Pinkberry, 2829 Hyperion Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
I’ve had mixed experiences at the Pinkberry locations in Monrovia, Burbank and Los Angeles (Los Feliz) and I haven’t gone to the Sunset and Beverly Hills locations often enough to judge consistency. Sunset has the most flavors and Beverly Hills used to be the innovation kitchen. If I had to choose between the locations I’ve been to on a regular basis, I’d choose Los Feliz. They’re pretty good about keeping up with promotions and the texture has been better than Burbank and Monrovia.
2016 Favorite: Tutti Frutti La Crescenta
Tutti Frutti La Crescenta closed in 2018 and then moved to a new location in downtown Montrose. The new location opened in August 2019. The new location didn’t have the soy froyo that I liked at the old location. I’ve only been there once.
2020 Favorite: None
I don’t go to any Tutti Frutti often enough to be able to choose a favorite location.
Looking back at the old favorites, I noticed that 2018 was a turning point for all four of them. Two have closed for good.
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.
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