Update on the Ventura, California Froyo Scene

Fro-yo girl here. Has it really been 11 years since I completed my froyo mission to try every froyo shop in Ventura, California? An update is long overdue. I found out that Yogurtland Ventura closed for good last September. What’s left? What came and went?

Of the shops I mentioned in 2010, only McConnell’s is still open. Wild Cherry and Ugurt lasted the longest of the shops that closed.

Froyo shops that closed in Ventura (in alphabetical order, with dates of operation):

• Chill Cafe, 27 S Chestnut, from 2010-2012. Chill Cafe offered coffee, acai bowls, smoothies, self-serve froyo, hookah, and free wi-fi. It was featured on TV in an episode of Tabatha Takes Over in 2012. The space is now occupied by a bakery, Marie Shannon Confections.
• Fro-yo & Joe, 1129 Petit Ave., from 2009-2010. The ownership changed in 2010 and the name was changed to Mia’s Place.
• Green Forest Cafe, 5936 Telegraph Rd., from 2010-2015. A popular hangout for teenagers, Green Forest was an internet café with boba and froyo in Victoria Plaza.
• Mia’s Place, 1129 Petit Ave., from 2010-2016. Mia’s Place was a coffeehouse that may have offered froyo. It was the successor to Fro-yo & Joe.
• Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, 607 E Main St., from 2017-2020. This was the first nitrogen ice cream shop in Ventura. The ice cream and froyo was made to order. Sub Zero has locations across the US.
• Surf 'N Yogurt, 7770 Telegraph Rd., from 2012-2018: This was the second Surf N’Yogurt in Ventura. Serving East Ventura, it was self-serve.
• TCBY, 1879 Portola Rd., Ste J: I found a listing for this TCBY online. It’s no longer there. I’m not sure when it opened or closed. I don’t remember ever seeing it.
• Tutti Frutti, 2646 E Main St., from 2008-2013. This was part of the large, multi-national self-serve froyo chain. The Ventura shop was located near the Pacific View Mall.
• UYogurt, 5722 Telephone Rd Ste 13, from 2010-2018. It was self-serve. I remember seeing it for sale around 2018?
• Whirly Cups, 377 E. Main St, from 2011-2014. Whirly Cups was near the movie theater in downtown Ventura. It was and independent that offered self-serve froyo and cupcakes.
• Wild Cherry, 5100 Telegraph Rd., from 2009-2017. Wild Cherry had several locations in Ventura County. The one in Ventura was across the street from Ventura College and self-serve.
• Yogurberry, 3301 E Main St. #K331, from 2008-2009. Yogurberry’s kiosk was upstairs in the food court of Pacific View Mall. Yogurberry was a chain of counter serve froyo shops modeled after Pinkberry. I haven’t seen any for a long time but they had locations across the US and in other countries too. They still exist.
• Yogurt Hut, 1038 S Seaward Ave, from 2010 to 2011. The name was changed to Surf N’ Yogurt in 2011. The small self-serve froyo shop was close to the beach.
• Yogurtland, 4960 Telephone Rd, Ste 104, from 2013-2020. It was the best option in town. The shop was in the shopping plaza with Barnes & Noble, Kohl’s, and Starbucks.

What’s still open (in alphabetical order):

• McConnell’s, 3241 E Main St., from 2009-present. McConnell’s is a premium ice cream shop that started in Santa Barbara. They make their own ice cream. The Ventura location offered soft serve froyo but I’m not sure if they still do because I haven’t been there in a long time. Some McConnell’s locations have soft serve froyo and some do not.
• Menchie’s, 5944 Telegraph Rd, Ventura, CA 93003, from 2014-present. New ownership took over in 2015. The shop is in Victoria Plaza across from Buena High School.
• Nick the Greek, 440 E Main St., from 2020-present. Part of the fast-growing Greek casual restaurant chain, Nick the Greek offers Greek froyo that’s made in-house and can be topped with baklava
• Surf 'N Yogurt, 1038 S Seaward Ave., from 2011-present. The first Surf N’ Yogurt in Ventura used to be called Yogurt Hut and it's close to the beach.
• Wild Berry, 3301 E Main St, Ste 220, from 2011-present. I was there at the grand opening in 2011. Wild Berry is a self-serve froyo chain. I’m not sure if they’re still open or not. The last Yelp review was in 2016 and the most recent Google review was last fall. Wild Berry is still listed in the Pacific View mall directory.

I heard there were other froyo shops in Ventura back in the 80s and 90s. One was called Checkers and it was in Victoria Plaza.

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.