New Souvla Opens in the Dogpatch (San Francisco)

Fro-yo girl here. Souvla #5 opened in the Dogpatch in mid-August of this year. The new spot is their largest location thus far and includes a larger menu. You’ll find all the items that they serve at the other locations plus an expanded wine list, new cold meze and hot meze options like octopus salad, lamb meatballs, spanakopita, etc. They also added loukoumades (Greek donuts). Loukoumades and Greek froyo, anyone?

The regular menu includes spit fired all-natural meats (Snake River Farms pork shoulder, Mary’s free range rotisserie chicken, Thomas Farms lamb) served as a pita sandwich or salad, with a sweet potato option for vegetarians. They also have sides, Greek beverages (including their own wine) and Straus Family Creamery organic Greek frozen yogurt with toppings or plain ($5). Toppings include sour cherry syrup, olive oil & sea salt, baklava crumbles & honey syrup, and Cretan wildflower honey.

In case you’re wondering, the froyo is just as good at this location. There’s one size and one flavor, plain. It’s my favorite froyo! So good! Creamy but not heavy, tangy even sour, natural tasting, lightly sweetened. The sour cherry syrup isn’t that sour but it does enhance the tang of the froyo. The portion is still generous enough to satisfy though it doesn’t last long because I love it. The menu used to not mention that they used Straus organic dairy.

The price has gone up a dollar (from $5 in 2021 to $6 or $8 for froyo with baklava) but still feels totally worth it. Wish there were a smaller size, not that I have any problems finishing my Souvla froyo.

The froyo is the best thing on the menu!

* SOUVLA: 2505 3rd St, San Francisco (Dogpatch), CA 94107

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.

Time Is Running Out to Take the National Frozen Yogurt Consumer Survey, Five Respondents Will Win Froyo Gift Cards

 

Fro-yo girl here. If you visit froyo shops and you’re over 13 in the US, you're eligible to take the National Frozen Yogurt Consumer Survey. The short survey, sponsored by the International Frozen Yogurt Association, asks about your current froyo consumption and preferences.

Take the Online Froyo Survey and Be Entered to Win a $25 Froyo Gift Card

All eligible survey respondents will be entered into a random drawing to win one of five $25 froyo shop gift cards to any US shop that offers online gift cards. Winners will be selected in a random drawing and can choose their froyo gift card. One entry per person. Responses will remain anonymous. 

Take the 7-minute survey at tinyurl.com/2022froyosurvey

The survey closes at midnight PST on Friday, September 30, 2022.

Purpose of the National Frozen Yogurt Survey

The annual National Frozen Yogurt Survey, sponsored by the International Frozen Yogurt Association, captures trends in the frozen yogurt market from the perspective of the consumer and the shop owner. The survey results will be shared with frozen yogurt shops and others in the frozen yogurt industry. The National Frozen Yogurt Shop Owner Survey launches in October. 

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.

Ki A Peng Sian Oolong Tea & Black Tea Ice Cream Bar Review

Fro-yo girl here. On a recent trip to 99 Ranch Market in San Gabriel, California, I spotted Ki A Peng Sian’s ice cream bars. They’re tea flavored but do not contain boba. There were two flavors, Oolong Tea and Black Tea. Each box contains four individually wrapped 65g bars. On sale, the boxes were 2 for $10.98 or $6.99 regular price.

Ki A Peng Sian is a dessert cafe in Taiwan that serves ice cream and shaved ice.

Oolong Tea: Liked the firm and creamy texture. The tea flavor was strong. The bar is pretty sweet but still tasty. The aftertaste was a bit bitter. One bar is 106 calories, 6g total fat, 13g total carbs, 10g total sugars and 0g protein.

Black Tea: Similar to the oolong tea ice cream bar – creamy, firm texture, strong tea flavor. It’s less bitter than the oolong tea version. One bar is 94 calories, 4g total fat, 14g total carbs, 8g total sugars, and 1g protein.

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.

Sharetea x Shaomei Creamy Thai Tea Boba Ice Cream Review

Fro-yo girl here. Sharetea, the Taiwanese boba chain that was founded in 1992, has partnered with Shaomai, the Taiwanese boba ice cream brand, to introduce a limited time product, Creamy Thai Tea Boba Ice Cream with QQ brown sugar boba. One box comes with 4 individually wrapped bars. I found my box at 99 Ranch Market in San Gabriel, on sale for $7.98 each. The bars are imported from Taiwan.

Creamy Thai Boba Ice Cream Bars: Pretty good! These bars were firmer and creamier than most boba ice cream bars. They were sweet but not sweeter than other boba ice cream bars. Somehow the black tea and spices helped tame the impact of the sugar. The QQ boba were soft, sweet, and chewy. This is a richer boba ice cream bar but I really enjoyed it.

Each bar is 75g, 150 calories, 6g total fat, 22g total carbs, 15g total sugars, and 2g protein.

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.

New Pressed Freeze Flavor: Supercharged Snickerdoodle

Fro-yo girl here. Pressed has been introducing lots of new Freeze flavors this year. The latest is Supercharged Snickerdoodle Freeze which available as a sundae with snickerdoodle cookie crumble and a drizzle of chocolate.

Supercharged Snickerdoodle Freeze is plant-based (vegan) and made with coconut cream, spinach puree, coconut oil, almonds, cinnamon, vanilla extract, sea salt, and spirulina extract. I tried it and it was way too sweet; and I love snickerdoodle cookies. I couldn’t order a cup of it. The cinnamon was very pronounced but not the spinach. It wasn’t as icy as some of the other Freeze flavors but whoa, so sweet. I know it’s not refined sugar but they do sweeten it with brown rice syrup and agave.

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.

Getting Pinkberry at the New Amazon Go in Whittier, CA

 

Fro-yo girl here. Amazon Go opened their first store in Southern California in Whittier on September 13. I visited on 9/14/22. Amazon Go is Amazon’s version of a convenience store with freshy made food, coffee stations (they serve Starbucks), Healthade kombucha on tap, Stumptown cold brew coffee on tap, Pinkberry self-serve froyo station, snacks, premade food, drinks, ice cream, wine, beer, etc. It’s contactless thanks to the use of Amazon’s Just Walk Out Technology.

As for the Pinkberry station, there was one machine with two froyo flavors: Original tart and pomegranate. There were three toppings: chocolate chips, honey oats granola, and mini milk chocolate gems. There was one cup size. A cup of froyo and toppings is $4.99 which is a real bargain. You can’t even get a small cup of Pinkberry for $5 these days. It's self-serve!

Because the toppings are on the counter, it’s difficult to get them onto the tall froyo swirl without making a mess. If you want a lot of toppings, I suggest putting them on the bottom of your cup, under your froyo. I was pleasantly surprised by the smooth, fresh quality of the froyo and the firmness. I hope they keep it up!

Scan your Amazon shopping app when you enter. Then cameras will track your items and charge your Amazon account when you exit. It’s a little strange but it worked fine. If there’s a problem, you can report it on your app. If you don’t like an item, you can request a refund. There are no cashiers but they had a customer service desk, employees in bright orange shirts on the floor to answer questions, and people preparing food.

Use the kiosk to order freshly made food, including build your own sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, wraps, salads, breakfast burritos, avocado toast, hot egg bowls, and a kids menu. They’ll call your name when your order was ready (too bad they didn’t have robots doing the food prep). The grab & go section had sushi, bagels, wraps, salads, soups, croissant sandwiches and more. There was a hot foods area with cheese melt sandwiches, pizza slices, and popcorn chicken.

As I was driving home, I spotted the Amazon Go billboard which shows a sandwich, a cup of coffee, avocado toast and a cup of Pinkberry froyo! Amazon Go will open in Torrance soon.

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

* AMAZON GO: 14249 Whittier Blvd, Whittier, CA 90605

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.

Take the National Frozen Yogurt Consumer Survey for a Chance to Win Froyo Prizes

 

Fro-yo girl here. The 2022 National Frozen Yogurt Consumer Survey, sponsored by the International Frozen Yogurt Association, is now open. It's open to anyone over 13 who visits frozen yogurt shops in the US. The 7-minute survey is about your froyo preferences.

Complete the froyo survey by midnight Pacific Time on September 30, 2022 for a chance to win one of five $25 froyo shop gift cards. Winners can choose a gift card from any froyo shop that sells online gift cards.

Winners will be selected based on a random drawing. One entry per person please.

Take the survey at tinyurl.com/2022froyosurvey

The survey results will be shared with frozen yogurt shops and others in the frozen yogurt industry to help shape the future of the industry.

Tell others to take the survey too!

Want to See the Results?

Anyone who is interested in the survey results simply needs to share the survey invitation using a public profile. There are several ways to share the survey invitation, including sharing IFYA’s pinned Facebook post about the survey (https://www.facebook.com/froyoassociation/), pinned tweet (@froyogirl) or Instagram survey post (@froyoassociation) before September 28, 2022. Then, after sharing, send the IFYA a direct message with your email address. Your profile must be public in order to qualify.

For the complete contest rules, visit https://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/official-rules-for-the-2022-national-frozen-yogurt-consumer-survey-sweepstakes/

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.

Anita Gelato Opens in Los Angeles and Here's What I Thought of the Froyo

 

Fro-yo girl here. Anita Gelato, which serves froyo, finally opened in Los Angeles! Anita Gelato was founded in Tel Aviv, Israel in 2002; their first US location was in NYC. They're known for their froyo and of course, premium hand-made gelato. They also serve coffee drinks and milkshakes. I heard that they were coming to LA a few months ago.

The grand opening took place on September 2 in Tarzana, a neighborhood in Los Angeles (San Fernando Valley). I called before heading over there but no one answered the phone. I made the trek and wandered in…only to be told that the frozen yogurt was not available. My next thought was that they might make yogurt gelato but alas, they didn’t have that either. I visited again last weekend and they had froyo.

They have one soft serve machine which they use for their froyo and acai. Froyo and acai swirls are also popular. They have one flavor of froyo, plain/original. The price includes unlimited toppings and topping refills. That is, once you start eating your froyo, if you want more toppings, they’ll give you some!

Froyo: Small ($7.50)/ Medium ($8.50)/ Large ($11)/ Small take away ($18)/ Large take away ($27)

The toppings include homemade sauces, homemade jams, cookies, candies, nuts, chocolate, coconut, granola, sprinkles, marshmallows, fresh fruit, and more. They’re known for their jams and sauces. Sauces: Date honey, white chocolate, honey, tahini, cherry, pretzel, cookieman, white chocolate and cookies, caramel cookies

Jams: Passion fruit, strawberry, mulberries, mango

The frozen yogurt was silky smooth, dense, rich, and mildly tangy; a high quality froyo. It’s as rich as frozen custard. Mr. Froyo found it too rich and I also missed the refreshing and light aspect one usually finds in plain froyo. The toppings were excellent – a cut above. The tahini sauce was thin and nutty. The cherry sauce added some tang.

I ordered a small yogurt and the portion was generous. They were generous with toppings too.

The shop looks beautiful and luxe with gold accents against pink and green. Find free 90-minute parking in the covered garage. There’s plenty of seating but the outside tables are not shaded.

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 Downtown Burbank (Media Center) Closes

Fro-yo girl here. Sad news. Yogurtland in downtown Burbank (Media Center) has closed. It happened pretty recently. The shop still has toppings inside and nothing has been removed from the interior. But Yogurtland has removed the location from their website, the Yogurtland Burbank Facebook page says permanently closed, and the other Yogurtland location in Burbank confirmed the closure. The sign for Watermelon Sorbet with Sour Patch Kids flavor was still up.

There was no sign on the door explaining the closure and no announcement that I’m aware of.

Yogurtland Burbank Media Center was nearly 13 years old. I went a few times, including to the 5th anniversary celebration. Those were the good old days. I tried to go more recently but they were open odd hours and it always looked dark inside, like they weren’t turning on the lights. The reviews from this year are mostly very negative, citing unpredictable hours, stale toppings, runny froyo, broken machines, etc.

Yogurtland still has a branch in north Burbank on Victory Blvd.

YOGURTLAND: 304 N. San Fernando Blvd, Burbank, CA 91502

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.

Fall at Yogurtland: Return of Pumpkin Pie & Caramel Apple Froyo, New Fall Topping

Fro-yo girl here. It feels like fall has arrived at Yogurtland. The new signs have a distinctly fall feel and fall flavors are back. Yogurtland brought back Pumpkin Pie froyo (early) and they’re pairing it with Cheesecake froyo. The two flavors are being offered side-by-side with a sign that encourages guests to swirl them together, using the middle handle, to create Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Swirl. The handles are even labeled pumpkin pie, pumpkin pie + cheesecake swirl and cheesecake. Recommended toppings: cheesecake bites, whipped cream, maple cream cookies, almonds. 

Caramel Apple froyo is also returning. The flavor was first introduced in 2016 as part of the Trolls promotion. Cooper’s Caramel Apple is now called Caramel Apple. Yogurtland describes it as, “With the sweetness of REAL caramel blended with REAL apples, it’s like eating a caramel apple in every bite.” I don’t like caramel but it did taste like caramel with a hint of apple.

There is also a new fall topping, Maple Cream Cookies. They’re soft, thick maple leaf shaped sandwich cookies filled with maple cream. The cookies and cream are made with 100% pure maple syrup. The maple flavor is subtle. I thought the cookies were very tasty and not crazy sweet.

Yogurtland is offering an online-exclusive Dirt Cup made with Dutch Chocolate Frozen Yogurt or Rich Chocolate Ice Cream and assorted toppings, available to order on yogurt-land.com and third party delivery platforms. All the promotional items are available for a limited time only, while supplies last.

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.

Two New Menchie’s Flavors (Chocolate Chip Cookie, Vegan Cinnamon Horchata) & New App Feature

Fro-yo girl here. This month Menchie’s has two NEW exclusive flavors swirling and luckily, I found them. Waiting to try new froyo flavors is torture.

America’s favorite cookie is now a Menchie’s froyo flavor. Chocolate Chip Cookie made with Hershey’s Chocolate froyo is a real back-to-school treat. Made with real Hershey’s chocolate and real cookie pieces, Chocolate Chip Cookie froyo contains no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, and no high-fructose corn syrup. I liked how the chocolate flavor was mild and the cookies added a bit of buttery goodness. The texture was smooth and creamy. Recommended toppings: Hershey’s Special Dark chips, Mini M&Ms, Blue Diamond almonds, and chocolate shell.

Vegan Cinnamon Horchata made with almond milk is 100% plant-based, lowfat, and gluten-free. Made with real cinnamon, Menchie’s newest vegan flavor contains no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, and no high-fructose corn syrup. It was much icier than Chocolate Chip Cookie froyo but it did taste like cinnamon horchata. Recommended toppings: Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Kellogg’s Granola, coconut.

Don’t miss out; the new flavors are only available for a limited time.

Also, the Menchie’s app has a new feature: favorite flavor notifications. Simply create an account and heart your favorite flavors in the menu on the Menchie’s app; you’ll receive a push notification when that flavor is offered at your favorite Menchie’s store.

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.

Uli’s Gelato: Yogurt with Cherry Jam Gelato Review

Fro-yo girl here. So, I knew about Gelateria Uli and I’ve visited their shop inside the Spring St. Arcade in downtown Los Angeles. I didn’t get anything because they didn’t have froyo. During the pandemic, they rebranded, closed their shops, and started selling to grocery stores and restaurants. Online ordering and nationwide delivery are available.

On a recent visit to Cookbook Market in Highland Park, I spotted Uli’s Gelato in the freezer. They had two flavors: Bee pollen gelato and Yogurt with cherry jam gelato. Yogurt gelato! The pints were $14 and the 5 oz. minis, $7. The website lists another yogurt gelato flavor, lavender.

Yogurt with cherry jam gelato: It’s made with yogurt and live and active cultures. The yogurt gelato smelled good (it smelled like yogurt) and fortunately, it also tasted like yogurt with cherries. There were bits of cherry throughout. The texture was dense and smooth with an icy edge. While it tasted like yogurt, it was so sweet that there was almost no tang or sourness. But the aftertaste was clean and it tasted natural. However, there was way too much sugar. One container is 220 calories, 6g total fat, 37g total carbohydrates, 34g sugars, and 3g protein.

Uli’s, voted best ice cream/gelato in Los Angeles, was founded by Uli, an immigrant from Azerbaijan. She opened her first gelateria at 541 S. Spring St. in downtown LA in 2014. The best, seasonal ingredients are used.

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.