Aloha Yogurt, exterior
Aloha Yogurt, menu
Aloha Yogurt, froyo & interior
Fro-yo girl here. It’s been years since I’ve been to Arizona. My last visit happened even before I started this blog in 2008. Before driving to Arizona, I did my froyo research and picked a few froyo shops to try. At the top of my list (and our first stop) was Aloha Yogurt in Tempe, Arizona.
I’ve been following Aloha Yogurt for many years. They were named one of the best froyo shops in the US by the International Frozen Yogurt last year, the only froyo shop in Arizona on the list. Aloha Yogurt was founded in 2010 by an Arizona State University alum. They make some of their own froyo flavors, as well as froyo tacos, froyo sandwiches with homemade cookie dough, Dole Whip floats, and drinks (smoothies, milkshakes, cold brew). Dogs can indulge in dog-urt and hang out on the dog-friendly patio.
Originally a self-serve shop, they switched to counter-serve/contactless in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and they haven’t switched back to self-serve. Customers are allowed in the lobby though. There are 12 froyo flavors a day, including no sugar added and dairy-free options. The machines aren’t visible but they said they were going to remodel and make the machines visible again (but not self-serve).
We sampled a few of the froyo flavors and I got a cup of Thin Mints froyo, made with Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies. Mr. Froyo said Guinness Stout did taste like Guinness. I’ve never had Guinness and probably wouldn’t like it. I wasn’t a fan of the froyo flavor but I appreciate that they created this flavor using real Guinness (cooked down so that it’s not alcoholic). The Thin Mints froyo was smooth and pleasant – not too strong on chocolate or mint.
The cup sizes are named after the Hawaiian islands, with Kauai (6 oz, $4.15) the smallest, Oahu ($6.50), Maui ($9.10), and Big Island $11.70. Toppings are $0.60 a scoop and they’ll even offer half scoops if you want more than one topping per scoop. For toppings they had fresh fruit, nuts, cereal, coconut, candies, cookies, housemade cookie dough, chocolate chips, popping boba, gummies, and lots of sauces (e.g., local honey, Nutella, whipped cream, condensed milk, etc.).
The froyo was good but what really impressed me was the passion of the store manager and the store owner. He was happy to provide samples and talk about froyo, coffee, restaurants in the area, etc. And I could tell that he swirled my cup of froyo and added the toppings with love.
Mr. Froyo even enjoyed their cold brew coffee. He was skeptical but persuaded by the free sample. The manager spoke with great enthusiasm about their cold brew which they make there with a local roaster’s coffee beans.
The shop had a relaxing vibe and Hawaiian surf theme. The wall of froyo machines had a bright Hawaiian floral mural. There was a bike and surfboard on the wall. The service was cheerful, enthusiastic, and patient. There are touches throughout the clean shop that show that it’s owned and managed by people with a passion for froyo.
I wasn’t able to try every froyo shop in Arizona, or even Tucson, where we spent most of our time, but I did form a general impression of the froyo scene in Arizona. There are a lot of froyo chains in the Phoenix area (e.g., Zoyo, Cherry on Top, Yogurtini, Yogurtology) and it’s hard to imagine any of them have the same passion as Aloha Yogurt. I do think it’s probably the best independent froyo shop in Arizona.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
* ALOHA YOGURT: 219 E Baseline Rd #5, Tempe, AZ 85283
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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