Innovative Froyo (Cultured Gelato) Shop Spotlight: Hellenika Cultured Creamery in Seattle

Fro-yo girl here. I recently visited Seattle to check out Hellenika Cultured Creamery, which opened in Pike Place Market in July 2023. Hellenika Cultured Creamery was founded by three siblings, including one of the co-founders of Ellenos Yogurt.

Hellenika calls the cultured scoopable frozen dessert that they serve “cultured gelato”; it’s made with milk, cream, sugar, and cultures. The cultures that are used result in a product that is less tangy than traditional yogurt. The cultured gelato is made in gelato machines and served straight from the machine. There are twelve flavors offered at a time. Some flavors are made with products from other vendors at Pike Place Market.

The shop has a minimalist/laboratory look. It’s very white. Instead of a case of gelato, the counter has churning gelato. Each flavor is covered by a clear dome. The kitchen is visible from the retail area.

Flavors: London Fog, Matcha, Dutch Chocolate, Plain Greek, Bananas Foster, Yuzu, Ube Coconut, Honey Lavender, Miso Caramel, Mango, Lemon Curd, Marionberry. No vegan options. 

Ube coconut had bits of coconut. Plain Greek was mild with little tang. Lemon curd wasn’t sour but it had a bit more tang. Marionberry had some tang from the berries. The gelato is rich (it’s made with whole milk), so even a small size seems satisfying. I did miss the tang of yogurt. The gelato tasted more like cream than yogurt. The texture was sticky and softer than ice cream. I prefer the firmer texture of ice cream over gelato and the flavor of tangy froyo over both ice cream and gelato.

Prices: Walkaround ($6.50, add $0.75 for a split flavor), Medium ($8.50), Large ($12.50), Mezze ($16.50). They do not have any toppings or sauces.

Both Yogurtland and Menchie’s have offered cultured gelato in the past. Their cultured gelato didn’t taste like yogurt either.

Hellenika is located at Pike Place Market, near Piroshky Piroshky and the first Starbucks.

* HELLENIKA CULTURED CREAMERY: 1920a Pike Pl, Seattle, WA 98101

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 Eagle Rock Returns to Full Self-Service

Fro-yo girl here. Self-serve is back at Yogurtland Eagle Rock! I think they adopted partial-serve in 2021. You could get your own froyo but not the toppings.

A week ago, they brought back self-serve toppings. Finally! I also heard that Yogurtland Burbank will soon allow you to serve your own toppings too.

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

* YOGURTLAND: 5045 Eagle Rock Blvd, Eagle Rock, CA 90041

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.

Mother's Day Froyo Specials (US and International)

Fro-yo girl here. Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 12 in the US. In putting together this list of Mother's Day froyo specials, I learned that Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Italy, Japan, and South Africa. In Mexico and most of Latin America, Mother's Day is celebrated on May 10. In the United Kingdom, Mother's Day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday in Lent.

We know how much moms love froyo and so I put together the most comprehensive list of Mother’s Day froyo specials. Check back for updates because most shops don’t announce Mother’s Day specials till the day before or on Mother’s Day. 

TCBY's free froyo for moms offer is back again and Yogurtland is offering free delivery on  orders $15 and over.

The shops are listed in alphabetical order.

• Berry Yo (Arlington Heights, IL): Moms eat free on Mother’s Day
• Cuppa Yo (Buckeye, AZ): Bring your mom on Mother’s Day and when you buy your froyo, mom gets hers free (lighter froyo is free)
• Cuppa Yo (North Plains, OR): Bring your mom on Mother’s Day and when you buy your froyo, mom gets hers free (lighter froyo is free)
• Cuppa Yo (Bend, OR): Spend $10 at Cuppa Yo and mom's is free on 5/12
• Desert Swirl (Phoenix, AZ): Make a purchase on Mother's Day and mom gets a free ice cream sandwich, while supplies last. Purchase must be equal or lesser value.
• Frost (Kailua, Hi, US): FREE froyo for all Mothers on May 12, 2024. To redeem, show that you follow @frostkailua on Instagram to the cashier at the register.
• FroYah (Philippines): Free froyo with a minimum 100 peso purchase on May 12
• FroYo (St. Louis, MO): Purchase at least two cups of froyo and moms get 10 oz free on 5/12
• FroYo 2 Go (Fort Belvoir, VA): Loyalty members treat mom to froyo on 5/12 and get 10% off the total ticket
• Frozen Ropes (Pensacola, FL): Buy 1, get 1 free froyo when you bring your mom on Mother's Day
• Lemonberry (OH): Moms get a free sundae on 5/12 with the purchase of an additional sundae 
• Llaollao (Malaysia): 1 free additional fruit topping with any small tub purchased from May 6 – 12
• Llaollao (Philippines): Free extra topping for moms on May 11 -12
• Mamaca Frozen Yogurt (Philippines): Buy 2 large cups of froyo and get one free cone on Mother's Day
• Menchie’s (Kalamazoo, MI): 20% off froyo, cake, and acai from May 6 – 12, must mention IG post
• Menchie's (Lansing, MI): 20% off froyo, cake, and acai from May 10 – 12, must mention IG post
• MooMooHouse Froyo (Brunei): Bring mom & spend a min $5.00 on F&B or Merchandise, get one cup of free “Mellow” yoghurt ice cream. Valid on 11th-12th May.
• Mr. Frosty (Bali, Indonesia): Buy 1, get 1 froyo when you bring your kids on 5/12 (with a minimum purchase of 100K)
• Natural Frozen Yogurt (Mexico): Free 4 oz froyo for moms on May 10 from 4 PM - 9 PM
• Peachwave (Holland, MI, US): Get up to $6 FREE when you come in on Mother’s Day, May 12th! Sign up for our loyalty program on or before May 9th to receive a $3 off registration bonus and another $3 off on Mother’s Day!
• Spoon (Williamstown, MA): Buy one, get one free froyo for moms 2 PM - 6 PM on 5/12
• Suzy’s Swirl (Lake Bluff, IL, US)): Moms get a free small cup on Mother’s Day from 11 AM – 5 PM
• SweetFrog (Hendersonville, NC): Bring mom in for froyo on 5/12 and receive a leap back coupon for a free cup up to $5, must mention offer at the time of the order, while supplies last
• SweetFrog (Scherville, IN): Buy your cup and get mom's cup half off on 5/12
• Sweetspot (Longview, WA): Moms get a free small cup with purchase of another family member's cup on May 12
• TCBY (US): Moms get 6 oz of free froyo on 5/12/24
• Top It Yogurt Shoppe (Snohomish, WA): 20% off for mothers on Mother's Day
• Tutti Frutti (Australia): Buy a cup of froyo and get mom’s free on 5/12, minimum $10 purchase
• Tutti Frutti (Malaysia): Moms get 5 oz of free froyo on 5/11 with your froyo purchase
• U'gurt (Mexico): 20% off froyo on Mother's Day, May 10
• Uncle Brew (Philippines): Make a purchase of P150 or more in-store on May 12 and get 1 free plain mango or strawberry froyo
• Wild Honey Froyo (Pensacola & Pace, FL): Free flower for moms on Mother’s Day
• Yo Mama Frozen Yogurt (Wauwatosa, WI): Free froyo for moms all day on 5/12
• Yo-Bar (Australia): Mums get a free bowl valued at up to $10 on May 12
• Yofrizz (Australia): 50% off froyo on May 12
• Yo-gainz (Australia): Buy one, get one free froyo on May 12
• Yogurtini (Plaza, Shoal Creek, Overland Park, KS): Moms eat free on Mother’s Day
• Yogurtland (US): Free online delivery with a $15 purchase from May 1-14, 2024. The $15 purchase does not include taxes and fees. Valid for purchases made on yogurtland.com or the Yogurtland mobile app. Not valid on third party delivery sites.
• Yogurtland (CO): Free flower for mom with any in-store purchase on May 12, while supplies last
• Yole (Brunei): Bring your mom in on 5/12 and she gets a free small cup of froyo
• YOMG Burgers (VIC, Australia): Two for one froyo on May 12
• Yonique Froyo (Brunei): 10% off from May 11 - 13
• Yorg (Mexico): 10% discount on May 9 - 10

Plus, check out over 600 Mother’s Day froyo pins on Pinterest. 

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.

Innovative Froyo Shop Spotlight: Top It Yogurt Shoppe in Snohomish, WA

Fro-yo girl here. Once in a blue moon, I’ll encounter a froyo shop with an owner who really cares about providing the best froyo and the best froyo shop experience. And I found that in the small town of Snohomish, about 60 miles north of Seattle.

Top It Yogurt Shoppe opened in 2013. The current owner, Ken, took over Top It about 1.5 years ago and transformed it into a shop that reflects his commitment to serving the best froyo and toppings in a unique, friendly environment.

The froyo is made with a liquid mix served from the best soft serve machines (Electro Freeze & Carpigiani). The texture is superior, so the froyo tastes better too. It’s self-serve with 12 flavors a day. Each flavor label lists whether the flavor is gluten-free, sugar-free, lowfat, contains nuts, contains egg, etc. And each label also had a Titanic fact.

He switched to flat rate pricing, because he knows what it’s like when you take your kids to a self-serve froyo shop and they load up their cups.

Prices: Small ($5)/ Medium ($7.50)/ Large ($9). It’s self-serve but flat rate. There’s a smaller cup available, if you ask for it.

He wanted to serve products that he felt good about and when he looked at the ingredients in some common froyo toppings, he decided to make his own toppings. Over half the toppings and sauces, including the sprinkles, cookies, crumble, cookie dough, cheesecake, brownies, brownie batter, mochi, granola, etc. are made in-house. Almost everything is vegan. The only dairy product used is milk. Other toppings include fresh fruit, nuts, candies, chocolate-covered nuts, chocolate chips, pb chips, cereal, honey, etc. I haven’t seen so many homemade toppings at a froyo shop in many years.

Ken cares about the environment, so the shop is carbon neutral, composting and recycling most of the waste, and offering reusable bowls and spoons. Organic ingredients are used when available.

And Ken wants to make the shop a true experience, so he’s decorated it with various themes. The current theme is Titanic and the shop is currently a mini-Titanic museum (you have to see it to appreciate it). There are replicas of the stained glass windows of the Titanic and the side of the Titanic, photos of the Titanic, artifacts from the Titanic, books on the Titanic, and more. He even posted elaborate daily summaries of the final voyage of the Titanic. And he made toppings inspired by what was served on the Titanic.

Ken greeted everyone who entered the shop, and he was the one who dispensed the samples.

The shop has the charm of an older building (it’s in Historic Downtown Snohomish) and is a few steps from the Snohomish River. If you provide your phone number, you’ll get 5% off on subsequent visits. It’s a true gem of a froyo shop that you should visit if you’re in the area. It has to be the best froyo shop in the Seattle area right now.

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

* TOP IT YOGURT SHOPPE, 801 1st St, Unit 203, Snohomish, WA 98290

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 Menchie’s The Berry Best! Barry Spoon

 

Fro-yo girl here. Did you know that May is National Strawberry Month? It’s the perfect time to release a new strawberry-themed froyo spoon. Menchie’s newest collectible spoon features Barry, Menchie’s Sweet Friend who looks like a strawberry. The red spoon says “the berry best!”. Barry is holding a cup of froyo on the end and the bowl of the spoon features a strawberry. On the back of the spoon, you can see the back side of Barry holding a cup of froyo.

So cute. The spoons were going fast. Menchie’s in Valley Village went through one box of spoons in a few hours.

Get your collectible Menchie’s Barry spoons before they run out.

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 Menchie’s May Flavors and a Double Smiles Day

Fro-yo girl here. Menchie’s is featuring two NEW flavors this month: Chocolate Dipped Churro froyo made with Hershey’s Chocolate and Cherry Cola sorbet. I haven’t found Cherry Cola sorbet yet.

Chocolate Dipped Churro froyo made with Hershey’s Chocolate is a perfect flavor for Cinco De Mayo. Menchie’s had a yummy Churro froyo flavor in 2015 called Twisted Cinnamon Churro. I haven’t seen it in years, unfortunately. Fortunately, the new Chocolate Dipped Churro froyo is also a winner. It tastes more like churro than chocolate. In other words, the chocolate flavor is not heavy or overwhelming. Chocolate Dipped Churro is lowfat and made with no artificial flavors, no artificial flavors, and no high fructose corn syrup. Recommended toppings: Cinnamon Toast Crunch, mini Hershey’s Kisses, chocolate shell, and your favorite nuts.

Cherry Cola sorbet: This vegan flavor tastes like cherry cola. It’s nonfat, gluten-free, and contains no artificial colors, no artificial flavors, and no high fructose corn syrup. It reminds me of an ICEE or Slurpee. I could taste the cherry and the cola. It seemed very sweet. I can't imagine eating a cup of this flavor. Recommended toppings: strawberries, Cool Whip

Save the date for Double Smiles Day, May 14. On May 14, you’ll earn double smiles on all in-store froyo purchases when you scan the Menchie’s app at the register.

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.

Price Increase at Pinkberry Burbank

Fro-yo girl here. Froyo prices have been increasing like crazy this year (e.g., prices at Yogurtland Pasadena on Lake have gone up three times already this year). In February, the froyo was $0.74/oz at Pinkberry Burbank. The price is now $0.80/oz, an increase of over 8%. Ouch. That's more than the anticipated price increase of 4.1% for food-away-from-home and we're not even at the halfway point of 2024.

Food-at-home prices are expected to increase less than food-away-from-home prices. Maybe it's time to bring your own toppings?

You know you love me. xo xo, 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.