My Best Swirl of 2024

 

Fro-yo girl here. What was my best-looking swirl of self-serve froyo in 2024? I looked at all the pictures of every cup of froyo that I consumed in 2024. 

There was a clear winner this year: the cup of strawberry lemonade froyo that I swirled at the Pinkberry in Burbank, California. I didn’t add the toppings myself because that wasn’t allowed, but I’m considering the froyo swirl alone. It’s symmetric and tapers nicely, with an upright point at the top.

My most viewed cup of froyo was one that I didn’t swirl, from Souvla on Valencia St. in San Francisco. It had 310 views on Pinterest. My first froyo was a cone of Peanut Butter Prana vegan froyo from Yoga-urt in Glendale, CA.

Of the 153 cups and cones of froyo that I consumed in 2024, 52% were self-serve, 26% were counter-serve, and 21% were pre-packs; 88% were dairy and 12% were non-dairy; 89% had one flavor and 11% had more than one flavor. In 2023, 50% of my froyo cups and cones were self-serve, 13% partial serve, 32% counter-serve, 1% machine-served, and 4% pre-packed. In 2023, 84% of my froyo cups and cones featured one flavor and 85% of my froyo cups and cones were dairy-based froyo.

Yogurtland finally got rid of partial-serve and remodeled multiple locations. More Yogurtland locations have pre-packs now.

You can see every cup and cone of froyo that I consumed on my Pinterest board, 2024 Froyo Consumed by Me.

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.

Favorite Froyo Flavors of 2024

Fro-yo girl here. It’s time for me to pick my favorite new froyo flavors of 2024. There were fewer new froyo flavors this year compared to 2023. In particular, there were very few new tart froyo flavors.

Best Tart Froyo (Dairy-Based): Mango Lemonade froyo from Pinkberry

Mango froyo can be too sweet. Adding lemonade gives it the brightness and tanginess that I crave.

Best Sweet Froyo (Dairy-Based): Strawberry Matcha froyo from Yogurtland

Yogurtland created a flavor that balanced the strawberries and matcha.

Best Vegan Froyo: Nana’s Lemon Meringue Pie from Yoga-urt

This was a tough choice because all of Yoga-urt’s new flavors this year were amazing. But, I have to go with Nana’s Lemon Meringue Pie because of the tanginess. Nana’s Lemon Meringue Pie is made with real lemons, marshmallow crème, and the Yoga-urt house almond/cashew base.

For a list of the new froyo flavors introduced in 2024, see New Froyo Flavors & Froyo Trends of 2024.

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.

Painful California Froyo Shop Closures in 2024

Yogurt Farms Snoopy

Fro-yo girl here. Before the year ends, I’d like to recognize a few froyo shops that closed this year that deserve a few words.

Yogurt Farms, 1224 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95401

This one really hurts. Yogurt Farms opened in 1982 across the street from Santa Rosa High School. It remained family-owned and operated. There was a huge Snoopy statue in front because Charles Schulz lived in Santa Rosa. Charles Schulz probably was a Yogurt Farms fan? Unless he didn't like froyo. Yogurt Farms was counter-serve and very much old school. I visited back in 2009.

Apizza & Loving Cup, 2043 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94115

This was the first apizza location to open back in 2019. Apizza was the new concept from the founder of La Boulangerie and owner of Loving Cup. This location also had Loving Cup froyo, mixed with the add-ins of your choice, and hand-churned to order. Apizza closed on Fillmore (Pacific Heights), but added the pizza concept to Loving Cup on Divisadero in San Francisco and in Greenbrae.

iYogurt, 6560 Lone Tree Way Brentwood, CA 94513

iYogurt wasn’t the first self-serve froyo shop in Brentwood, but I think it lasted the longest. It opened in 2010. Iyogurt also had gelato.

Pinkberry, 540 W Stuart Ave Ste 110/B Redlands, CA 92374

Pinkberry opened in Redlands in 2021. There are so few Pinkberry branches left that every closure hurts.

The Yogurt Farms closure hurts the most. Does anyone know what happened to the Snoopy holding a froyo cone statue?

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.

2024 California Froyo Shop Openings and Closings

Go Greek, Studio City

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve been tracking froyo shop openings and closings all year. I found 28 new froyo shops and shops that aren’t primarily froyo shops but serve froyo in 2024. This is considerably less than last year, when I found 41 new places for froyo. In 2022, I found 46 new places that serve froyo. However, I always find more new froyo shops after publishing this post, so the number will most likely increase.

Of the 28 new places for froyo in 2024, 19 are froyo shops, two are mobile froyo units, and seven are non-froyo shops that offer soft serve froyo. Most of the new shops are not part of a large franchise. Last year’s growth was driven by Nick the Greek, which opened 11 new branches in California. This year, Nick the Greek opened seven new branches in California.

I found eight froyo shop closings and six ownership changes. Two closings resulted in a name change and a replacement with another froyo shop.

My goal is to track any new venue that serves froyo in soft serve form, including restaurants, convenience stores, pop-ups, froyo trucks, froyo trailers, vending machines, amusement parks, stadiums, etc. It's easier to track openings, since they're usually announced, but many places close quietly.

Businesses are listed in alphabetical order with the location noted.

Openings

• Aggie Yogurt, Davis
• Cuppa Yo, Dublin
• Easy Breezy, Walnut Creek
• Go Greek Yogurt, Studio City
• Golden Spoon, Tustin
• Golden Spoon, Irvine
• Golden Spoon, Oceanside
• Got Scoopz, Livermore
• Kulfi Cone, Yuba City (mobile trailer)
• Lol Yogurt, Santa Maria
• Rainbow Froyo, Benicia
• Rainbow Frozen Yogurt, Moreno Valley
• Spoon and Cone, West Hollywood
• Top A Lot, Gilroy
• Yoberries, Fresno
• Yoga-urt, Granada Hills, Los Angeles
• Yogurt Lounge, Murrieta
• Yogurt Mill, second truck
• Yogurtland, Santa Monica
• Yokli Yogurt, Manteca
• Yum Yum Yogurt is back in Kingsburg, California. It was Yum Yum Yogurt, then it was The Froyo Co, and now it’s Yum Yum Yogurt again

Not a Froyo Shop but Serves Froyo

• Nick the Greek, Berkeley
• Nick the Greek, Santa Barbara
• Nick the Greek, Pinole
• Nick the Greek, Greenbrae
• Nick the Greek, Yorba Linda
• Nick the Greek, Santa Maria
• Nick the Greek, San Mateo

Closings

• Apizza & Loving Cup, San Francisco (Fillmore)
• Culture Shock, Grass Valley
• The Froyo Co, Kingsburg
• Got Scoopz, Livermore
• iYogurt, Brentwood
• Pinkberry, Redlands
• Sweetie’s Ice Cream Shop, Santa Barbara
• Yogurt Farms, Santa Rosa

New ownership

• CoCo Swirl, Pleasant Hill
• Heavenly Yogurt, San Diego
• Menchie’s, San Fernando
• Menchie’s Rancho San Diego, El Cajon
• Spoons Frozen Yogurt, Porterville
• Tiger’s Yogurt, Stockton

Future Shops

• Golden Spoon, Laguna Beach
• Menchie’s, Manteca
• Menchie’s, Cameron Park
• Menchie’s, Clovis
• Menchie’s, Madera
• Nick the Greek, Palo Alto
• Nick the Greek, Ceres
• Pinkberry, Roseville

Since I find out about openings and closings after publishing my post, I’ll keep updating this post. Did I miss any openings or closings? Let me know.

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.

2024 Christmas Spirit Froyo Shop Winner

 

Fro-yo girl here. I love seeing Christmas froyo spirit during the holiday season. I noticed that 12 days of Christmas promotions were particularly popular this year, and I approve. Santa also made an appearance at multiple froyo shops.

So, which froyo shop had the most Christmas spirit this year? IMHO, Yogurtland wins. This Christmas, Yogurtland introduced a new flavor, Peppermint Fudge Brownie, and brought back a seasonal flavor, Cranberry Orange Tart. They also had a new holiday cup design, new holiday spoons (gingerbread man, giant hunter green), a new holiday topping (mini gingerbread men cookies), new holiday sticker sheets, an online exclusive festive Gingerbread Wonderland froyo creation, and to top it all off, a 12 Days of Froyo promotion for Real Rewards members. During the 12 Days of Froyo, Yogurtland guests will receive a mystery reward each day when they visit the store or order online.

Last year, Llaollao had the most Christmas spirit. Llaollao celebrated Christmas 2023 with a new turron sauce, turron (Spanish nougat), new holiday cup design, new llaollao tote bag, llaollao Christmas socks, and a holiday giveaway.

Previous winners of the Christmas Spirit Froyo Shop Award

• 2023: Llaollao
• 2022: Yogurtland
• 2021: 16 Handles

My Christmas-y froyo images Pinterest board has nearly 1,800 images. 

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.

Yum Crumbs Dessert Toppings Review

Fro-yo girl here. I spotted Yum Crumbs online while searching for interesting froyo toppings. I was impressed and intrigued by the wide range of Yum Crumbs flavors and decided to order the sampler pack to try the product.

Yum Crumbs dessert toppings can be sprinkled on froyo, ice cream, pancakes baked goods, dipped fruit, donuts, and more. The sampler pack of 1 oz packets included the following flavors:

• Strawberry Lemonade
• Banana Cream Pie
• Chocolate Peanut Butter
• Red Velvet
• Lemon Pound Cake
• Cinnamon Roll
• Bubble Gum
• Mint Chocolate
• Key Lime Pie
• Cherry
• Salted Caramel
• Blueberry Cobbler
• Berry Blue
• Mint Chocolate
• Orange Creamsicle
• Rainbow
• Apple Pie
• Strawberry Shortcake
• Pumpkin Pie
• Chocolate Éclair
• Birthday Cake

I tried two flavors and didn’t feel like trying other flavors afterwards. The Strawberry Shortcake crumbs were small, hard, and crunchy. They tasted like cherry cough syrup, not strawberries. They had a pasty quality that I also did not like. The Lemon Pound Cake crumbs were a bit better and did taste like lemon (more like lemon oil than lemon juice) but the texture was unappealing.

Yum Crumbs are hard and more like sprinkles than crumbs. When I think of crumbs, I think of soft baked crumbs like donut or cake crumbs. Crumbs aren’t supposed to be hard.

The main ingredients of Yum Crumbs are sugar, wheat flour, and malted barley. Half a tablespoon is about 25 calories.

I’m not sure what I’ll do with my remaining Yum Crumbs packets. Maybe I’ll put some in Christmas stockings.

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.

White Bear Crush Ice Cream Bars Strawberry Milk Flavor Review

Fro-yo girl here. I found White Bear Crush Ice Cream Bars, Strawberry Milk flavor at 99 Ranch Market in Alhambra, CA, for $6.99/box. One box contains three individually wrapped ice cream bars. The wrapper is cute – it has a print of bears.

The bar has an interesting shape. I’m not sure what it is. A mountain, maybe? The interior is red. The strawberry pop is surrounded by a soft white coating that was soft, sweet, and creamy. It contained milk powder, condensed milk, whipping cream, and cheese powder as well. It didn’t taste cheesy. It was milky. The strawberry part had some strawberry seeds. It was sweet with no tang. I didn’t love the coating or the combination of the sweet milky coating with the sweet, icy, firm strawberry ice pop. I wouldn't buy these again.

One bar is 80g, 110 calories, 8g total fat, 19g total carbs, 15g total sugars, and under 1g of protein. The bars were manufactured in Shanghai, China by Shanghai Yimin No ! Food Co, Ltd.

3 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.

Yogurtland’s Giant Hunter Green Holiday Spoon

 

Fro-yo girl here. On December 9, Yogurtland thrilled froyo spoon collectors with the free gift with purchase, giant hunter green Yogurtland holiday spoons. To get a spoon, you had to make a $12 in-store purchase, with a maximum of 4 spoons per transaction.

The hunter green giant spoons are mostly likely the last new collectible spoons to be released in 2024. It’s also the third giant spoon Yogurtland released this year. The spoon is 12 inches long and says Yogurtland on the handle. It doesn’t say anything on the back.

I took my spoon to Descanso Gardens for a photo shoot.

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.

2024’s New Collectible Froyo Spoons

 

Fro-yo girl here. My dear froyo spoon collectors, I’ve created a list of all the new collectible froyo spoons that were released this year. The list is alphabetical and organized by shop. I’ve also noted the spoon color and design. It’s also organized by the order they were released by each shop, with the oldest designs appearing first.

2024’s Collectible Froyo Spoons

• Menchie’s, yellow, Spring Vibes, PB
• Menchie’s, red, The Berry Best, Barry
• Menchie’s, blue, I Heart Froyo, Menchie
• Menchie’s, brown, Falling for Froyo, Chip
• Yogurtland, dark green, Y
• Yogurtland, lilac, giant
• Yogurtland, yellow, PAC-MAN
• Yogurtland, blue, Inky ghost
• Yogurtland, red, Blinky ghost
• Yogurtland, apricot, giant
• Yogurtland, light brown, gingerbread man
• Yogurtland, hunter green, giant

In 2023, nine new froyo spoons were released (five from Yogurtland, three from Menchie’s, and one from SweetFrog). This year, there were twelve new collectible spoons, four from Menchie’s and eight from Yogurtland (three of the Yogurtland spoons were giant spoons). Thanks, Yogurtland, for all the new spoons!

Check out all the fancy froyo spoons on the Pinterest board, Fancy Froyo Spoons.

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.

Comparing Froyo Loyalty Programs

 

Fro-yo girl here. Pinkberry just announced a new, revamped PinkCard rewards program, so I thought I would compare the loyalty programs at Pinkberry, Yogurtland, Menchie’s, TCBY, and SweetFrog.

PINKBERRY

Under the old Pinkberry rewards program, you earned a point for every purchase and a free small froyo with toppings once you reached 10 points. The new program awards 1 point for every $1 spent, with 25 bonus points for registering your account. Once you reach 50 points, you’ll earn a $5 reward.

This isn’t a bad deal, since an average cup of Pinkberry is over $5, meaning you have to spend over $50 to get the free cup of froyo. Granted, the free cup of froyo has a value that’s higher than $5. It works out to about a 10% discount, which is the same under the new program. Basing it on dollars spent is also fairer, as it doesn’t penalize those who order a larger froyo.

PinkCard Rewards 

• Earn 1 point for every $1 spent
• Get a $5 reward with every 50 points
• Receive 25 bonus points when you register your account
• Members only offers
• Special offer for your birthday

If you already joined Pinkberry, you’ll still need to register for a new account. Your current points will be converted and transferred to your new account. Be sure to use the same email address or phone number when you register for the new program.

YOGURTLAND

Yogurtland’s program, Real Rewards, once rewarded points based on the number of ounces purchased, but the current program rewards two points for every $1 spent. The reward tier names and perks also changed. There are three reward tiers.

Yogurtland Real Rewards 

• Earn 2 points for every $1 spent
• Reach 100 points and get a $5 reward
• Receive 50 bonus points when you register
• Surprise gifts & special offers

Signature Tier, under 200 points

• Birthday reward: up to $5 off

Premium Tier, 200 points

• Birthday reward: up to $6 off
• Half-birthday reward
• Quarterly bonus points

Ultimate Tier, 600 points

• Birthday reward: up to $7 off
• Half-birthday reward
• Quarterly bonus points
• 2x points every 2nd of the month

The basic signature tier is very similar to Pinkberry’s PinkCard. The perks are better for the higher tiers.

MENCHIE’S

Menchie’s My Smileage rewards 1 smile (point) for every dollar spent at Menchie’s. For every 50 smiles early, you’ll earn a $5 reward. This is the same as Pinkberry and Yogurtland’s reward programs.

My Smileage

• Earn 1 smile for every $1 spent
• Reach 50 smiles, get a $5 reward
• 25 free bonus smiles for registering
• 10 extra smiles when you visit within 7 days of registering
• $5 birthday reward
• Surprise gifts & special offers

More rewards are available on the Menchie’s app. Menchie’s has had quite a few app-specific perks, like the Smile Challenge, double smile days that are only available if you scan the app at the register, and more.

TCBY

TCBY’s Froyo Club offers a wider range of rewards.

Froyo Club

• Earn 10 points for every $1 spent\
• Rewards are based on points
• 200 points, $1 off 
• 400 points, $3 off
• 650 points, $5 off
• 850 points, free froyo up to $8.50 in value
• 1,250 points, 25% off total order in single transaction, up to $12.50 value
• 2,500 points, 50% off total order in single transaction, up to $25 value
• Birthday reward
• Surprise gifts & special offers

While you can earn a discount faster under TCBY’s program, the program isn’t as generous as the others.

SWEETFROG

SweetFrog’s program is called sweetRewards. It was recently revamped, and there wasn’t much information about the program. It sounds similar to Pinkberry’s loyalty program.

sweetRewards

• Earn 1 point for every $1 you spend (pre-tax)
• Receive 25 bonus points loaded to your account when you register
• Exclusive information about new products, member only offers 
• Special offer for your birthday

All these reward programs are free to join. Remember that points and rewards can expire, so read those terms and conditions. Because of the reward tiers, I think Yogurtland has the best loyalty/rewards program.

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.

December at Menchie’s

Fro-yo girl here. It’s a new month, which means new promotions at Menchie’s. This month, two fan-favorite holiday froyo flavors are back, the gift card promotion has returned, and two Double Smiles days have been announced. Also, Menchie’s holiday froyo cakes are back and are perfect for your holiday festivities.

Dark Chocolate Candy froyo made with Dove Chocolate: This flavor was first introduced in May 2023. It is gluten-free and lowfat. It’s made with no artificial flavors or artificial colors and contains no high fructose corn syrup. I didn’t think it tasted distinctive enough (i.e., a lot of chocolate froyo flavors taste the same). Recommended toppings: Special Dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and chocolate shell.

Spiced Gingerbread Cookie froyo was first introduced in November 2016. It tastes more like gingerbread spices (cinnamon, ginger) than gingerbread cookies. Made with real molasses, graham cracker crumbs, and ginger, SGC is lowfat and contains no high fructose corn syrup or artificial colors. Recommended toppings: almonds, chocolate shell, brownies.

The holiday gift card promotion is back. Get a free $5 bonus card when you buy $25 in Menchie’s gift cards. Gift cards make perfect gifts and stocking stuffers.

Save the date for the Double Smiles Days on Tuesday, 12/10 and Wednesday, 12/11. Menchie’s guests earn double points on Double Smiles Days when they 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.