2023 California Froyo Shop Openings & Closings

iCream showroom, Los Angeles 

Yogurt Stop, West Hollywood

Fro-yo girl here. I thought there would be more froyo shop openings this year, since COVID-19 isn't as much of a concern. However, there were fewer new froyo shops this year than in 2022 and 2021. Also, I think it's the first time that the number of new non-froyo shops serving froyo exceeded the number of new froyo shops, driven by the explosive growth of Nick the Greek.

In 2023, I found 42 new places that serve soft-serve froyo: 15 new froyo shops, 1 froyo truck, 20 non-froyo shops that serve froyo, and 4 froyo vending machine installations. In 2022, I found 46 new places that serve froyo: 18 new froyo shops (including two froyo trucks), 20 non-froyo shops, and 8 froyo vending machines. There were even more new froyo shops in 2021, fifteen, compared to 2023.

Six of the 2023 new froyo shop and truck openings were part of national froyo chains. Eight of twelve new froyo shop and truck openings were in Southern California, and four in Northern California.  

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.

New Froyo Shops and Trucks

• Beary Bliss, Big Bear Lake
• Frosty Peaks, Ridgecrest
• Froyology, Montebello
• The Frozone, Roseville
• Golden Spoon, Newport Beach
• LOL Yogurt, Atascadero
• Menchie’s, Burbank (moved)
• Menchie’s, Natomas, Sacramento
• Moxie's, Windsor (froyo truck)
• Pinkberry, Sacramento
• Prive La Yogurt, Roseville
• YOBA, Ontario
• The Yogurt Shoppe, Santa Monica (took over Menchie’s)
• Yogurt Bear, Santa Ana
• Yogurtland, Hastings Ranch, East Pasadena
• Yogurtland, Riverside
• Yogurtland, Palmdale (East)

Not a Froyo Shop but Serves Froyo

• The Froyo Bar, UC Riverside dining
• IKEA, San Francisco
• Kalamaki Greek, Los Angeles (not new but added Greek froyo in November)
• Moo & Brew, Placerville
• Mrs. Chips Cookies, Sherman Oaks
• Nick the Greek, Hayward
• Nick the Greek, San Leandro
• Nick the Greek, Riverbank
• Nick the Greek, Belmont Shore, Long Beach
• Nick the Greek, San Luis Obispo
• Nick the Greek, West Hollywood
• Nick the Greek, Visalia
• Nick the Greek, San Dimas
• Nick the Greek, La Mirada
• Nick the Greek, Marina Del Rey
• Nick the Greek, Danville
• Nick the Greek, Monterey
• Pita GR, Brea
• Souvla, Larkspur
• Wafflecomb, Santa Clarita (not new but added self-serve froyo)
• Valley Swirl, Los Angeles

Froyo Vending Machines

• iCream showroom, Pinkberry, Los Angeles
• iCream, Pinkberry, Kidtopia, Fremont
• iCream, Pinkberry, San Francisco
• iCream, Pinkberry, Koreatown, Los Angeles

I didn't count rebranded froyo businesses or ones that changed ownership as new froyo businesses, but I tried to track both.

New Ownership of Froyo Shop

• Honeymoon Frozen Yogurt, Sebastopol
• Menchie’s, Pico Rivera
• Pinkberry, Marina Del Rey
• Pinkberry, Beverly Hills
• Yogurtland, Claremont

Froyo Shop Name Change

• Orange Tree, San Bruno, new name: San Froyo
• Sweetfrog, Lancaster, new name: Sweet Bunnies
• Tutti Frutti, San Carlos, new name: Toot Sweet Frozen Yogurt
• Tutti Frutti, Long Beach, new name: Frozen Oasis
• Tutti Frutti, Artesia, new name: Go-Go Froyo
• Tutti Frutti Hayward, new name: Fruity Froyo
• Tutti Frutti San Jose (Eastridge), new name: Fruity Froyo
• Yum Yum Yogurt, Kingsburg, new name: The Froyo Co.

As for froyo shop closings, I found 22 this year or nineteen if you consider the non-froyo shops that served froyo and closed. Last year, I found twenty-one froyo shop and non-froyo shop closings. Three Menchie's locations closed and eight Yogurtland locations closed in 2023. Most of the froyo shops that closed were older (over 10 years old) shops. Ace Frozen Yogurt in Arcadia was over 30 years old. Two of the froyo shops that closed were replaced by other froyo shops.

Froyo Shop Closings

• Ace Frozen Yogurt, Arcadia
• Chill, Studio City
• Dolci Mango, Chula Vista
• Joghurt, Chino
• Joy Sedona, Lake Balboa
• Loving Cup, Russian Hill, San Francisco
• Menchie’s, Ocean Park, Santa Monica (now The Yogurt Shoppe)
• Menchie’s, Montana Ave, Santa Monica
• Menchie’s, Newport Beach (now Golden Spoon)
• Spoonful Yogurt Café, Riverside
• Sweetfrog, Palmdale
• Yogurtland, Brentwood, Los Angeles
• Yogurtland, Hollywood, Los Angeles
• Yogurtland, Pinole
• Yogurtland, Boyle Heights, Los Angeles
• Yogurtland, Ladera Heights, Los Angeles
• Yogurtland, Northwood, Irvine
• Yogurtland, Oceanside
• Yogurtland, Costa Mesa, 17th St.
• Yogurt Shack, Concord
• Yogurt Stop, West Hollywood
• Yummy Spoon Yogurt, Chula Vista

Closings, Not a Froyo Shop 

• Health Habit, Valley Springs
• Mrs. Chips Cookies, Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles
• Sweet Retreat, Morgan Hill

Not Closed, No Longer Serving Froyo

• The Kona Ice Shop, Winters

More froyo is on the way. I found 28 places listed as opening soon, with Nick the Greek accounting for 23 of these future locations.

Future Places Serving Froyo

• Easy Breezy, Walnut Creek
• Cuppa Yo, Dublin
• Menchie’s, Cameron Park
• Menchie's, Clovis
• Nick the Greek, Berkeley
• Nick the Greek, Hollister
• Nick the Greek, Tracy
• Nick the Greek, Oakland
• Nick the Greek, Sonoma
• Nick the Greek, Stockton
• Nick the Greek, Palo Alto
• Nick the Greek, Folsom
• Nick the Greek, Mountain View
• Nick the Greek, Marin
• Nick the Greek, Salinas
• Nick the Greek, Natomas
• Nick the Greek, Sacramento
• Nick the Greek, San Francisco, 4 locations
• Nick the Greek, Santa Barbara
• Nick the Greek, Pinole
• Nick the Greek, Mill Valley
• Nick the Greek, Petaluma
• Nick the Greek, Natomas
• Nick the Greek, Stockton
• Pinkberry, Natomas
• Pinkberry, Manteca
• Pinkberry, John Wayne Airport, Santa Ana
• Pinkberry, Fremont
• Yoga-urt, Granada Hills, Los Angeles

I’ll keep updating this post if I find out about other 2023 froyo shop openings and closings. 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.

Yogurtland Coming Soon to East Pasadena

Fro-yo girl here. This one caught me by surprise; Yogurtland is opening in East Pasadena. The address is 259 Sierra Madre Villa Ave., Unit 103, Pasadena, CA 91107. It’s right next to Pasadena Sandwich Company and across the street from Bed Bath and Beyond (which is closing). The Yogurtland sign is up! The windows are covered.

There is a Yogurtland in Pasadena on Lake Ave. and there was one in Old Town Pasadena on Colorado Blvd. 

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.

The Yogurt Shoppe Opens in Santa Monica, CA

 

Fro-yo girl here. The Menchie’s in Santa Monica at 2091 Ocean Park Blvd. was listed for sale for over a year. It was closed for a long time during the pandemic (I thought it had closed for good) but it finally reopened with a new owner. And now The Yogurt Shoppe has moved in. This is the third location for The Yogurt Shoppe; the first opened in Pacific Palisades and the second in Brentwood.

I was surprised to see that the place not only still looked like Menchie’s but still served mostly Menchie’s froyo. The Yogurt Shoppe just opened yesterday and still has Menchie's machines, cups, spoons, froyo, toppings, signs, etc. They will remodel/renovate but it hasn't happened yet.

It's self-serve and $0.79/oz. There are 14 flavors a day, sauces, and toppings (e.g., fruit, popping boba, candy, nuts, marshmallows, sprinkles, cookies, cheesecake, etc.). I imagine they'll offer prepacks in the freezer that they have on site. I found sample cups by the froyo machines. They had some of their own flavors including a creative one, Gatorade.

I think things will get even better once they bring in more of their own flavors and give the place a makeover.

Menchie’s Ocean Park first opened in 2011. Menchie’s still has a location in Santa Monica at 732 Montana Ave, though it's been for sale for months. 

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.

Menchie’s Burbank Could Reopen This Month

 

Fro-yo girl here. It’s been a year since I reported that the Menchie’s location in Burbank, California was moving (but staying in the same shopping center). They had to build out the new spot, which is right next to their old spot. The old spot became an Urbane Café which recently opened.

The goal was to open in the fall, before the school year started. They’re now hoping to open right before Thanksgiving! You heard it here first. And the exterior sign is up. The windows were covered, so I couldn’t see anything.

Update: It looks like the opening will occur in December.

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

* MENCHIE’S: 3800 W Verdugo Ave, Burbank, CA 91505

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.

Golden Spoon Returns to Valencia, California

Fro-yo girl here. Golden Spoon has returned to Valencia/Santa Clarita as of May 30. The new location is at Northpark Village Square, a shopping center anchored by Ralph’s. It’s counter-serve with 10 flavors a day. They also serve coffee and sell sweet treats. And they’re open early, so you can have froyo for breakfast. A mini is $4.50, regular $5.50, large $6.50 and toppings $1.50. For toppings they had fresh fruit, chocolate chips, candy, sprinkles, nuts, popping boba, cheesecake, fruit, cookie dough, mochi, brownies, etc.

The shop looked nice and modern with a mostly white color scheme and framed pictures of froyo. And yes, they had golden spoons. And a reward program. I didn’t notice any opening day specials. It’s also hard to see the shop because of the lack of exterior signage.

The old Golden Spoon in Valencia was located at the Tesoro Village Shopping Center, at 23886 Copper Hill Dr, Valencia, CA 91354. It was open from 2016 – 2021. There was also an older location at River Oaks Shopping Center, 24317 Magic Mountain Pkwy that closed in 2017 and Stevenson Ranch at 24921 Pico Canyon Rd, Stevenson Ranch that also closed in 2017. I’m confused about the difference between Valencia, Santa Clarita, and Stevenson Ranch, but they’re all close to each other.

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

* GOLDEN SPOON: 27748 McBean Pkwy, Valencia, CA 91354

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.

Yoga-urt is Opening on the Westside in Santa Monica

Fro-yo girl here. It's official, the Westside is getting its first Yoga-urt location! Yoga-urt will be opening their third location in the Ocean Park neighborhood of Santa Monica, CA. The new location will serve eight to ten rotating housemade flavors a day and is expected to open at the end of September.

Yoga-urt Santa Monica will take over the Treats Frozen Yogurt space at 1700 Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405. Treats closed after 10 years of business.

Yoga-urt is LA's first and only all organic, plant-based, allergy-friendly soft serve concept. The first location opened in Glendale's Kenneth Village in 2015 and the Echo Park shop opened in 2019. Founded and led by amazing female entrepreneur, Melissa Schulman, Yoga-urt takes pride in creating hand-crafted, premium soft serve in small batches. It starts with a base of hand-squeezed almond and cashew milk, enriched with four probiotic strains. The soft serve is dairy-free, gluten-free, kosher, soy-free and all-natural. I feel like I can taste the love that went into making the soft serve. 

Yoga-urt offers soft serve, smoothies, froyo cookie sandwiches, froyo pies, coffee, and tea. They make their own gluten-free cones (super crispy, super delicious), sauces (the chocolate shell is to die for), cookies, pie-crust, and more. The cookies and pie-crust are made with the almond pulp, the byproduct of their housemade almond milk. 

Mr. Froyo and I have been regulars since day 1. His favorite flavors are True Tahini and Ganesha's Sweet Greens. My favorite flavors are Pistachio Passion and Vanilla Harmony. 

Stay tuned for grand opening news and follow Yoga-urt on Instagram, @yoga_urt

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.

Golden Spoon Replaces Menchie's in Whittier

Fro-yo girl here. I knew that Menchie’s moved to the old Frugos space on Whittier Blvd. in Whittier, California last year and I knew they closed the 10122 Carmenita Road location but I didn’t realize that Golden Spoon took over the Carmenita space till recently. They opened this summer. You can serve your own froyo or have them serve you.

This isn’t the first Golden Spoon location in Whittier. They used to have a shop at 15588 Whittwood Ln. I didn’t make it there before the shop closed in 2013. It’s also not the first time Golden Spoon has offered self-serve. A few of their locations went self-serve back in 2015.

The Carmenita space was occupied by Menchie’s from 2012-2019. Golden Spoon took over, painted the walls pastel pink and mint green and changed the decals, though the interior still looks like a Menchie’s. The toppings bins are the same. The toppings are the same as they were at Menchie’s – candies, cookies, fruit, nuts, syrups, chocolate chips, sprinkles, marshmallows, graham cracker crumbs, etc. The round chalkboard that was at Menchie’s now belongs to Golden Spoon. They kept Menchie’s chairs and tables too.

Self-serve froyo (14 flavors a day) and toppings are 49 cents an ounce (Menchie’s charged 53 cents an ounce). If you want them to serve your froyo, a mini is $3.99, regular $5.99, large $6.99 and quart $12.99.

Gloves were provided and most of the toppings were covered. I was allowed to get my own froyo and toppings. They even had sample cups.

Golden Spoon offers freshly made waffle bowls, shaved ice, banana splits, bottled drinks and cones. The freezer that used to hold cakes was empty.

Sign up for rewards through Five Stars. They were giving away 2 ozs free during my visit or $1 off your first purchase.

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

GOLDEN SPOON FROZEN YOGURT: 10122 Carmenita Rd., 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.

Pinkberry Opens at Valley Fair Mall

Fro-yo girl here. Pinkberry fans, Pinkberry quietly opened inside Valley Fair (2nd floor by Talbot’s and Uniqlo, NOT in the food court area) about four weeks ago. It’s been years since a new Pinkberry opened in the Bay Area and it’s nice to see Pinkberry return so close to the original Santana Row location.

The new location is a sleek looking kiosk with six soft serve flavors a day and smoothies.

Prices: Small $4/ Medium $5/ Large $7. A cone with swirl is $3.50 and I think it comes with more than you’d get in a small cup. The cone is the best deal. The toppings are typical for Pinkberry – fresh fruit, mochi, candy, nuts, luxe sauces, cereal, cookie dough, chocolate chips, cookies, etc.

The flavors during my visit were: Original, Pomegranate, Chocolate Hazelnut, Pinkbee’s Cookies & Cream ice cream, Pinkbee’s Strawberry ice cream and Just Fruit Tropical Mango. The original tart was as good as I remembered it – very smooth, tangy, light and satisfying. Don’t forget to join Pink Card to earn free froyo.

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

* PINKBERRY: 2855 Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95050

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.

Pacifica Gets Its First Froyo Shop as Fog City Yogurt Opens

Fro-yo girl here. Can you believe that Pacifica, the small coastal city 15 miles south of San Francisco, didn’t have a froyo shop till recently? With a population of 39,000, it might not be so surprising. Half Moon Bay has had multiple froyo shops and the population there is 12,000. Anyway, things seem to be looking up in Pacifica.

Fog City Yogurt opened in late October, a block from City Hall. The shop is very small but the building is older, so there’s not much room for more soft serve machines. The yogurt is self-serve and there are two Taylor dual hopper machines with four flavors on tap. The yogurt and toppings are 45 cents an ounce.

During my visit, the flavors were Chocolate, Vanilla, Orchard Cherry, and Cookies N Cream. The flavor choice seems very safe and conventional but with only two machines, it makes sense to offer the basic flavors. There were no dairy-free, low carb, no sugar added alternatives during my visit.

The toppings bar was small with limited options, including candy, cookies, sprinkles, nuts, mochi, chocolate chips, cereal, canned fruit, and syrups. None of the fruit was fresh fruit, which is disappointing.

The vanilla yogurt tasted fine and it had good texture (thick and smooth). It tasted like soft serve ice cream, actually.

The shop also offers gelato, coffee, soda and chips. It’s family oriented and meant to appeal to local kids looking for a snack after school. The décor is minimal and there’s no place for customers to sit inside. For a small town yogurt shop, it’s fine. I’m used to much more variety though.

3 out of 5 stars.

* FOG CITY YOGURT: 1610 Francisco Blvd, Pacifica, CA 94044

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 Yogurtland Location on Katella in Anaheim

Fro-yo girl here. I was recently in Anaheim for the Reliant Expo at the Anaheim Hilton (by the Anaheim Convention Center and across the street from Disneyland). Since the new Yogurtland was about a mile from there, it was a perfect opportunity to visit. It’s located in what looks to be a new strip mall development that isn’t fully occupied yet, close to the I-5 freeway exit. 

Yogurtland opened on Katella in Anaheim about a month ago, on July 13. The design is the newer one with a more natural look, including wood walls and floors. A strip of green square tiles is a nod to the older Yogurtland interior design. The door handles no longer feature the cute giant Yogurtland spoons (too bad). 

The location is smaller with only 7 froyo machines (and 14 flavors). I was surprised that they didn’t have Drinkable Creations but they had a Blendables machine instead. With Blendables, you choose your froyo and toppings and then the machine blends them together. They did have the new waffle cones though.

Froyo and toppings are 55 cents an ounce, which isn’t too bad considering the proximity to Disneyland, I suppose.

The opening was low key. They gave away giant Yogurtland spoons with purchase. That’s all. Froyo shop grand openings have definitely been toned down.

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

* YOGURTLAND: 111 E Katella Ave. #20, Anaheim, CA 92802

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.

Future Froyo Shop Pictures: Menchie’s Port Hueneme, CA

Fro-yo girl here. It looks like Menchie’s Port Hueneme is close to open. They are currently hiring employees. While the main sign hasn’t gone up outside of the building, the interior looks close to being finished. The shop was filled with boxes of supplies. The furniture was inside as well.

There will be 12 self-serve froyo flavors a day for 59 cents an ounce. Menchie’s is located next to the Habit.

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

* MENCHIE’S MANDALAY VILLAGE: 563 West Channel Islands Blvd., Port Hueneme, CA 93041

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.

Future Fro-yo Shop Pictures: Snowy Frozen Yogurt in Petaluma, CA

Fro-yo girl here. My best froyo tipster and ambassador, SS, has come through with froyo news yet again. A new shop will be opening soon in Plaza North Shopping Center, Petaluma, CA. It’s called Snowy and the sign indicates that they’ll have froyo and snow ice.

My tipster says Snowy should open very soon. The business doesn’t seem to have an online or social media presence yet.

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

* SNOWY FROZEN YOGURT & SNOW ICE: 231 B N McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, CA 94952 

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.

Loving Cup to Open in the Marina (San Francisco, CA)

Fro-yo girl here. The old Pacific Puffs location on Union Street is the home of the fourth location of Loving Cup, the SF based rice pudding and hand churned froyo specialist. Each cup of froyo is hand churned to order with the customer’s choice of mix ins to create a truly custom flavor. The froyo comes out thick, rich and indulgent – though it’s still lowfat. They have non-dairy options too.

The doors open at noon on Saturday, July 29 and swirls are just $1 between 2 – 3 PM.

* LOVING CUP: 2201 Union St., San Francisco, CA 94123

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.

Froyo Shop Openings and Closings in California 2015

Fro-yo girl here. California is a mighty large state and it’s difficult to track every froyo shop opening and closing. The openings are easier to track. Shops generally close quietly, sometimes with no announcement. It’s also more difficult for me to track shops outside of the Bay Area and Los Angeles, yet that’s where most of the action is at these days. 

Here’s my (imperfect) attempt to track froyo shop openings and closings in California this year:

Openings

1. Bailey’s Frozen Yogurt, Escondido
2. Blush Organic Frozen Yogurt, Pleasanton
3. Buono Vita Yogurt, Rancho Murieta
4. Coolberry, Glendora
5. Crème Bee, Alhambra
6. CUPS, Northridge
7. Easy Breezy, Castro, San Francisco
8. Forever Yogurt,  Morgan Hill
9. Frozen Flavors, Santa Rosa
10. Frozen Yogurt Spot, Sebastopol
11. Go Greek Yogurt, Canoga Park
12. Green Apple Yogurt, El Monte
13. IceKrave, North Hollywood
14. Kiwifrost, Rancho Cucamonga
15. Major Brain Freeze, Rialto
16. Menchie’s, Corona
17. Menchie’s, Folsom
18. Menchie’s, Fresno
19. Menchie’s, Murrieta
20. Menchie’s, Oceanside
21. Menchie’s, Palmdale
22. Menchie's, Santa Rosa
23. Menchie's, Carlsbad
24. Menchie's, Oceanside
25. Menchie's, Bell Gardens
26. Menchie's, Clovis
27. Menchie’s,  San Jose Mineta International Airport
28. Menchie’s, Riverside Dr., Fresno
29. MiaBella, Vista
30. Mickey’s Frozen Yogurt, Fresno
31. Midtown Cafe, Mountain View
32. Myo, Seaside
33. Pit Stop Froyo & More, Burbank
34. SnapFit, Canoga Park
35. Summit Swirl, Truckee
36. Sweet & Swirly, Port Hueneme
37. Sweetfrog, Camarillo
38. Sweetfrog, Victorville
39. Sweet's Yogurt, Riverside
40. Tasti D-Lite, Santa Monica
41. YoBoLand, Tarzana
42. Yogurt Blast, Duarte
43. Yoga-urt, Glendale
44. Yogurt Mill, Turlock
45. Yogurtland, Alameda Landing, Alameda
46. Yogurtland, Irvine Spectrum
47. Yogurtland, Santa Teresa, San Jose
48. Yogurtland, Canoga Park
49. Yogurtland, Chino
50. Yogurtland, Lynwood
51. Yogurtland, Montebello
52. Yogurtland, Compton
53. Yogurtland, West Covina (on S Azusa Ave.)
54. Yogurtland, Mountain View
55. Yogurtland, Eagle Rock, Los Angeles
56. Yogurtland, San Luis Obispo
57. Yogurtland, La Quinta
58. Yogurtland, Indio
59. Yogurtland, Studio City

Closings

1. Bali’s, San Luis Obispo
2. BrazzleBerry, Half Moon Bay
3. Cherry on Top, Monrovia
4. Cherry on Top, Fullerton
5. Cherry on Top, Mission Viejo
6. Chilaberries, Manteca
7. Coco Swirl, Walnut Creek
8. CUPS, Westminster
9. Flavory Yogurt, Seal Beach
10. FroyoFace, Burbank
11. Frozen Yogurt Spot, Sebastopol
12. FruittiYogi, Alameda
13. Golden Spoon, Irvine
14. Golden Spoon, Escondido
15. Golden Spoon, Del Mar
16. Golden Spoon, Walnut
17. Golden Spoon, Seal Beach
18. Golden Spoon, Lake Forest
19. Honeyberry, Berkeley
20. Honeyberry, Milpitas
21. Menchie’s, Orange
22. Menchie's, Torrance
23. Pinkberry, Brea
24. Pinkberry, Davis
25. Pinkberry, Irvine Spectrum
26. Pinkberry, Old Town Pasadena
27. Pinkberry, Santa Ana
28. Pinkberry, Westfield Topanga, Canoga Park
29. Pinkberry, Westlake Village
30. Pure Yum, Fremont
31. Red Berry, Commerce
32. Red Mango, Mineta San Jose International Airport
33. Skinny Sippin, San Carlos
34. Sweet XO, Arcadia
35. Sweet XO, El Segundo
36. Sweet XO, Huntington Beach
37. Sweet XO, Thousand Oaks
38. Tutti Frutti, Azusa
39. Yippee Yogurt, Tracy
40. Yogofina, Pleasanton
41. Yogoholic, Pleasanton
42. Yogurt Factory, Los Angeles
43. Yogurt Island, Torrance
44. Yogurtland, Sawtelle, Los Angeles
45. Yogurtouille, San Mateo
46. Yolo, Mill Valley
47. Yoogl, Mountain View
48. Yoppi Yogurt, Oakland
49. Yoppi Yogurt, Polk St., San Francisco
50. Yoppi Yogurt, Stonestown Galleria, San Francisco

Opening soon

1. Chillbox, San Diego
2. Chillbox, Sacramento
3. Chillbox, Orange County
4. Forever Yogurt, Walnut Creek
5. Go Greek Yogurt, Newport Beach
6. Go Greek Yogurt, Corona Del Mar 

Change of ownership/closed & reopened the same year

• Menchie’s, Ventura

Interestingly, frozen yogurt shop openings outpace closings (yay for California froyo). The growth is mostly coming from Yogurtland and Menchie’s while chains also account for the majority of the  closings. Menchie’s is growing in Central California. Yogurtland is solidifying its hold on SoCal. Other chains have been closing, including Golden Spoon, Sweet XO, Cherry on Top and Pinkberry. What's going on at Sweet XO; they only have one location left.

I didn't count the non-traditional locations for froyo machines; they appeared at Ralph's, Circle K, a Union 76 gas station, Rite Aid, etc. 

Expect to see more authentic Greek yogurt next year, with new locations for Chillbox and Go Greek. The Chillbox location in San Diego will be its first in California.

Support your favorite frozen yogurt shops.

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.

2014 Bay Area Froyo Year in Review

Fro-yo girl here. It’s time to look about at the year in froyo in the Bay Area. Since I’ve moved to SoCal, this will be the last Bay Area yearly review.

Closings slightly outpaced openings. Most of the openings occurred in the South Bay (San Jose area), followed by San Francisco openings. New froyo shops continued to replace old ones (e.g., Pure Yum, Yogurt in Love, Over the Moon). With two new San Jose locations opening in 2014, Yogurtland has the most locations in the Bay Area of any chain. They plan to open a location in Mountain View, CA soon. Red Mango opened a location at the San Jose International Airport last month.

Bay Area Openings 

• Easy Breezy Inner Sunset (San Francisco)
• Fusion Mix (Fremont)
• Honeyberry (Oakland)
• Loving Cup Hayes Valley (San Francisco)
• Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt (Oakridge Mall, San Jose & Dublin)
• Over the Moon Ice Cream & Cookies (2 locations, they took over Yogorino’s SF locations and kept the yogurt machines, and they still serve froyo)
• Pure Yum (Fremont, former FreshBerry location)
• Red Mango (San Jose International Airport)
• Souvla (San Francisco)
• YoDo Yogurt (Campbell)
• Yogurt in Love (Los Gatos)
• Yogurtland Brokaw, Cambrian Park, Cottle Rd. (San Jose)
• Yogurtland (Morgan Hill)

Most of the closings occurred in San Jose. Notable closings include Yogurt Delite’s two locations in San Jose. Both locations survived for decades. Tuttimelon closed its flagship Irving St. location (they moved from the original location on Irving St. to a larger location – the larger location closed) and one of its earliest locations on Chestnut St. in San Francisco. Icebee was the earliest self-serve shops in SF and it recently closed. Yogen Fruz opened its first location in the Bay Area at the Embarcadero Center in San Francisco in early 2008, that location closed this year. Tutti Frutti closed several locations this year. The shops that closed were diverse – some were new self-serve shops and others had been around for decades. Some sold froyo only and others like Next Door Sweets and Good Bellies had many offerings plus froyo.

Bay Area Closings

• Cultive (San Francisco)
• Fro-Yo Shoppe (Mountain View)
• Froyo Delight (San Jose)
• Gaga Yogurt (San Jose)
• Good Bellies (Oakland)
• Icebee (San Francisco & San Jose)
• Next Door Sweets (San Francisco)
• Tuttimelon Chestnut St. & Irving St. (San Francisco)
• Tutti Frutti Oak Grove & Palos Verdes Mall (Walnut Creek)
• Tutti Frutti (Milpitas)
• Tutti Frutti Silver Creek (San Jose)
• Yogen Fruz (San Francisco)
• Yogurt Delite (Blossom Valley & Meridian, San Jose)
• Yogurt Village (San Jose)
• Yogurt Walk (Dublin)
• Yotopia (San Francisco)

More froyo shops are on the way in 2015.

Future Openings

• Easy Breezy Castro (San Francisco)
• Yogurtland (Mountain View)

For a comprehensive review of froyo events in 2014, check out IFYA's post on key events in the froyo industry in 2014 post.

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.

Easy Breezy 2 Opening Day

Fro-yo girl here. Easy Breezy’s Inner Sunset location opened today! Of course I couldn’t stay away. There are four shiny new Carpigiani soft serve machines serving up 8 scrumptious hand-crafted frozen yogurt and frozen custard flavors a day. I love checking out the toppings bar because they’re always adding unique toppings. Today they had potato chips, bacon and my favorite, waffle cookies. I love seeing the sweet froyo cup logo/character named Breezy too.

Here are some pictures from opening day!

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

* EASY BREEZY FROZEN YOGURT: 718 Irving St., San Francisco, CA 94122

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.

2013 Year End Bay Area Fro-yo Wrap Up

Fro-yo girl here. Goodbye 2013...it’s that time to look back at the year that was in the Bay Area.

Bay Area closings: Yogorino (both locations in SF), YoCup (both SF locations), Yogurt Circle, Yoppi Yogurt Palo Alto, Yogen Fruz Novato, U Love Yogurt, Tuttimelon Burlingame, Tutti Frutti Berkeley, Tutti Frutti Oakland Chinatown, Sweet Sundays, Harmony Frozen Yogurt, Blush SF

Yogorino is no longer available in the Bay Area...or on the West Coast. Very sad. Harmony Frozen Yogurt was one of the first tart froyo shops in the Bay Area. YoCup was also an early Bay Area tart froyo shop but the quality was significantly worse after it was sold to new owners. Fortunately, Blush still has other locations. 

Tutti Frutti Berkeley and Yoppi Yogurt Palo Alto's locations weren't open long. Tutti Frutti was replaced by Honeyberry which has the worst froyo. 

Bay Area openings: Yogurtland Fremont, Yogurtland Pinole, Yumi Yogurt Hillsdale Mall, Tutti Frutti Montclair Village, Swifty Sweets, Red Mango Palo Alto, Pizza Bello, Pinkberry Walnut Creek, Menchie’s Berkeley, Menchie’s Fremont, Mega Walgreens SF, La Luna Cupcakes, Coffee Cultures, Almaden Yogurt Factory  

Scoop Microcreamery in Palo Alto opened this year and offered froyo made with liquid nitrogen for about a month but they stopped offering froyo. Back in October, Tuttimelon Burlingame changed from selling froyo to selling liquid nitrogen ice cream as Cryo Cream (the ownership is the same...Tuttimelon has been selling liquid nitrogen ice cream in Hong Kong for months), Honeyberry keeps opening new locations - some have froyo and some don’t. Swifty Sweets launched in April and is the Bay Area’s only froyo truck.

I had some memorable cups of froyo outside the Bay Area in 2013. If you're in NYC, be sure to check out Culture: An American Yogurt Company which has locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. They make their fresh and frozen yogurt in house. Go Greek Yogurt in Beverly Hills flies in super thick authentic Greek yogurt from Greece. They offer fresh and frozen yogurt. I had my first froyo taco at A Tea Yogurt in downtown Alhambra, CA.

Check out IFYA's post on key events in the froyo industry in 2013. 

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.

Yeti Yogurt Opens in Seattle

Fro-yo girl here. My Seattle fro-yo scout, @badrobot68 has graciously supplied his pictures of a brand new frozen yogurt shop in the Queen Anne neighborhood, Yeti Yogurt Frozen Creations. He pronounced his cup of fro-yo as yummy.

Yeti Yogurt opened on April 8, 2013 and has 16 flavors of self-serve fro-yo with 65 types of toppings. Yeti Yogurt serves Kosher frozen yogurt with live and active cultures. Certain flavors such as Mythical Mocha and Strawberry Sasquatch can only be found at Yeti. For flavor updates, check out their Facebook page.

Thanks Badrobot!

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

* YETI YOGURT FROZEN CREATIONS: 604 First Ave N., Seattle, WA

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.

Red Mango Returns to the Bay Area

Fro-yo girl here. Red Mango is back in the Bay Area. Today was the first day of their Emeryville location. It was my first time to try their self-serve format. They’ve introduced many new fro-yo flavors that I haven’t had the chance to try (e.g., white peach, lemonade, honey badger, winter caramel) and specialty drinks like smoothies and lemonade chillers. The cups are cuter now. There are red spoons everywhere. 

RM Emeryville has 10 fro-yo flavors a day and about 30 toppings (fresh fruit, candy, cookies, granola, graham cracker crumbs, mini chocolate chips, syrups, honey, mochi, cereal, nuts, popping boba, etc.) for 45 cents an ounce. You can either grab a cone, fro-yo cup (multiple sizes) or clear parfait cup. Instructions are provided.

I didn’t see any opening day promotions.. Maybe later? Check their FB page for news. Of course you can always earn perks by signing up for their loyalty program. Plus there’s a Taste of Bay Street event tomorrow from 1 - 3 PM with free food samples but the samples are already free at RM.

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

* RED MANGO FROZEN YOGURT: 5616 Bay St. 5609, Emeryville, CA