Painful Froyo Shop Closures of 2025

Frog

Fro-yo girl here. It’s always sad when a froyo shop closes, but some closures are more painful than others. These are the shops that I’ll miss most in alphabetical order. I’ve visited all the shops on this list.

Active Culture, 6240 E Pacific Coast Hwy, Suite 170, Long Beach, opened at the attractive 2nd & PCH shopping center in 2022. Active Culture is a natural foods health café that started in Orange County. The Long Beach branch was their first and only branch in Los Angeles County. While the original location in Laguna Beach has self-serve froyo, the one in Long Beach had counter-serve froyo. The grain bowls and nachos were very tasty. 

Cantaloop, 7095 Hollywood Blvd, Ste 106, Los Angeles, was one of the older froyo shops in Los Angeles. This was the first location; it opened in April 2007 and was similar to Pinkberry (i.e., counter-serve, tart froyo specialist). In 2008, the owners decided to add coffee, oatmeal, and waffles and convert to self-serve. The menu continued to expand over the years. Additions included shaved ice, smoothies, slushies, ice blended drinks, and boba drinks. In 2022, Cantaloop began offering Ethiopian food, first out of a mobile van parked in the parking lot and later in the actual storefront. Ownership changed a few times. I wasn’t a fan, but it reminded me of the early days of froyo, and it managed to survive for 18 years.

Frog Frozen Yogurt Bar, 1550 N Cahuenga Blvd, Los Angeles, opened in 2012. The self-serve froyo shop had a nightclub feel with original artwork from Plasticgod and rainbow-colored lights. It was open late. The froyo had great texture. The shop is shown in The Kominsky Method, Season 2, Episodes 4 and 6. 

Toppings Frozen Yogurt, 872 Via De La Paz, Pacific Palisades, and The Yogurt Shoppe, 873 N Swarthmore Ave, Pacific Palisades, were both lost in the Palisades Fire in January 2025. They had the same ownership. The Yogurt Shoppe first opened in 2011. Toppings Frozen Yogurt opened in 2012. The owners are hoping to rebuild.

Farewell, old friends. You are missed.

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.

Painful California Froyo Shop Closures in 2023

Yogurtland on Sunset Blvd, Hollywood

 

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.

Ace Frozen Yogurt, 160 E Duarte Rd, Ste E, Arcadia, CA 91006

Ace Frozen Yogurt was the oldest remaining froyo shop in San Gabriel Valley. The counter-serve shop opened in 1986. Ace Frozen Yogurt. Ace Frozen Yogurt opened in 1986. The counter-serve froyo shop served Dannon YoCream froyo, smoothies, shaved ice, and more. The new owners, 626 Hospitality Group, kept the soft serve machines. They make top-notch soft serve ice cream with LA-inspired flavors from scratch.

Loving Cup, 2356 Polk St., San Francisco, CA 94109

Loving Cup closed the original location in Russian Hill earlier this summer. The shop opened in late 2008, specializing in hand-churned mix-in style froyo and rice pudding. Customers selected a size, a base (chocolate, vanilla or non-dairy), and mix-ins. The associate would hand churn everything together using a machine.

Menchie’s, 2901 Ocean Park Blvd, Ste 107, Santa Monica, CA 90405

The Menchie’s on Ocean Park Blvd. in Santa Monica has had multiple owners. It was sold again this year and converted into The Yogurt Shoppe. Menchie’s Ocean Park Courtyard first opened in 2011, so it was 12 years old when it closed.

Menchie’s, 732 Montana Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90403

Menchie’s opened on Montana Ave. in 2010 and was the scene of countless celebrity froyo sightings since opening across the street from TCBY. This was the first Menchie’s in Santa Monica.

Yogurt Stop, 8803 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Yogurt Stop closed after fifteen years because the landlord would not renew the lease. They baked some of their toppings and had the cutest names for their froyo flavors. They were open late, till 2 AM on some nights.

Yogurtland, 5541 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

This Yogurtland first opened in 2007. There were two things that I really liked about it. First, you could see Yogurtland and the Hollywood sign together from the Target across the street. Second, there was a parking lot.

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 of 2022

Yogurtland, Burbank, Media Center

Fro-yo girl here. Before turning the page on another year, I like to take a moment to remember a few froyo shops that closed during the year. This year, there were fewer froyo shop closures and none of the closures were very painful, but I do have a few that I'd like to mention.

Menchie's, 1040 Mission St., South Pasadena, CA 91030

Menchie's South Pasadena closed this summer. It was the one closest to my house, so I'd been there many times. Truthfully, it went downhill a long time ago many years ago. Part of me is glad that it closed because it reached such a miserable state. The soft serve machines were acting up and they barely offered any flavors. Sometimes the froyo was very icy. 

Yogurt World, 701 Sonoma Mountain Pkwy Suit, B-3, Petaluma, CA 94954

I've never been to the Yogurt World in Petaluma, but it was over 30 years old, so it deserves a mention.

Yogurtland, 304 N San Fernando Blvd, Burbank, CA 91502

There are two Yogurtland locations in Burbank. The one in downtown Burbank closed in the fall. I've gone by a few times since then, and the space hadn't been cleared out yet. 

Yogurtland Burbank Media Center was nearly 13 years old. I went a few times, including to the 5th anniversary celebration.

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 Froyo Shop Closures of 2021

Rockin' Yogurt, Santa Barbara

Fro-yo girl here. I’m usually sad when a froyo shop closes but some closures hurt a lot more than others. This year, I’d like to spend time acknowledging the closure of the following froyo shops (in alphabetical order):

Frozo's, 1000 Lafayette St Suite F, Santa Clara, CA 95050

I'm not sure when Frozo's closed exactly - it could have been in 2020. The shop was near Santa Clara University, so I'm sure the pandemic did them in. Frozo's opened in 2007 and it was the first self-serve froyo shop in the Bay Area. It was the first place I served my own froyo. I remember I got plain tart the first time. The last update to their Facebook page was in 2018 and the last Instagram post was in 2017. There were quite a few reviews in 2020 and one posted 9 months ago.

Pinkberry, 7288 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Pinkberry Hollywood first opened in 2008 and closed this year. Thirteen years. It was the last location left in Hollywood. The owner of Sunset and Fuller used to own Pinkberry in La Canada Flintridge too. It was a larger location with 10 flavors on tap, more than usual.

Rockin’ Yogurt, 620 State St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Rockin’ Yogurt was the first tart froyo shop in town, opening in 2007 with four flavors of froyo. Later, they added crepes. It was inspired by Pinkberry, which opened in Santa Barbara in 2009. They had good froyo.

Yogurtland, 1 E Valley Blvd, Alhambra, CA 91801

Yogurtland Alhambra, on the corner of Valley and Garfield, opened in 2009 and was one of my regular Yogurtland locations. The last day was 10/25/21. It was the last froyo shop in Alhambra.

Yogurtland, 225 Primrose Rd Burlingame, CA 94010

This was my favorite Yogurtland in the area when it first opened in 2012 even though I lived closer to the one in San Francisco. I'm sad to hear it closed after 9 years. 

Yogurtland, 1670 East Gonzalez Rd Oxnard, CA 93030

Yogurtland Oxnard opened in 2011. At one time, the owner had Yogurtland shops in Ventura, Camarillo, and Oxnard. The Oxnard one was the last one open in Ventura County. Sad.

Farewell, old friends. You are missed.

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 Froyo Shop Closures of 2020

Fro-yo girl here. I’m usually sad when I hear about a froyo shop closing, but some closures hurt much more than others. I’ve already written about the closure of three of the shops on this list. These are the most painful froyo shop closures of 2020 (in alphabetical order). I've visited all the places on this list.

Blush Organic Frozen Yogurt, 4640 Tassajara Rd, Dublin, CA 94568

I have so many fond memories of going to Blush after work, chatting with the owner, Jonathan, and driving home with a cooler full of froyo. His swirling skills were legendary and he was so passionate about developing the best froyo flavors. He was so dedicated and the froyo was something special. My favorite flavors were Green Tea Tart, Original, Blush, and Pumpkin Tart. I also loved Pineapple Tart, Acai Blueberry Tart, Gingerbread, Mango Tart…the list goes on. Blush Dublin first opened in 2008. It closed in May 2020.

Zoeyogurt, 6900 East Green Lake Way N E, Seattle, WA 98115

The original Zoeyogurt, in Green Lake, closed after nine years in Green Lake (Seattle, WA). I visited once and really liked the cozy atmosphere, cleanliness and froyo texture. The owner, Donna, was an earlier supporter of the International Frozen Yogurt Association and all three Zoeyogurt shops were IFYA Swirl of Honor shops.

Woody’s Yogurt Place, 802 Strawberry Village, Mill Valley, CA 94941

A local institution, Woody’s Yogurt Place was owned by the same family, the Woodsons, since 1998. Another Swirl of Honor shop, Woody’s won numerous “best of” froyo and ice cream awards over the years. Woody’s donated gift certificates to every nearby school for their auctions and fundraisers, hosted free ice cream socials for local schools, and more. Woody’s Yogurt Place closed in January due to the rising cost of rent at Strawberry Village.

Yogurtland Fullerton, 501 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA 92831

Yogurtland #1, the original location, closed in October, a victim of the economic effects of COVID-19. The shop was located near Cal State Fullerton and with students staying at home, business must have been slow. The shop first opened in February 2006 and shared a space with Phillip Chang’s other business, Boba Loca, a bubble tea shop. They offered 16 self-serve, non-fat fro-yo flavors a day and toppings for 30 cents. This was the format that early Yogurtland locations continued to offer during the early years.

 

Yogurtland, 152 Sunset Dr., San Ramon, CA 94583

Sure there are plenty of Yogurtland locations, especially in California, but only a few were my regular spots. Yogurtland San Ramon opened in 2009, back when I used to work in San Ramon. I remember when it first opened. I went there many times, often for lunch with my good friend, S (our regular spots were Yogurtland and Top Dog). I collected many froyo spoons from that location, including the Tokidoki Yogurtland spoons. The pandemic led to the closure. 

Yogurtland, 4960 Telephone Rd, Ste 104, Ventura, CA 93003

This was my regular spot whenever I was in Ventura visiting family. Open from 2013-2020, it was the best option in town. The shop was in the shopping plaza with Barnes & Noble, Kohl’s, and Starbucks.

Farewell, old friends. You are missed.

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 Froyo Shop Closures of 2019

former Pinkberry La Canada location

Fro-yo girl here. Sadly, every year brings froyo shop closures in California. This was the case even in the heyday of froyo. Of the 48 froyo shops that closed in 2019, I visited 21 of them. These are the ones that I will miss the most:

• OMG! Dessert Lounge, Anaheim: This was an interesting funky independent shop in the gas station parking lot that had self-serve froyo, freakshakes, macarons, cheesecakes, smoothies, milkshakes, frappes, etc. The froyo was better than average. 
• Pinkberry: Every location that closes brings pain, since there are so few left. This year’s casualties include the Blossom Hill location in San Jose, Hillcrest in San Diego, La Canada Flintridge, Little Tokyo (downtown Los Angeles), Newport Beach, San Francisco, and Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica. San Francisco no longer has a Pinkberry, unless you count the one at the SFO Airport. Very sad! Outside of the airport, the remaining Bay Area locations are in Sunnyvale and Palo Alto. I used to visit the La Canada and Little Tokyo locations. The La Canada location, which is now a ramen shop called Kotsu, had machine issues for a long time. Little Tokyo, which is now a Somi Somi (soft serve taiyaki chain) was better. Now there’s no Pinkberry in downtown LA. 
• Yogurt Haven was Eagle Rock’s (a neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles) first froyo shop. The space is still available. It opened in 2010. The froyo was decent but it did excel at building a sense of community with its open mic nights, live music, and other local events.
• Yogurtland Westwood Village, Los Angeles: This was the last self-serve froyo shop in Westwood Village, across from UCLA. Another froyo shop called Frozen Land took over the space but it’s not self-serve.
• Yumi Yogurt Redwood City: I wrote about this closure early. The Redwood City location was Yumi Yogurt’s very first. It closed after 35 years of serving froyo. The lease was up and the owner couldn’t afford to renovate the old building in order to stay at that location. The building will be torn down and replaced with boring office buildings.

Farewell, old friends. You are missed.

I was tempted to add Fraiche Yogurt in Palo Alto to this list (the shop closed on December 10), but I noticed years ago that the quality had declined. I first noticed this about two or three years ago, right around the time the ownership changed. Friends noticed it too. It's a shame...they had the best housemade mochi. It sounds like their SFO Airport location has also gone downhill. Fraiche Palo Alto was Steve Jobs' favorite froyo shop. 

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.