Normal Ice Cream Soft Serve Pop-up

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve seen Normal Ice Cream pints in stores and walked by the brick & mortar shop in Salt Lake City (it’s on the same street as Yagoot), but I haven’t tried it yet. When I saw that they had a soft serve pop-up in Atwater Village, I stopped by. The LA pop-ups have been going on for over a year, and the next one takes place on August 30 at Gjusta Grocer in Venice, CA, from 1 PM – 4 PM.

The bright yellow cart was set up outside of Wine & Eggs. There was one soft serve flavor, salted vanilla bean, available in a cup or cone ($6), with the option of adding a dark chocolate or almond butter dip ($3), and fancy toppings (pretzel shortbread, lemon curd, raspberry jam, chocolate chip cookie, raspberry powder).

The soft serve was soft, silky, and very creamy. The flavor was so mild though. It tasted like milk soft serve. I couldn’t taste vanilla or salt. The pretzel shortbread added a nice crunch, but it tasted like regular shortbread. I could not taste the pretzel. The lemon curd didn’t have much tang. The flavors were muted, but the ingredients were high quality.

I wish I had visited when they offered a more interesting flavor than vanilla.

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.

Cinnabon Swirl Opens in Pasadena

Fro-yo girl here. Cinnabon Swirl, a brand new concept from Cinnabon and Carvel, is now open in Pasadena. The Pasadena location is the fourth and the first in California.

Founded in 1934, Carvel is known for its soft serve ice cream. In fact, Tom Carvel invented soft serve ice cream after his ice cream truck broke down and he served his melting ice cream to customers. Cinnabon Swirl doesn’t have the full Carvel menu. The menu includes soft serve ice cream (cup or cone, sundae), ice cream sandwiches, shakes, and cinnamon rolls (including minibons and the center of the roll), ice cream cakes, ice cream pints, and cinnampacks. Some items are exclusive to Cinnabon Swirl locations.

The soft serve is based on the original formula created by Tom Carvel in 1934, which he developed after his ice cream truck broke down and the melting ice cream was a hit with customers.

There were four soft serve ice cream flavors during my visit: pumpkin, cheesecake, vanilla, and chocolate.

You can also add toppings to the soft serve (sauces, whipped cream, sprinkles, crunchies, nuts, brownies, cookie dough, etc.)

Small pumpkin and vanilla soft serve cup with chocolate crunchies ($5.99 + $0.79): There was a generous amount of rich ice cream. The texture was airy, soft, and creamy. It melted quickly. Both flavors were mild (aka bland). I didn't like the soft serve.

The grand opening is this Friday, September 5 from 3 PM – 5 PM. Enjoy a free Cinnabon crunch ice cream sandwich, giveaways, face painting, and more.

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

* CINNABON SWIRL, 1661 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91106

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.

Cinnabon Swirl to Open in Pasadena

 

Fro-yo girl here. Okay, this isn’t froyo news, but I just saw the sign for Cinnabon Swirl, Soft Serve by Carvel, across from Pasadena City College. Cinnabon Swirl is a brand new concept from Cinnabon and Carvel. It features exclusive items like the Bonini, a cinnamon roll sandwich with soft serve, and the Cinnabon Swirl Sundae, a cinnamon roll topped with soft serve.

The first location opened this May in Peoria, Arizona. The Pasadena location will be the fourth and the first in California.

Founded in 1934, Carvel is known for its soft serve ice cream. It also offers hard scoop ice cream, ice cream cakes, novelty ice cream bars, and ice cream sandwiches. While Carvel doesn’t offer froyo, it did offer froyo (called Lo-Yo) back in the 1970s.

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

* CINNABON SWIRL, 1661 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91106

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.

Wafflecomb Under New Ownership, Now Offering Self-Serve Froyo

 

Fro-yo girl here. Wafflecomb in Santa Clarita, California, first opened in 2018 as a counter-serve bubble waffle and soft serve ice cream shop. I never went to old Wafflecomb which seemed similar to SomiSomi (soft serve ice cream, waffles). The ownership recently changed.

The new owner added more soft serve machines, started carrying froyo, and switched to a self-serve soft serve format. I think changed the waffle recipes as well. The bubble waffles and taiyaki are now bubble mochi waffles and mochi taiyaki. The soft serve is $0.71/oz. They have 10 flavors a day, including a dairy-free option, ice cream, custard, and froyo.

For $8.99, you can get a freshly made bubble mochi waffle (two flavors are available: vanilla and chocolate) with unlimited soft serve and toppings. It’s a good deal but the waffle is fairly large, so it’s a big dessert. I didn’t see any fresh fruit toppings. They only had dry toppings: candy, cereal, cookies, coconut, mochi, Pocky, and Hershey’s syrups. The toppings were neatly labeled.

The mochi bubble waffle was pretty good and I’ve had many bubble waffles. The bits between the puffs were nice and crunchy. The mochi made the waffle a little chewier. The batter wasn’t too sweet. The matcha soft serve ice cream was also good!

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

* WAFFLECOMB, 26240 Bouquet Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita, CA 91530

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.

Ace Frozen Yogurt Closes in Arcadia, 626 Ice Cream Takes Over

Fro-yo girl here. And Arcadia is down to one froyo shop, Yogurtland, with the recent closure of the oldest froyo shop in San Gabriel Valley, Ace Frozen Yogurt. Ace Frozen Yogurt opened in 1986. The counter-serve froyo shop served Dannon YoCream froyo, smoothies, shaved ice, and more.

626 Hospitality Group took over the Ace Frozen Yogurt space and soft opened recently. The owners are SGV natives and so their flavors are LA-inspired, such as mango calamansi, lychee strawberry, and hojicha. While they launched their ice cream business doing pop-ups and selling prepacked ice cream pints at specialty grocers, they decided to offer soft serve ice cream at the new store, using the soft serve machines purchased by the Ace Frozen Yogurt owners, and call the new business 626 Ice Cream.

It's clear that they respect the history of Ace Frozen Yogurt. They kept their trash can and there are photos of the Ace Frozen Yogurt owners on the wall (one from decades ago and a newer one with the 626 Ice Cream new owners). The toppings bar and soft serve machines are from Ace Frozen Yogurt but with different ice cream and different toppings (chamoy, soybean powder, mochi, nuts, pomegranate molasses, aloe vera, hawthorn flakes).

Soft serve flavors: Black sugar vanilla, Lychee strawberry, Yakult, Mango Calamansi, Hojicha, Malted Chocolate. Two of the flavors are vegan and all of the ones listed are gluten-free. They’re housemade flavors that you can’t get anywhere else. Because of that, 626 Ice Cream is better than Ace Frozen Yogurt ever was. It pains me to say that because 626 Ice Cream serves ice cream, but it’s true. The lychee strawberry soft serve was vegan yet it wasn’t icy or sorbet like and it was bursting with lychee flavor but also quite tangy. I loved the tang and the flavor.

One 8 oz cup is $7.25. You can choose up to two flavors. Add 3 toppings for $1.75.

Here's what they had to say about the transition (from Instagram): 

“Ace Yogurt has been in business for 37+ years. Generations have come through the door, grown up, and brought children and grandchildren of their own. Amber and I came in on a rainy spring day, and were welcomed by the sweetest couple in the world, Jay and Soo. They told us how they had been running the store for 20+ years, after they bought it from the original owner (who they are still close friends with). They went on to explain that they were looking to retire, invest in their health, and spend more time together. Jay finished by saying that he's looking to sell the store. The rest is history.

Fast forward, as we were finalizing the transition, Soo, who is quite reserved in manner of speech, asked "I hope you keep the machines." Many of you might know (and hopefully love) our ice cream, but we were all raised to respect our elders. We are going to honor Jay and Soo's wishes and the heritage of Ace Yogurt, while being true to ourselves. The only answer? Made from scratch soft-serve.

The vast majority of soft-serve is made by opening a pack of industrial dry mix or bottle of liquid base and dumping it into a machine. We understand why the temptation is there. It is many times more expensive and labor-intensive to do things ourselves. But it's all for you, our guest. A true labor of love. This will be our flagship store, the only location where you will find 626 Soft-Serve.

We are excited to plant roots in this community we call home. Someone with more business acumen is likely reading this and seeing a lot of unnecessary risk. But, we believe that not all business decisions need to be reduced to economics. There is a human aspect to doing business that matters. People matter, and this neighborhood will see value in what we are doing. Where there is heart, there is a way.”

* 626 ICE CREAM: 626 Ice Cream, 160 E Duarte Rd, Ste E, Arcadia, CA 91006

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.

CVT2Go Soft Serve Ice Cream Review

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve run into the CVT Soft Serve truck a few times but I never tried their soft serve because (1) they only have ice cream and (2) the flavors are so basic. They only have two flavors, vanilla and chocolate. But earlier this year, CVT2Go – their soft serve ice cream in a single serving pouch, appeared on supermarket shelves.

According to Eater LA, the pouches have been selling out in grocery stores. I found CVT2Go at Bristol Farms for $4.99/pouch. The ice cream is made with all natural ingredients. And the available flavors are the same as the truck’s, chocolate and vanilla. One pouch is 6 oz. You’re supposed to eat the soft serve out of the squeezable pouch.

Vanilla ice cream: It took about 10-15 minutes to thaw. The ice cream was soft, smooth, and creamy. It’s made with whole milk, sugar, and heavy cream. The vanilla flavor was light and the ice cream was very sweet. I would have liked more vanilla flavor. One pouch is 310 calories, 18g total fat, 34g total sugars, and 3g protein.

CVT2Go was first carried by Gelson’s and is now carried by Tacos 1986, Vidiots, La Tropicana Market, Moonlight Rollerway, and House of Ambrose.

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

3.5 out of 5 stars.

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.

Valley Swirl Moves From Valley Village to La Brea (Fairfax)

Fro-yo girl here. On my recent visit to Cambridge Farms, the kosher market, in Valley Village (a neighborhood in Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley), I noticed that Valley Swirl’s space was vacant. All the equipment and signs had been removed. The pink paint was still there.

Valley Swirl has their own space now and the new address is 524 N La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036. It’s in the Fairfax District, close to Pink’s Hot Dogs. The new space is very pink – the same pink they painted the old space.

Valley Swirl offers mix-in style ice cream and froyo, boba, milkshakes, waffles, acai bowls, smoothies, and hot drinks. The ice cream or frozen yogurt base is combined with add-ins and hand-cranked till everything is mixed together. Everything is RCC Kosher. Online ordering is available.

Bases: Dairy vanilla ice cream, Dairy chocolate ice cream, Vanilla froyo, Non-dairy vanilla, Non-dairy chocolate, Sugar-free vanilla, Sugar-free chocolate.

Add-ins: Fruit, nuts, cookies, sauces, cookie dough, cotton candy, sprinkles, etc.

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

* VALLEY SWIRL ICE CREAM: 524 N La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036

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.

SomiSomi Closures and Replacements

 

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve never written about SomiSomi because they serve soft serve ice cream (not froyo). But their soft serve is pretty good, even though I rarely get it (because it’s not froyo). Recently, they closed two locations near me. The Westfield Santa Anita location in Arcadia became an acai bowl place. And now the Glendale Galleria location is becoming another soft serve ice cream shop called Devil & Angel Desserts. They also have mochi donuts, drinks, and taiyaki. I miss the days when Pinkberry and Go Greek were at the Galleria and the Americana.

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 Flavor at Yogurtland: Honey Roasted Peanut Soft Serve

Fro-yo girl here. I haven’t seen the official announcement yet, but Yogurtland has a NEW flavor: Honey Roasted Peanut soft serve. Made with real roasted peanuts and honey, the flavor is described as “a timeless flavor, rich and salty peanut butter balance with sweet and mellow honey.” Sounds good! It’s also gluten-free and calcium fortified.

Honey Roasted Peanut: I LOVE Yogurtland’s Peanut Butter froyo flavor, so a new peanut butter flavor definitely piqued my interest. The good news is that Honey Roasted Peanut soft serve is one of Yogurtland’s better flavors. The texture was smooth and creamy. It was sweet but not crazy sweet and I could taste honey and pb because neither was overpowering. It’s mellow and milky. I still prefer the Peanut Butter froyo because I like my pb straight up and it’s froyo, but I would get Honey Roasted Peanut again. Recommended toppings: Nutter Butter, peanut butter chips, Cap’n Crunch.

Yogurtland Alhambra is still full-service, which is fine with me. And samples aren’t being given out at this time (due to the coronavirus).

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.

Pinkberry Introduces Pinkbee’s Tiramisu Lowfat Milk Ice Cream

Fro-yo girl here. Pinkberry just introduced a new fall flavor: Pinkbee’s Tiramisu. They recommend their Tiramisu lowfat soft serve ice cream with pairing it with whipped cream, a ladyfinger, and a dusting of cocoa powder. Pinkbee’s Tiramisu is available at participating locations from September 28 through November 15. 

I’m not a huge fan of tiramisu because it can be sweet and heavy. Typically, tiramisu is made with ladyfingers, coffee, eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese. But I think it could be good as a lighter dessert, in soft serve form.

* Pinkbee’s Tiramisu: This was quite good. The texture was very smooth and light. The flavor was not overly sweet. It tasted like mild coffee with cream. There were different flavor notes going on, which made it interesting. Pinkberry Los Feliz (2829 Hyperion Ave., Los Angeles, CA) had the new ladyfingers topping.

Interestingly, Pinkberry had a Tiramisu frozen yogurt flavor a few years ago, but it looks like it was only available in the Middle East.

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

Here’s the official press release:

Pinkberry Announces New Pinkbee's Tiramisu Flavor 

This Low-Fat, Indulgent Treat is Available for a Limited Time Only

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sep. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Pinkberry® (www.Pinkberry.com) is living La Dolce Vita with a new low-fat, milk ice cream flavor, Pinkbee's® Tiramisu. This delicious flavor will be available September 28 through November 15.

Customers are recommended to top this new flavor with a lady finger, whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa powder, to truly enjoy everything Pinkbee’s Tiramisu has to offer.

"Pinkbee's Tiramisu is the perfect flavor to pair with fall," said Melissa Hubbell, director of marketing for Pinkberry. "You'll be living the good life once you taste this decadent and low-fat flavor!" 

About Pinkberry

Pinkberry® launched in Los Angeles, CA in 2005 as the original brand that reinvented frozen yogurt. Today, over a decade later, Pinkberry continues to create great tasting treats with fresh ingredients in an experience comprised of distinctive product, outstanding service and inspirational design. At Pinkberry you can taste the difference of an uncompromising commitment to quality and freshness. Most recently, Pinkberry was acquired by Scottsdale, Arizona-based Kahala Brands™, one of the fastest growing franchising companies in the world with a portfolio of 22 quick-service restaurant brands and approximately 2900 locations in 34 countries.

For more information about Pinkberry, visit www.Pinkberry.com.

For more information about Kahala Brands, visit www.KahalaBrands.com.

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 Introduces Pinkbee’s Chocolate Made With Ghirardelli

Fro-yo girl here. Last January, Pinkberry kicked off the new year with a new ice cream flavor, Pinkbee’s Strawberry. This year, they’re keeping the tradition by introducing a new ice cream flavor, Pinkbee’s Chocolate made with Ghirardelli. The signs say “New year, new chocolate.”

I tried Pinkbee’s Chocolate and while I generally don’t like chocolate ice cream, I thought the flavor was quite good. The texture was silky smooth and light. The flavor was not heavy and didn’t taste like an overdose of cocoa powder. It tasted more like chocolate and it wasn’t too sweet.

Pinkbee’s Chocolate is available for a limited time only.

The official press release follows:

Pinkberry Rings in the New Year with New Pinkbee's Chocolate

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Pinkberry® (www.Pinkberry.com) is ringing in the start of 2018 by introducing Pinkbee's® Chocolate Reduced-Fat, Milk Ice Cream made with Ghirardelli®, available beginning Jan. 5, for a limited time only.

This new decadent flavor pairs perfectly with fresh, hand-cut strawberries to create the Strawberry Covered Chocolate combination. It's the ideal complement to the rich flavor of Ghirardelli.

"With the start of a new year, there's no better way to celebrate than indulging in our new Pinkbee's Chocolate," said Melissa Hubbell, director of marketing for Pinkberry. "It's the perfect dessert to share with someone special as we enter the season of love and show our affection to others."

At Pinkberry, guests can customize their favorite treat with a variety of toppings that include fresh, never frozen, fruit that is hand-cut in stores daily, along with premium granolas and nuts, specialty chocolates, and much more. Pinkberry is swirling with possibilities!

Pinkbee's Chocolate is available at participating U.S. Pinkberry stores now until March 1.

For more information or store locations visit www.Pinkberry.com, "Like" Pinkberry on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram @PinkberrySwirl.

About Pinkberry

Pinkberry® launched in Los Angeles, CA in 2005 as the original brand that reinvented frozen yogurt. Today, over a decade later, Pinkberry continues to create great tasting treats with fresh ingredients in an experience comprised of distinctive product, outstanding service and inspirational design. At Pinkberry you can taste the difference of an uncompromising commitment to quality and freshness. Most recently, Pinkberry was acquired by Scottsdale, Arizona-based Kahala Brands™, one of the fastest growing franchising companies in the world with a portfolio of 22 quick-service restaurant brands and approximately 2900 locations in 28 countries.

For more information about Pinkberry, visit www.Pinkberry.com.

For more information about Kahala Brands, visit www.KahalaBrands.com.

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.

Pinkberry Introduces a New Pinkbee’s Flavor, Crème Brulee

Fro-yo girl here. Pinkberry has been on a roll lately, introducing several delicious new tart flavors and a delectable new topping, blueberry muffin pieces. Their fall flavor is Crème Brulee and it’s a Pinkbee’s mik ice cream flavor. The more decadent flavor feels right for fall.

* Crème Brulee Pinkbee’s: I could taste the caramelized sugar, which tastes different than straight caramel. I didn’t taste the rich eggy custard flavor that I associate with crème brulee though. I also tried the new topping, crème brulee candies. These were small, hard, and crunchy, sweet but with caramelized flavor. Recommended toppings: Caramelized pecans, shortbread cookies

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

Here’s the official press release:

Pinkberry Says Bonjour to New Pinkbee's Creme Brulee

The Low-Fat, Milk Ice Cream Flavor Will be Available for a Limited Time Only

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Pinkberry® (www.Pinkberry.com) is getting fancy with a new low-fat, milk ice cream flavor, Pinkbee's® Creme Brulee, available for a limited time Sept. 8, through Nov. 2.

The new flavor will also be featured as a combination called Creme Brulee Crunch, made with Pinkbee's Creme Brulee, topped with sweet and crunchy Creme Brulee candies.

"With fall just around the corner, Pinkberry is excited to introduce our twist on the classic French dessert, Creme Brulee; traditionally consisting of a rich custard and crispy caramelized sugar," said Melissa Hubbell, director of marketing for Pinkberry. "Pinkberry's Pinkbee's Creme Brulee is a delicious new flavor filled with sweet decadence our customers are going to love."

Pinkbee's® Creme Brulee and the Creme Brulee Crunch are available until Nov. 2, 2017.

About Pinkberry

Pinkberry® launched in Los Angeles, CA in 2005 as the original brand that reinvented frozen yogurt. Today, over a decade later, Pinkberry continues to create great tasting treats with fresh ingredients in an experience comprised of distinctive product, outstanding service and inspirational design. At Pinkberry you can taste the difference of an uncompromising commitment to quality and freshness. Most recently, Pinkberry was acquired by Scottsdale, Arizona-based Kahala Brands™, one of the fastest growing franchising companies in the world with a portfolio of 22 quick-service restaurant brands and approximately 2900 locations in 28 countries.

For more information about Pinkberry, visit www.Pinkberry.com.


For more information about Kahala Brands, visit www.KahalaBrands.com.

Yogurtland Introduces Ice Cream for the "First" Time

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurtland is introducing ice cream for the first time ever. I encountered the two new flavors today. They’re classic, full fat flavors: Vanilla and Chocolate. The ice cream is soft serve and doesn’t have live and active cultures (that would make it frozen yogurt, presumably). Vanilla and Chocolate Ice Cream will be available for a limited time. 

Yogurtland already offered gelato, which is ice cream, but the new flavors are different. Both were rich and creamy but I found them to have less flavor than Yogurtland’s gelato and frozen yogurt flavors. The ice cream texture was different - smooth and chewy. The chocolate had cocoa flecks. Frozen yogurt is way better but you know that I’m biased. Has anyone else tried their ice cream? If so, what do you think of them?

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

Here’s the official Yogurtland press release:

Yogurtland Introduces Ice Cream for a Limited Time

Beginning August 30, Yogurtland is giving everyone’s sweet tooth a reason to rejoice with the limited time addition of premium chocolate and vanilla ice cream. The new serve yourself ice cream gives Yogurtland fans an indulgent option to create their own customized treat.

With the addition of chocolate and vanilla ice cream, Yogurtland is providing a one-stop shop for all to enjoy. Yogurtland guests can swirl up their choice of chocolate or vanilla ice cream, or both, and head over to the topping bar to build their satisfying, delicious masterpiece. With over 60 fruit, candy, cereal, nuts, cookies and other toppings to choose from, Yogurtland offers fans the chance to completely customize both their yogurt and ice cream experience with all their favorite additions.

“One of the many joys for Yogurtland fans is to build their creation to perfectly suit their taste buds,” says John Carlson, senior vice president of marketing, development and operations at Yogurtland. “Now, fro-yo fanatics and ice cream lovers alike will have the chance to do so, all under one roof at Yogurtland.”

Yogurtland’s flavorologists are continually hand crafting craveable flavors that keep fans loving their experience. Yogurtland owns its own dairy and by controlling the frozen yogurt making process, the company can deliver the highest quality flavors, setting new standards for millions of fans.

Presently Yogurtland has more than 320 locations across the U.S., Australia, Guam, Singapore, Thailand, Venezuela and Dubai.

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 Introduces New Pinkbee’s Strawberry

Fro-yo girl here. Last June Pinkberry launched Pinkbee’s lowfat ice cream with the optional topping of the Honeycomb Drizzle. Now they’ve announced a new Pinkbee’s flavor, strawberry, available starting January 4, 2017. Pinkbee’s Strawberry ice cream is a fitting seasonal flavor with Valentine’s day around the corner. It will be available until February 28. Try the Strawberry Sweetheart combination, featuring Pinkbee’s Strawberry topped with fresh strawberries and chocolate drizzle.

I spotted and tried Pinkbee’s Strawberry a few months ago but it was a tiny melted sample so I didn’t get the full experience. I tried it again. The nice thing about it is that it’s made with a strawberry puree that has bits of strawberry in it. Also, it’s not too sweet. The texture is thick and creamy but it doesn’t feel too heavy. However, it has no tang and it doesn’t have the wonderful qualities of frozen yogurt. The aftertaste isn’t as nice as the frozen yogurt either. But if you like soft serve ice cream, it’s worth trying. My recommended toppings are strawberries, raspberries, yogurt chips, almonds and Almond Roca.

I first tried Pinkbee’s in 2014 at Pinkberry Koreatown (Los Angeles). I tried it shortly after trying Honeymee for the first time. Both Honeymee and Pinkbee’s are milk flavored soft serve ice cream products. They were inspired by the milk soft serve with honeycomb popularized by the South Korean chain, Softree. Pinkberry Koreatown also had a matcha Pinkbee’s flavor.

Pinkbee’s is definitely creamier than Pinkberry’s frozen yogurt product. It’s made with low-fat milk, so it is a lighter soft serve ice cream. Honeymee and Milkcow (a Korean chain) offer a creamier, richer milk soft serve that I actually prefer but the lighter version makes sense for Pinkberry. Anyway, I prefer their frozen yogurt to their ice cream. I know a couple of Pinkberry fans who don’t like Pinkbee’s but that’s probably because they love froyo.

Speaking of soft serve ice cream, several soft serve shops opened in Los Angeles last year, including Magpies in Silver Lake, SomiSomi in Koreatown, Matcha Matcha in Arcadia, Drips & Swirls in Koreatown and Beeline (now called Tea Master) in Little Tokyo. Beeline/Tea Master has the best matcha soft serve but I haven’t tried the new Matcha Midori which opened this year.

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.

Soft Serve Fro-yo vs. Soft Serve Premium Ice Cream

Fro-yo girl here. It took me awhile to get here (would have been there earlier but they don't offer fro-yo) but I finally tried Bi-Rite's Creamery's soft serve ice cream, made with Straus Organic dairy products. I think they only have one size, cup or cone $3.50. They carry two flavors a day (see picture for the flavor schedule) and they have gourmet toppings. I was somewhat disappointed to see so many conventional flavors (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry). I was expecting creative flavors from Bi-Rite.

* Mexican chocolate soft serve: it's nice, has a deep, fudge flavor, smooth, creamy with a small kick (not very spicy, but you can tell that there's something extra)
* Vanilla soft serve: smooth, creamy, pleasing



Their soft serve does taste like it's made with better ingredients and it's good but I prefer soft-serve fro-yo and even Bi-Rite ice cream. I like how Bi-Rite incorporates additional texture into their ice cream. My favorites are Ricanelas (cinnamon with chunks of snickerdoodle cookies) and Coffee Toffee (Ritual Roasters coffee ice cream with toffee chunks). You can't get that texture in fro-yo (though of course you can add toppings) or soft serve ice cream. Good fro-yo tastes as good as or better than soft serve ice cream, it's lower in fat and may have live and active cultures. Yes, I prefer fro-yo.

* Bi-Rite Creamery: 3692 18th St. San Francisco, CA