Fro-yo at the Airport

Fro-yo girl here. I was at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) this week and on my way to my gate, I spotted fro-yo. It's the scoopable kind. Just Desserts had a case of Double Rainbow ice cream and one flavor of fro-yo, vanilla. There are three Just Desserts locations at SFO. I'm not sure if they all have fro-yo or not. It will definitely be exciting to see Pinkberry open there next year but for now, the fro-yo options at SFO are limited and disappointing. I expected better fro-yo options for SFO since the Bay Area has so many fro-yo shops.

It's not surprising that LAX has fro-yo. You can also get fro-yo at JFK, O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Honolulu International, Orlando International, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, McCarran Airport (Las Vegas), etc. I'm always craving fro-yo right after I get off the plane, and even consider whether I'm willing to add a layover to a trip based on the availability of fro-yo at the airport, so I love the idea of airport fro-yo.

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

Target Market Pantry Frozen Yogurt Parfait

Fro-yo girl here. Target in Colma recently added a grocery department and I found fro-yo in the freezer. They had four flavors: Blueberry, Wild Berry, Mango Peach, and White Chocolate Raspberry. It's only 99 cents for a 6 oz. cup. I found a spoon in their snack bar area and sat down with my blueberry fro-yo parfait.

The texture wasn't as dense as I expected. It was lighter, softer and almost whipped. The texture is icy and refreshing. However the flavor wasn't there - it had little flavor. It was sweet with a bitter aftertaste. Most of the flavor came from the frozen blueberries on top.

The fro-yo is made with high fructose corn syrup and has live and active cultures. A single serving is 160 calories with 1.5 grams of fat. I don't think I would get it again but it's a cheap snack.

2.5 stars out of 5

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

Yakult Love Your Insides Campaign

Fro-yo girl here. I keep seeing the Yakult commercials featuring the cuddly digestive system character. Isn't he cute? I'm not sure where I can buy one of my own. I thought I Heart Guts might have a digestive system character - guess Stomach is their closest offering. He's a cousin of the Yakult digestive system character but he doesn't have hands.



Happy 75th anniversary, Yakult!

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

Future Fro-yo Shop Picture: Yoppi Yogurt

Fro-yo girl here. A cute new sign went up in the window of the old olive oil shop (Olivier & Co.) - Yoppi Yogurt is coming soon. The sign depicts a winter scene with snowflakes - will they open this winter? It will be the fourth fro-yo serving place on Fillmore, joining Fraiche, Royal Ground Coffee, and Jubili (they're all within walking distance of each other). Moyo's Yogurt is also close by but not on Fillmore St.

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

* YOPPI YOGURT: 2208 Fillmore St., San Francisco, CA

More Pinkberry Coverage, Meet the VP of Brand Management

Fro-yo girl here. I recently had the chance to chat about fro-yo with Suzanne Ginestro, VP of Brand Management at Pinkberry. Suzanne previously was the head of Brand Marketing at Red Bull and held various roles at Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream.

What's it like managing the Pinkberry brand? It's a dream job for Suzanne, who loves fro-yo (and her kids do as well). She had the experience of managing a lifestyle, image-oriented brand at Red Bull and knew the ice cream category well. Pinkberry allows her to draw from her previous brand management experiences.

What can we expect from Pinkberry in the future? They're always working on the next fro-yo flavor and new toppings, as well as ways to create a "unique, distinctive consumer experience." However, they won't come up with too many flavors at once because they want to be more thoughtful about their approach and ensure they put out the best, highest quality flavors possible. She calls it "thoughtful innovation." For example, when they introduce a new flavor, they've also given thought to the toppings that would go well with that new flavor. They consider taste and texture.

When it comes to customer service, they emphasize humility and connecting with customers. They want to make sure that customers "get what they're looking for." For example, if someone doesn't like their fro-yo, Pinkberry is happy to reswirl. The unlimited toppings policy encourages people to try new toppings, even if they just want a little of that topping.

What's your favorite cup of fro-yo? Her tastes are seasonal and she makes her creations sound amazing. For summer, it's watermelon fro-yo with watermelon puree, fresh watermelon cubes, raspberries and bing cherries. For fall, it's coconut fro-yo with all-natural honey almond granola, fresh mango and blueberries.

Thanks, Suzanne!

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

Pinkberry Sunnyvale Grand Opening Pink Carpet Coverage

Fro-yo girl here. I was in Sunnyvale this evening, observing all the pink carpet activities at the Pinkberry Sunnyvale grand opening celebration. The setting: pink carpet leading into the store, a white tent set up outside for VIPs and t-shirt giveaways (for those signing up to be Pinkberry Groupies), Pinkberry staff bringing samples to the crowd on round orange trays, and a dj with pink glittery headphones. Guests were treated to a mini cup of fro-yo (choice of six flavors: Original, Watermelon, Pomegranate, Coconut, Chocolate, Mango).



My name was first on the VIP list (yay!) VIPs could skip the long line and enjoy endless cups of Pinkberry fro-yo (all six flavors) with toppings served in the tent. The staff members were very friendly and welcoming, especially Matthew and Pete (Pete's been to every Pinkberry location in the US). I was also thrilled to be there with Tracy T., who is Pinkberry obsessed (she wants to serve Pinkberry at her wedding). Sadly, we missed out on the free t-shirts (they looked similar to the Santana Row Pinkberry shirts). I was there early enough but just assumed I would automatically get a shirt.

I found out that the Santa Clara location could be open in less than a month...

Congratulations Pinkberry!

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

New Tuttimelon Fro-yo Flavors: Strawreo and more

Fro-yo girl here. The magical fro-yo flavor elves have been busy at Tuttimelon lately. Last Sunday, they introduced Strawreo (strawberry cookies n' cream). I also heard about the CupCakes flavor. I was surprised to see other "new" flavors at the Irving St. location. I tried a couple and my favorite new flavor is definitely JAPANESE YOGURT.



* Japanese Yogurt: yes, it tastes like Yakult. It's quite sweet but also tangy. It seems less sweet or just more palatable than Yakult in drink form. It's similar to yet different from Original Tart. I think it's sweeter than Original Tart. What an innovative flavor!
* Strawreo: I'll give them points for creativity and the cute poster. I've never heard of a strawberry cookies n' cream before. It tastes more like cookies n' cream than strawberry. I think I prefer regular cookies n' cream
* Mixed berries tart: it's decent but not one of my favorite Tuttimelon flavors

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

* TUTTIMELON IRVING: 2045 Irving St., San Francisco, CA