There are a few things L.A. undeniably does well: iced coffees with cream tops, grocery stores, juice cleanses. But lately, New York has been making a case for another category: frozen yogurt.
With Myka, Yogurt Club, Mimi’s, Culture, Madison Fare, Birdie’s and more, the city’s froyo comeback is gaining momentum. The trend has spread beyond the city, with new shops popping up across Long Island and Long Beach.
Now, it’s time for L.A. to catch up. And it is.
In July, Meadow opened up in Venice and almost instantly became a fan favorite. Nudes, a Mediterranean-inspired frozen yogurt shop, opened in Beverly Grove in October with flavors like plain tart, vegan chocolate and coconut, alongside toppings such as honey, pistachio cream and crushed baklava. The topping system is similar to Myka’s: with two toppings allowed for a size small and three for a large.
Go Greek Yogurt is preparing to open another location on Figueroa Street near USC in early 2027, bringing its handcrafted Greek frozen yogurt downtown and close to college students. This will be Go Greek’s sixth L.A. location.
Credit: Courtesy of Go Greek Yogurt
Credit: Courtesy of Go Greek YogurtThis frozen yogurt, however, isn’t the same as we remember from middle school.
The frozen yogurt surge in the 2010s was focused around places like 16 Handles and Pinkberry, where the appeal was filling up your cup with all the flavors and adding on top sprinkles, gummies and chocolate. Price was determined by weight.
As the trend has grown, frozen yogurt seems to have matured with yogurt lovers. The stores have changed from endless topping bars, and instead, many shops offer carefully curated combinations and yogurt made with Greek yogurt or other distinctive, healthy bases.
The toppings have changed too: gummy bears and rainbow sprinkles have given way to pistachio cream, honeycomb, fresh fruit and dark chocolate. Classy.
The experience of these shops has become part of the appeal. Not only is the yogurt itself aesthetic, but so are the places they are being served. In New York, the newest shops have developed large followings through social media and gained tons of traction on places like Beli. Mimi’s is ranked #8 on Beli’s Top 10 NYC Dessert list, surpassing staples like Magnolia Bakery and Levain’s cookies.
Credit: Courtesy of Meadow
Credit: Courtesy of MeadowIn L.A., where food trends often overlap with wellness, aesthetics and lifestyle, frozen Greek yogurt fits naturally into the already existing landscape. It doesn’t have to be framed as a dessert; it can be a post-workout pick-me-up or a mid-day snack.
This doesn’t mean that the treat is necessarily healthy. Greek yogurt offers protein and can be a healthier alternative to ice cream, but toppings and portion sizes can quickly change the nutritional profile of the bowl. And these cups of yogurt aren’t cheap. This new wave of frozen yogurt is as much about indulgence and aesthetic as it’s about what’s in the yogurt itself.
That doesn’t mean that frozen yogurt is strictly a daytime treat, either. Businesses are booming at night. In some ways, the frozen yogurt scene has replaced nightlife. A night out clubbing can now be replaced with a quick bite of frozen yogurt with friends. Lines can be ridiculous, but this only seems to add to the appeal – the wait becomes a part of the experience.
For L.A., the question isn’t whether froyo is coming back, as much as what the city will make of it. New York may have helped make boutique froyo the dessert of the moment, but L.A. doesn’t need to be New York. It never has. The city is ready to redefine the trend in its own unique way.
The post Frozen Yogurt Is Cool Again, and L.A. Wants In appeared first on LAmag.
