California has always been a place where food trends become business models; often they take over the world. Is there any better example than frozen yogurt? What began as a fairly niche alternative to ice cream developed into a major Southern California phenomenon, producing decades of independent shops, regional chains and, eventually, internationally recognizable brands like Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt.

Two waves

The story of froyo in California can be divided broadly into two waves, at least according to the International Frozen Yogurt Association. The first wave started in the late 1970s and 1980s, when businesses marketed frozen yogurt as a lighter, more health-conscious alternative to ice cream.

The International Frozen Yogurt Association has written about shops like Yogurt Palace, which dates to 1977, and Golden Spoon, which began as an offshoot of a Tustin health-food store in 1981, as part of this early generation.

Southern California became important because the region provided a receptive environment for experimentation. Businesses could use health-conscious messaging while still implying indulgence, offering people different flavors and eventually more toppings and customized combinations.

Golden Spoon developed a reputation for producing frozen yogurt designed to appeal to traditional ice-cream lovers, while other long-running businesses built their identities around low-carb choices, unusual flavors or neighborhood familiarity. 

The Association’s survey of Southern California’s older shops includes The Bigg Chill, Froglanders, Humphrey Yogart, Malibu Yogurt, and Penguin’s (once the state’s biggest froyo chain in the 80s). Some brands have changed locations or ownership; others have faded, but froyo lives on in California. 

Second wave – cultures and continents

According to the International Frozen Yogurt Association, Pinkberry’s opening in West Hollywood in January 2005 helped ignite a new frozen-yogurt craze. There followed a new generation of Southern California businesses. Yogurtland, Menchie’s, Red Mango and Tutti Frutti were among the brands that emerged during this period. 

Tutti Frutti showed that froyo concepts can build international brands. Founder Jay Kim opened the first Tutti Frutti location in 2008 at Puente Hills Town Center in Rowland Heights. The store was found in the San Gabriel Valley, an area with a large Asian-American population. Tutti Frutti ultimately grew to nearly 700 locations across two dozen countries.

The brand’s self-serve froyo was well-suited to expansion. Instead of prescribing a single dessert, customers can choose flavors, control their portions and add toppings according to their preferences. That’s a simple retail formula to be reproduced in different markets, and it leaves space for local tastes.

The brand has expanded, particularly across California, Texas and Florida, and the official site points out that it has a significant international presence in markets such as Malaysia, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates.

In the digital age, brands like these are available for delivery through companies like DoorDash, giving customers another route to the brand. In Santa Clarita, the brand also continues to have a presence at 19401 Soledad Canyon Rd, showing how a concept that originated during the 2000s frozen-yogurt boom can hang around for decades. 

How different industries’ brands grow their names

There’s a big contrast between the way a froyo company expands its profile and the way that entertainment companies, such as online casinos, build their brands. 

A food business is, despite digital options like DoorDash, largely anchored to a physical experience. Froyo brands can establish recognition through storefront design, flavor variety, customer service, word of mouth and repeat visits. Online deliveries extend that business into people’s homes. International expansion then involves reproducing the basic brand experience in another market and adapting to local conditions. 

Online casinos are never constrained by geography in the same way. Their audience acquisition is almost exclusively digital. SEO research, online advertising, affiliate sites, social media, sponsorships, promotions and other forms of digital marketing can connect a brand with potential customers across the world. However, for people in California, the path may be less than straightforward. A South African brand would typically market primarily to customers in its own market – 10bet, for example, operates through a .co.za domain and promotes games like the 10bet Pragmatic Play slots – and the presence of an international website doesn’t automatically mean that its services are available or lawful to customers in California.

The growth of Tutti Frutti from a 2008 Southern California shop to a brand that’s reached hundreds of locations across dozens of countries shows what happens when a good formula becomes scalable. The storefront may be local, but the brand can travel far beyond the state. Froyo has grown from a trend to a decades-old delight.