EVERYWHERE: It's no $27.5 million and a connection to Starbucks but Red Mango received a cup of $12 million from John Antioco and CIC Partners. With the money and new blood from companies like Blockbuster, Taco Bell and Corner Bakery, prepare for the onslaught. Red Mango only opened last year and now has 32 stores in California, New York, Illinois, Washington, Oregon, Utah, and Nevada. The next local store will open Koreatown later this year. [EaterWire]
MID-CITY: Pinkberry and Red Mango aren't the only froyo shops with publicists these days: We just got an announcement for a new Yogurtland location on La Brea with the most important piece of info missing---the address (which we now learn is 310 S. La Brea Ave, 323.936.5428). Yogurtland is one of the self-serve places and has its own world domination planned: there are stores in SoCal, NoCal, NYC and more (almost a dozen in the LA area alone) on the way. [EaterWire]
Well, you knew this would happen sooner or later. Cefiore is trying their hand a little viral marketing by launching a video contest. Prove how much you love Cefiore on YouTube, win $2,500 and free frozen yogurt for a year. Some rules:
· The video must be between 30 to 60 seconds max (no froyo opus, please)
· No brand names or trademarks other than Cefiore (sorry, no Ed Hardy T's)
· "Must keep with Cefiorie's image" (sorry, no Paris sex tape-type antics)
· Only Cefiore’s theme song or your own original music allowed (sorry, no Kanye)
· No copying or plagirizing from any source (sorry, no "swirly bliss" references)
Videos will be judged on 30% creativity, 40% on how well it communicates the Cefiore brand, and 30% overall appeal. Granted, the money would be nice but who can eat that much froyo?
From the desk of That Just Can't Be Good For Business: "I just got back from Heavenly Yogurt & Juice Bar in Pasadena. They serve the 'original tart' frozen yogurt and have been there for a while as far as I know. I walk in, order a large original tart, and the guy behind the counter says, 'Do you want to taste it first?' I tell him I already know what it tastes like. 'Well, it’s a little off today,' he says. Off? Yogurt? That cannot be good. I stood there for a few minutes before he continued. 'Some people don’t mind it though.' I ask him what he means by “off” and he says, 'Just the taste. It always gets like that towards the end of the week.' WTF? Being the risk-taker that I am, I take a taste. A little off, kind of fermented tasting and not in a good way. No thanks." [EaterWire; photo from Yelp]
WEST HOLLYWOOD: A few tipsters report that new froyo shop signage has been spotted in the middle of the WeHo vortex on SMB near San Vicente. The Yogurt Shop---what's with that silhouette?---is "pump your own" because self-serve is all the rage these days. At least the newbies no longer opt for variations on the fruit-berry-color names to differentiate themselves from Pinkberry. What we don't know is what this location was before, and if it really thinks it can take on the Swirlers. Yogurtpia didn't have much luck. [EaterWire Inbox]
SANTA MONICA: If you feel like battling a swarm of kids ready to hit the sand and the parents trying to wrangle them, Red Mango on Main Street "celebrates Summer" this Saturday with the offer of free swag: The first 150 customers will get a beach bag, frisbee, beach ball, "and more." Doors open at 12pm. It doesn't say you have to buy the yogurt, but it would be nice if that was free, too. (3101 Main Street at Marine Street). [EaterWire Inbox]
DOWNTOWN: Last we spied this Craigslist ad looking for an exec chef for Coles downtown, which means the Cedd Moses-updated landmark resto should be reopening soon, right? Wrong. Chef Neal Fraser, consulting on the project, told us at GOF last week that it will probably be Septemberish. Also in the ad, French dip smack talk: "We are going to have the best beef dip sandwich is town." (Photo: Flickr) [EaterWire]
SILVER LAKE: Also spotted in Craigslist: "I have a small grab-and-go cafe in Silverlake and am looking for someone to takeover the lease and space. I currently share the space with a retail gift shop. The ideal business would be a juice bar given the current set up." What is this and where? [EaterWire]
From a reader: "Do you have any info on a new yogurt/ice cream shop opening on Pico near Robertson? I’ve driven by only to see a sign in the window saying “Sweet Toot” and every time I wonder why one would enter the Yogurtwars only to remind people of passing gas..." We found a SweetTOOT website that touts the "dessert shop" as kosher ("next to the West Coast's first Subway!"), and from a poll they either sell flavors like strawberry (the one they call "toot"---make it stop), blueberry and "plain tart" or plan to. Ah, the kosher Pinkberry knock-off with a sense of humor. Don't people test market these names? [EaterWire Inbox]
HOLLYWOOD: The Hungry Cat's annual Crabfest is June 22, but people, stop calling for reservations. The entire day is completely booked, and there's apparently a very, very long wait list (upwards of 200 people or so). We will, however, eat crab cakes, Maryland crab soup and at least a dozen Old Bay-caked steamed blue crabs with you in mind. (Photo) [EaterWire]
LARCHMONT: We hear from the Crumbs folks, who gave out free cupcakes at their newest location all day Friday: "Not sure if you post follow-ups, but in the end, we gave away 2350 cupcakes and were cleaned out by 9:15! Crazy turnout." Indeed. And now it's back to paying $5 for the sweet treats. [EaterWire Inbox]
Let's all lift our spoons for the adversities that Pinkberry co-founder Shelly Hwang has endured. From this puff piece in KoreAm Journal, we learn that Hwang attempted several restaurant concepts in LA before she landed on the success that is Pinkberry. But oh, what a bumpy road to success it's been: The product wasn't understood at first, then neighbors complained about traffic and litter, lawsuits popped up, bloggers claimed Pinkberry stole the idea from Red Mango (ahem). Hwang, the trooper, just took it all in stride:
"I wasn't stressed about the lawsuit or the blogs - I was stressed about keeping up demand without compromising the quality. I had to serve 2,000 to 3,000 cups a day. I couldn't think about the other stuff. Now, those stories are gone."
Um, yeah, if by "gone" she means the company settled the lawsuit for $750,000, the "chilly bliss" was finally approved and deemed actual yogurt by the Dept of Food and Agriculture after it was reformulated and mixed in a dairy facility like they're supposed to, and all more than two years after the first swirl was cast. "Gone" because the issues obviously made an impact, changes were made, and there's nothing more to talk about. Except this: Now, backed by infusion of $27.5 million from Starbucks founder Howard Schulz's venture capital firm, Maveron, Hwang is looking to expand across the country, the borders, the world "It could be 1,000 or 100,000…I want to be the next Starbucks," she says. Wait...our swirly heads just exploded.
· Our Pinkberry Obsession [~ELA~]
Move over bacon, there's something newsier. Got something for the EaterWire? In the tip jar, please.
SILVER LAKE: One more reason why we're lucky to have Intelligentsia in LA: We have the "best barista in America" right here. Kyle Glanville, barista and Manager of Espresso Research, just won the US Barista Competition in Minneapolis this weekend. What does one have to do to win such an honor? Wow the judges by preparing and serving four espressos, four cappuccinos and four original signature drinks of their own creation---all within a 15-minute timeframe. Next up is the World Barista Competition in Copenhagen, and if he wins that, he can start calling himself the "Best Barista in the World." Someone might dump coffee grounds on his head if he does, but he can still say it. [EaterWire Inbox]
WEST HOLLYWOOD: In case a three-martini lunch still sounds like a good idea---and really, when doesn't it---Laurent Tourondel's BLT Steak now serves lunch on the Sunset Strip. [UrbanDaddy]
GLENDALE: You know you wanted to know: Pinkberry is officially swirling at the Americana at Brand. By our count, almost all the AAB restaurants are now open, save for Frida and the kiosks. [EaterWire Inbox]
We're used to froyo shops on just about every corner in LA, but when you get way out to the 'burbs, it's a different story. Red Mango opened at the Bridgeport Marketplace in Valencia today, maybe too close for comfort for one swirly neighbor: "We went today, and the owner of the only Pinkberry in Valencia, at the Valencia Westfield Mall, came in to check it out. He was very polite with the owner or manager (?) of Red Mango, ordered a yogurt, looked around, sat there for a while, and left. Being Pinkberry customers we immediately recognized him." [EaterWire Inbox]
We might poke fun at how many of Pasadena's restaurants should be on the Deathwatch (and are), but wandering through Old Town we noticed a lot of activity, especially on DeLacey Street, sometimes known as a black hole for restaurants. The best way to handle it is one fell swoop. On to the Plywood!
1) Spitfire Saloon: This is the working name for a new Smith Brothers venture, the owners of Pasadena's Smitty's Grill, Arroyo Chophouse, Parkway Grill and Crocodile Cafe. The location: DeLacey's Club 41 (Delacey Street between Colorado and Green). Hard details are still under wraps, but there will be a major renovation, American cuisine, some barbecue items, and a summer debut. [PLYWOOD]
2) Dena House: Directly across from Spitfire is the Dena House, an American-steakhouse-sushi restaurant opening in what was last Union Cattle Co. The owners also have the Hill Street Café in La Canada and promise the bull will be gone, but the brewery stays. For the record, nothing has lasted in that space for too long (Pasadena Brewing Company, Jerry's Deli, etc.), so we'll see how this goes. [PLYWOOD]
Pinkberry may have celebrated their 50th store opening today (Free T-shirts! Meet the founders!), the ooze that they created continues. See another berry-fruit-yo-color shop opening somewhere? The froyo tip line is always open.
BEVERLY HILLS: The photo and a note from a froyo watcher: "Noticed a sign on the corner of Brighton Way and Canon for Yogen Früz, which has been around (and has a trying-too-hard-to-be-cute logo) since 1986. That was the LAST froyo craze, right?" Well, trends are cyclical. Let's go back a bit. Last year, we got a puffy email claiming that Yogen Fruz planned more than 300 stores for the U.S. by the end of 2008. According to their corporate blog, that number has increased: Now they want to open more than 1,000 locations in the States over the next 7-10 years. Los Angeles County is a target market for them, and this BH store might very well be the first one. [EaterWire]
We were first with the news that Pinkberry finally divulged just what constitutes "chilly bliss" and listed the ingredients for their "all-natural frozen yogurt" on its website and in stores, but the New York Times got an expert to explain it more:
The ingredients list for Original Pinkberry has 23 items. Skim milk and nonfat yogurt are listed first, then three kinds of sugar: sucrose, fructose and dextrose. Fructose and maltodextrin, another ingredient, are both laboratory-produced ingredients extracted from corn syrup.
The list includes at least five additives defined by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization as emulsifiers (propylene glycol esters, lactoglycerides, sodium acid pyrophosphate, mono- and diglycerides); four acidifiers (magnesium oxide, calcium fumarate, citric acid, sodium citrate); tocopherol, a natural preservative; and two ingredients — starch and maltodextrin — that were characterized as fillers by Dr. Gary A. Reineccius, a professor in the department of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota and an expert in food additives.
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EVERYWHERE: It's no $27.5 million and a connection to Starbucks but Red Mango received a cup of $12 million from John Antioco and CIC Partners. With the money and new blood from companies like Blockbuster, Taco Bell and Corner Bakery, prepare for the onslaught. Red Mango only opened last year and now has 32 stores in California, New York, Illinois, Washington, Oregon, Utah, and Nevada. The next local store will open Koreatown later this year. [EaterWire]
Comments
From the desk of That Just Can't Be Good For Business: "I just got back from Heavenly Yogurt & Juice Bar in Pasadena. They serve the 'original tart' frozen yogurt and have been there for a while as far as I know. I walk in, order a large original tart, and the guy behind the counter says, 'Do you want to taste it first?' I tell him I already know what it tastes like. 'Well, it’s a little off today,' he says. Off? Yogurt? That cannot be good. I stood there for a few minutes before he continued. 'Some people don’t mind it though.' I ask him what he means by “off” and he says, 'Just the taste. It always gets like that towards the end of the week.' WTF? Being the risk-taker that I am, I take a taste. A little off, kind of fermented tasting and not in a good way. No thanks." [EaterWire; photo from 
DOWNTOWN: Last we spied this 
HOLLYWOOD: The Hungry Cat's annual Crabfest is June 22, but people, stop calling for reservations. The entire day is completely booked, and there's apparently a very, very long wait list (upwards of 200 people or so). We will, however, eat crab cakes, Maryland crab soup and at least a dozen Old Bay-caked steamed blue crabs with you in mind. (
Let's all lift our spoons for the adversities that Pinkberry co-founder Shelly Hwang has endured. From this puff piece in 
SILVER LAKE: One more reason why we're lucky to have Intelligentsia in LA: We have the "best barista in America" right here. Kyle Glanville, barista and Manager of Espresso Research, just won the US Barista Competition in Minneapolis this weekend. What does one have to do to win such an honor? Wow the judges by preparing and serving four espressos, four cappuccinos and four original signature drinks of their own creation---all within a 15-minute timeframe. Next up is the World Barista Competition in Copenhagen, and if he wins that, he can start calling himself the "Best Barista in the World." Someone might dump coffee grounds on his head if he does, but he can still say it. [EaterWire Inbox]
We're used to froyo shops on just about every corner in LA, but when you get way out to the 'burbs, it's a different story. Red Mango opened at the Bridgeport Marketplace in Valencia today, maybe too close for comfort for one swirly neighbor: "We went today, and the owner of the only Pinkberry in Valencia, at the Valencia Westfield Mall, came in to check it out. He was very polite with the owner or manager (?) of Red Mango, ordered a yogurt, looked around, sat there for a while, and left. Being Pinkberry customers we immediately recognized him." [EaterWire Inbox]
