Have you guys checked out “Cherry On Top”?

It is a tart-yogurt place. I went to the one in Placentia over the weekend. It’s cool - it’s set up like a bar. You serve yourself with whatever kind of yogurt and toppings then they weigh it and charge by the ounce. The places are decorated in a fun way. I just found they have one in Irvine so I’m looking forward to trying that location. Just thought you might like to know about it.

It looks to be a copy of the Yogurtland model.  I checked out the Irvine location and unfortunately the people traffic was nothing like the Yogurtland on Jeffrey/Walnut.

zovall - 16 September 2008 07:41 PM

It looks to be a copy of the Yogurtland model.

Actually, they are probably both copies of the famous tart yogurt trend-setter Pinkberry.

I think Pinkberry was a copy of Red Mango.  Red Mango was in Korea, and the Pinkberry founders stole RM’s concept and beat them to the US.

I can’t believe I know that.

CK - 16 September 2008 08:15 PM

I think Pinkberry was a copy of Red Mango.  Red Mango was in Korea, and the Pinkberry founders stole RM’s concept and beat them to the US.

I can’t believe I know that.

Interesting.  I always thought Pinkberry was the first, I thought Red Mango was just one of the many followers…

So are Yogurtland, RM, Pinkberry, etc self-serve too? (Shame on me - I’ve never been to a Pinkberry. Gasp!)

I think it’s sort of funny how these places are “trendy” now. I remember all the yogurt places that were popular in the 80’s like Penguin’s and TCBY. Now here we are with a different take on the fro-yo. What’s next… reinventing ice cream? (Dippin’ Dots) hehe

CK is right on about Red Mango and Pinkberry.  Neither of those are self serve though like Yogurtland and Cherry on Top.

I’m a huge fan of Yogurtland and like the self-serve concept.
Also like the fact that they offer many different flavors unlike Pinkberry and some others.
Since I don’t care for tart yogurt.
The Yogurtland off Irvine blvd. is where I go and it’s constantly packed with people.

Yogurtland is good and definitely more cost effective, but the whole idea of the community toppings freaks me out a bit.  But I’m a weird germ-o-phobe.  Nothing but the Red Mango on Harvard and Main for us.  RM has the best plain yogurt, IMO…and its right around the corner.  Always packed, too—- usually with lots of UCI students.  That’s never a bad thing.

I just went to Yogurtland’s website and noticed they serve tart AND traditional fro-yo. That is pretty cool! I don’t know of another place that serves both. I will have to try it. Thanks.

We’re in the 3rd frozen yogurt fad cycle now.  The first was in 1970s when the French food company Danone (owner of Evian bottled water) sold tart frozen yogurt, yogurt bars, and yogurt machines.  High-end department stores (in the US) sold them at the cafe’s.  The 2nd phase occurred in 1980s when chains like Penguin’s appeared and started putting all kinds of toppings on it.  That fad collapsed by early 1990s.  (My aunt owned H Salt Fish & Chips and Tastee Freeze franchises back then)

The 3rd (current) phase was initiated by the Koreans and is showing signs of market saturation.  I had franchise forms for Pink Berry, Yogurt land, and another chain couple years ago.  Yogurt land wanted $30k franchise fee + $350k build-up cost up front, plus 5% royalty & marketing fee from monthly gross.  Yeah…  right.

Pinkberry is horrible IMHO, Yogurtland, Swirls, Red Mango, and Cherry on Top are all better.

I’m still down with Cantaloop.  Friendly, clean, tasty, and right around the corner from Mrs. IR2’s office.
(And the owner is on here once in a while, too, so it’s a nice opp to show some support.)

-Deuce

Yogurtland is the place for me.

It’s less expensive than the Pink/Red/Swirls type and has a much wider range of yogurt/topping flavors.

Golden Spoon seems to be the only froyo that survived the 80s fad and for kids… it’s pretty economical for the amount.

So I checked out the COT… the yelp site had it off of Von Karman when it’s really in that strange Jamboree center off of Dupont.

It’s only okay. The froyo is good but too many ‘sugar-free’ flavors… and the number of flavors isn’t as many as YogurtLand so it doesn’t leave me many options.

They are having a Grand Opening this Friday, Sept 26 where everything is half off.

Hey - I just tried Yogurtland for the first time last weekend. I went to the one in the shopping center on the corner of Yale & Irvine Blvd. Overall it was pretty good! It’s nice how they have tart and regular yogurt… My only complaint is that some of the flavors had a very icy and not creamy texture. But, I liked how they had syrups in squirt bottles in addition to the toppings. (Cherry On Top didn’t have syrups that I saw.) Plus they had (I think free) strawberry-infused water available. However they did not appear to sell any bottled drinks and COT has many. I have not tried the COT in south OC - just the one in Placentia and that’s the one I mentioned in the first post in this thread. The guy working at this Yogurtland in Irvine is very attentive and helpful - not like some of the lazy pimple-faced geeks at other places I’ve been. It’s a clean, nice shop. I will go back! Now I’ve got try Cantaloop too. Oh and Yogurtland had the famous Green Tea yogurt (YUM!) just like Pinkberry and Red Mango do - not all shops have that flavor. I think it should be a “must have” for every modern yogurt shop.

SoCal78 - 22 September 2008 02:05 PM

Now I’ve got try Cantaloop too. Oh and Yogurtland had the famous Green Tea yogurt (YUM!) just like Pinkberry and Red Mango do - not all shops have that flavor. I think it should be a “must have” for every modern yogurt shop.

Although we don’t have Green Tea, we do swirl other yogurts.  Hopefully you’ll like the others as much as you like Green Tea.  Please let me know how your experience is/goes.  And also let me know if any of the employees don’t serve you to your expectations.  I want to be sure that they put the customer is #1.

SoCal78 - 22 September 2008 02:05 PM

Hey - I just tried Yogurtland for the first time last weekend. I went to the one in the shopping center on the corner of Yale & Irvine Blvd. Overall it was pretty good! It’s nice how they have tart and regular yogurt… My only complaint is that some of the flavors had a very icy and not creamy texture. But, I liked how they had syrups in squirt bottles in addition to the toppings. (Cherry On Top didn’t have syrups that I saw.) Plus they had (I think free) strawberry-infused water available. However they did not appear to sell any bottled drinks and COT has many. I have not tried the COT in south OC - just the one in Placentia and that’s the one I mentioned in the first post in this thread. The guy working at this Yogurtland in Irvine is very attentive and helpful - not like some of the lazy pimple-faced geeks at other places I’ve been. It’s a clean, nice shop. I will go back! Now I’ve got try Cantaloop too. Oh and Yogurtland had the famous Green Tea yogurt (YUM!) just like Pinkberry and Red Mango do - not all shops have that flavor. I think it should be a “must have” for every modern yogurt shop.

Chinese from Hong Kong started the tropical fruit ice cream several decades ago. Both Pinkberry and Yogurtland are owned by (Asians) correction. Asians prefer less sugar in their dessert.

I thought Pinkberry was started by Koreans. 

zovall - 22 September 2008 08:23 PM

I thought Pinkberry was started by Koreans. 

Yes Pinkberry founders are Shelly Hwang and Young Lee. Hwang is a common last name from Northern China and migrated to its neighboring country Korea.  Shelly started her first Pinkberry in West Hollywood.

CK - 17 September 2008 09:00 AM

Yogurtland is good and definitely more cost effective, but the whole idea of the community toppings freaks me out a bit.  But I’m a weird germ-o-phobe.  Nothing but the Red Mango on Harvard and Main for us.  RM has the best plain yogurt, IMO…and its right around the corner.  Always packed, too—- usually with lots of UCI students.  That’s never a bad thing.

Young, cute college girls, huh???

usctrojanman29 - 23 September 2008 05:43 PM

CK - 17 September 2008 09:00 AM

Yogurtland is good and definitely more cost effective, but the whole idea of the community toppings freaks me out a bit.  But I’m a weird germ-o-phobe.  Nothing but the Red Mango on Harvard and Main for us.  RM has the best plain yogurt, IMO…and its right around the corner.  Always packed, too—- usually with lots of UCI students.  That’s never a bad thing.

Young, cute college girls, huh???

Ten’s “horizontal compass” is aligned to the force of cute college girls’ magnetic field.

bkshopr - 23 September 2008 06:12 PM

usctrojanman29 - 23 September 2008 05:43 PM

CK - 17 September 2008 09:00 AM

Yogurtland is good and definitely more cost effective, but the whole idea of the community toppings freaks me out a bit.  But I’m a weird germ-o-phobe.  Nothing but the Red Mango on Harvard and Main for us.  RM has the best plain yogurt, IMO…and its right around the corner.  Always packed, too—- usually with lots of UCI students.  That’s never a bad thing.

Young, cute college girls, huh???

Ten’s “horizontal compass” is aligned to the force of cute college girls’ magnetic field.

Hahaha…I hope Ten makes it to our little get together on Saturday evening.

bkshopr - 23 September 2008 06:12 PM

Ten’s “horizontal compass” is aligned to the force of cute college girls’ magnetic field.

I always wonder where the name Cherry on Top came from.

cantaloop - 23 September 2008 08:38 PM

bkshopr - 23 September 2008 06:12 PM

Ten’s “horizontal compass” is aligned to the force of cute college girls’ magnetic field.

I always wonder where the name Cherry on Top came from.

Wow!! We went a full circle but screwed up the quotations symbols.

Cherry On Top is doing a 50% discount today (Friday) from 11 AM to midnight at the Irvine location.

OC Register link