Did you know that New Zealand ranks #1 for the highest ice cream consumption per capita? The average person in New Zealand consumes 28.4 liters of ice cream annually. The US ranks second, with an average yearly consumption of 20.8 liters per person.
New Zealand is also an influential country for froyo. Real fruit ice cream (and froyo) is currently enjoying a surge of popularity in New Zealand and other countries. The New Zealand style ice cream and froyo predated the soft serve froyo craze of the 2010s. In New Zealand, real fruit ice cream is often found at the beach, farmers market, or fruit farm. Customers choose a base and the mix-ins, typically fruit and hokey pokey, that they’d like.
Just this year, Air New Zealand announced it would launch a new business class in May, and the onboard menu will feature raspberry frozen yogurt.
The battle for NZ froyo dominance started in 2013, when KiwiYo decided to franchise and Yoghurt Story came onto the scene. The two quickly became the largest froyo franchises in New Zealand, with KiwiYo even expanding to China. Both KiwiYo and Yoghurt Story were influenced by the self-serve froyo trend that had emerged in the United States.
Many froyo shops, most of them self-serve, opened between 2013 – 2015, but many of these shops did not last long. Yoghurt Story liquidated in 2016 after the court ruled that what they called frozen yoghurt did not contain yoghurt. KiwiYo still has two branches, including the original shop in Mission Bay.
Today, New Zealand is home to eight “froyo shops,” though technically, only five of them are truly froyo shops.
The population of New Zealand is 5.233 million. The area includes two main landmasses and over 700 smaller islands. The largest cities by population are Auckland (417,910), Wellington (381,900), Christchurch (363,926), Manukau City (362,000), and Waitakere (208,100). The cost of living is high, and agriculture is the largest industry. Dairy is the largest export. The economy has slowed recently due to high prices, high interest rates, and rising unemployment.
It’s surprising that a country with a population of 5.233 million was once home to 65 froyo shops, including a few froyo trailers. And we didn’t count the hard scoop places, non-froyo businesses that offered froyo, and all the berry farms that might offer froyo as a base for real fruit ice cream.
Places to Get Froyo
- Anita Gelato, 35 Brecon Street, Queenstown 9300, has one branch in New Zealand that opened in January 2024. Soft serve froyo and acai are offered. Anita Gelato was founded in Tel Aviv, Israel in 2002.
- Fuse Real Fruit Ice Cream, 73 Cashmere Road, Cashmere, Christchurch 8022, is a real fruit ice cream (and froyo) trailer. The bases are vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream, and froyo. It may have opened in 2017 or 2018.
- Kiwi Yo, 95 Tamaki Drive, Mission Bay, Auckland, is a self-serve froyo shop that opened in 2011. This was the original KiwiYo.
- Kiwi Yo, 82 Hurstmere Road, Takapuna, Auckland opened in 2013.
- SoYo, 111 Riccarton Road, Riccarton, Christchurch 8041, is a self-serve froyo shop that opened in 2013.
- Sunny Nelson Real Fruit Ice Cream, 7 Greenwood Street, Frankton, Hamilton 3204, started in 2018. Sunny Nelson is next to its sister café, Lykke Café. Guests can play mini putt and lawn games. Guests can choose a base: ice cream, frozen yoghurt, or dairy-free ice cream.
- Yoget, 61 Devon Street West, New Plymouth, Taranaki, is a self-serve froyo shop that opened in 2013 next to Pita Pit. Yoget and Pita Pit have the same ownership.
- Yogis Frozen Yogurt & Dessert Bar, 166 Hardy Street, Nelson, was established in 2012. New owners took over in 2021. The shop serves froyo, waffles, crepes, drinks, and ice cream.
Closed Froyo Shops
- Berry Culture, 93 Tory Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011, was a froyo truck serving the Wellington area from 2013-2021. The business was owned by a family of berry farmers in Christchurch. They made small-batch frozen yoghurt with handmade and grown toppings, including berry sauces, berries, crumbles, caramel & chocolate sauces, and brownies.
- The Berry Shop, 434 Sawyers Arms Road Christchurch, 8051, The status of the berry farm, the one that opened Berry Culture, is unclear as they typically close for the season but haven’t reopened for the last few years. The last FB post was in November 2022. The berry shop had real fruit ice cream and froyo.
- The Frogurt Store, 89 Courtenay Place, Te Aro, Wellington 6011, was a self-serve froyo shop that opened in 2014 and closed in 2019.
- Frolik, 74 Clyde Road, Browns Bay, Auckland 0630, was a self-serve froyo shop that opened in Browns Bay in 2013. The space was taken over by KiwiYo in 2014.
- Froyo, 8 Moenui Avenue, Orewa, opened in 2013.
- Kiwiberri, The Square, Palmerston North Central, Palmerston North 4410 was a self-serve shop that opened in 2011 and may have closed in 2018.
- Kiwiberry had a self-serve froyo truck from 2012 – 2015.
- KiwiYo, Shop 7 18-26 Wellesley Street, Auckland 1010 opened in March 2014.
- KiwiYo, Botany Town Centre, 588 Chapel Rd East Tamaki, Auckland, opened in 2013.
- KiwiYo, Sylvia Park, Auckland, opened in 2013. The last review was in 2015.
- KiwiYo, CBD – Lorne St, Auckland.
- KiwiYo, 27 Beach Street, Queenstown 9300, opened in 2014.
- KiwiYo, 23 Cameron St Whangarei 0110, was located at The Strand Shopping Centre and may have closed in 2019.
- KiwiYo, 47 B Tay Street, Invercargill, 9812, was renamed Sugar in 2019. Sugar is an ice cream shop that also serves waffles, boba tea, milkshakes, and desserts. This branch opened in 2015 and had the same owner as the Pita Pit next door.
- KiwiYo, 369 Andersons Bay Road, Dunedin, 9012, opened in 2014 and was active on Instagram from 2018 – 2019. It was next to Pita Pit, so we’re guessing they had the same owner. Pita Pit is still open.
- KiwiYo, The Base Mall, D1/, Maahanga Drive, Te Rapa, Hamilton 3200, opened in 2014 and closed in 2021.
- KiwiYo, 1-7 Wesley St Shop 7, Pukekohe Plaza, Pukekohe 2120, opened in 2015.
- KiwiYo, Ray Emery Drive, Māngere, Auckland 2022, opened at the Auckland Airport in 2014.
- KiwiYo, 719 Whangaparaoa Road, Stanmore Bay, Whangaparāoa 0930, opened in 2014.
- KiwiYo, 74 Clyde Road, Browns Bay, Auckland 0630, Browns Bay opened in 2014. The last IG post was in 2015.
- KiwiYo 1 Leyton Way, Manukau City Centre, Auckland 2104, opened in Manukau Mall in 2014.
- KiwiYo mobile called YoMobile launched in 2014.
- Snowberry, 329 Albany Hwy, Auckland 0632, opened in 2015.
- SoYo, 55 Main North Road, Papanui, Christchurch 8052, opened at Northlands Shopping Centre in Christchurch in 2021 and is no longer listed in the Northlands Shopping Centre online directory.
- White’s & Co, 44 Te Ara Tāhuhu Walking Street Auckland, 1010, was a counter-serve frozen yoghurt shop that opened in 2012 and may have closed in 2020. The most recent review was posted in 2019.
- Yo & Co, 10 Prince Avenue, Mount Maunganui, Tauranga 3116, was a counter-serve dessert deli offering NZ real fruit ice cream and pure frozen yoghurt made onsite, savory and sweet waffles, crepes, and French toast. It may have opened in 2014 and closed in 2020.
- YoFroz, 69 Mokoia Road, Birkenhead, Auckland, was a self-serve froyo shop that opened in 2013 and closed in 2014 or 2015.
- Yögg, 55 Tamaki Drive, Mission Bay Auckland 1071, was a self-serve froyo shop that opened in 2012. The last IG post was in 2013.
- Yögg, 490 Pakuranga Rd, Pakuranga, opened in 2013.
- Yogoberry Waffle Café, 290 Queen Street, Auckland, was a self-serve froyo shop that opened in 2012. The last FB post was in 2015. Yogoberry also served waffles, ice cream, and drinks. It did not appear to be related to the Yogoberry chain in Brazil.
- Yoghurt Culture, 42 Remuera Road, Newmarket, Auckland 1023 first opened in 2013 and the last IG post was in 2016.
- Yogurberry, 42B High Street Auckland 1010, was a branch of the multi-national chain that was founded in South Korea. The Auckland location opened in 2014 and seems to be closed because the parent company was dissolved in 2017.
- Yogurberry, 7 Hurstmere Road, Takapuna 0622, opened in 2013 and may have closed in 2017.
- Yogurberry, 202 Broadway, Newmarket, Auckland, may have opened in 2014.
- Yoghurt Story, 166/174 Queen St Auckland Central Auckland 1010, was the first YS to open in Auckland in 2013. Yoghurt Story was self-serve and had 22 locations at its height. All the locations had closed by the end of 2016, the year the Auckland District Court found the company guilty of violating the Fair Trade Act 1986. Yoghurt Story’s “yogurt” did not contain yoghurt, so the claims they made about the health benefits of their product were deemed false and misleading.
- Yoghurt Story, 6 Wellesley Street Auckland 1010, was the second YS to open in Auckland in 2013.
- Yoghurt Story, 44 Clyde Road Auckland 0630, opened in 2013.
- Yoghurt Story, Mccrae Way, Auckland 0600, opened in 2013.
- Yoghurt Story, 277 Queen St, Auckland 1010, opened in 2013.
- Yoghurt Story, 61 Clyde St, Browns Bay, Auckland, opened in 2013 and liquidated in 2015.
- Yoghurt Story, Westcity Henderson, Waitakere, opened in 2014 and closed in 2015.
- Yoghurt Story, Devonport, Auckland, opened in 2015.
- Yoghurt Story, The Palms Story CHCH, opened in 2015.
- Yoghurt Story, 277 Newmarket, opened in 2015.
- Yoghurt Story, Dress Smart Store, opened in 2014.
- Yoghurt Story, 49 Tamaki Drive, Mission Bay, Auckland 1071
- Yoghurt Story, Christchurch, Northlands Shopping Centre, opened in 2014.
- Yoghurt Story, North City Shopping Centre, Porirua, Wellington, opened in 2014.
- Yoghurt Story, Tauranga Bayfair shopping centre, opened in 2014.
- Yoghurt Story, 340 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland, opened in 2014.
- Yoghurt Story, Papanui, Christchurch, 8052
- Yoghurt Story, 501 Victoria Street, Hamilton Central, Hamilton 3204
- Yoghurt Story, 10 Worley Pl, Hamilton, New Zealand, 3204
- Yoghurt Story, Riccarton Road, Christchurch
- Yoghurt Story, Lower Hutt, New Zealand, had reviews in 2017.
- Yoghurt Story, 13 Bunny Street Lower Hutt 5011, had reviews in 2019.
- Yogorino, 350 Queen St, CBD, Auckland, opened in 2013. It was part of the Italian chain that was established in 1993. However, the owner decided not to emphasize the Italian theme.
- Yogorino, Westfield St Lukes, Mt Albert
- Yogorino, 68 Hurstmere Road, Takapuna
- Yolicious, 22 Stoddard Road, Wesley, Auckland 1041, was a self-serve froyo shop that opened in 2013 and may have closed in 2015.
- Yo Pick, 428 Victoria Street, Hamilton, Waikato, was one of three Yo Pick self-serve froyo shops and may have been open from 2013-2015.
- Yo Pick, 1170 Amohau Street, Shop 14 Central Mall, Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, may have been open from 2014-2015.
- Yo Pick, Shop T29 Center City, New Plymouth, Taranaki, may have been open from 2014-2015.
- YoWay Frozen Yoghurt, Shop 4, 47 Customs St, Auckland 1010, was a self-serve froyo shop in Auckland that opened in 2013 and closed in 2014.
To see the froyo shops of New Zealand, visit our board, Froyo in New Zealand.
Did we miss any froyo shops in New Zealand? If so, let us know.
