While we were tracking the temporary closures of frozen yogurt shops around the world due to the coronavirus, we also noted that some shops permanently closed. Many of the owners cited the effects of the pandemic as the reason for closing their doors or selling their business.
The first coronavirus-related permanent closure that we heard about was Menchie’s Lincolnshire Commons in Lincolnshire, Illinois which first opened in 2015. The shop announced a temporary closure due to the coronavirus, which became permanent on April 11, 2020.
We wanted to share our list of permanently closed shops to remember and honor those shops. The shops are in alphabetical order.
Closed permanently due to coronavirus pandemic:
Arch’s Frozen Yogurt, Charlottesville, VA, has closed for good. The last FB post was in January 2019 and the last photo from someone else on March 9, 2020. The Cavalier Daily reported Arch’s closure in July 2020. Arch’s was a UVA (University of Virginia) favorite and the home of the Gooey Brownie. Originally full service, they made the switch to a self-serve froyo format in 2013.
California Yogurt Factory, Foothill Ranch, CA: The last post, dated May 21, said that the shop was closed due to the coronavirus. Yelp says its closed permanently. CYF offered self-serve froyo. We did not find a closing announcement.
Chill’d, Conifer, CO (announced closing but no specific date given): Locally owned and operated, Chill’d was opened by froyo lovers seeking to bring a healthy treat to Conifer back in 2018. As the only froyo shop in the small town of Conifer, Chill’d expanded the menu to offer boba drinks, cookie dough, coffee, smoothies, shakes, froyo cakes and pies, and acai bowls.
Di’lishi, Athens, GA announced the permanent shop closure on May 24. As part of the Di’lishi franchise, the Athens location offered self-serve froyo made with real yogurt, smoothies, a full coffee and tea bar, fresh yogurt and fruit. Here’s part of the closing message, “We opened our doors in August of 2014, and for multiple reasons, we are unable to keep our business open any longer. It has been a wonderful experience, and we are so thankful for all the love and support our community has shown us since the very beginning. From all of the incredible employees (you know who you are!) to the loyal customers, if you played a part at di’lishi, you will never be forgotten.”
Feeney’s, High Point, NC closed on July 31, after 10 years in business. The owner posted the following message on Facebook, “It is with deep personal disapointment that after ten years it is necessary to close our High Point location. Last operational day is July 31, 2020 till the yogurt runs out! Please come and load up on some yummy FroYo!! To our High Point General Manager, Debbie and all our employees, your dedication and hard work will never be forgotten — Thank You! To our High Point customers, Thank You for your loyalty and support. Please visit our Greensboro location 1603 New Garden Road. We promise your extra effort will be rewarded with the very best FroYo served with smiles and in a sanitary environment! Thanks again for supporting a local business! – Colleen Hodges”
Froyoz, Cedar Park, TX was profiled on our site in June. Froyoz was a small family-owned business in Cedar Park, Texas. It was started 7+ years ago and it gained the reputation as the community’s “best dessert shop,” known for being fresh, clean, and friendly. Froyoz had a 4.5 rating on Yelp and 4.6 rating on Facebook. The closure was announced on April 29.
Jandy’s Frozen Yogurt, Rome, GA was a self-serve froyo shop with a mobile unit. The shop turned 9 on March 2, 2020 and announced a “temporary” closure on March 16, 2020. The temporary closure became a permanent closure.
Menchie’s Genie Place (Smyrna, TN) opened in 2011. We did not find a closure announcement. It closed during the pandemic.
Menchie’s Kohler, WI announced its permanent closure on May 13, 2020 after announcing its temporary closure on March 17. In the final message, the owners said, “With the current pandemic, and the uncertainty in the future, we cannot find a way to operate our store and be successful. We would like to thank all of you for your loyalty and support over the past 7 years.”
Menchie’s, Lincolnshire, IL opened in 2015 in Lincolnshire Commons and was the first to announce its permanent closure due to the pandemic.
Menchie’s, Solon, Ohio closed some time in June. The closure was announced by the Cleveland Jewish News. It seems to have opened in 2015.
Menchie’s Summit Woods (Lee’s Summit, MO) will close on August 15. The closing announcement said, “We are very heartbroken to announce this, but August 15th will be our last day open. Due to the effect of COVID-19, we no longer will be able to stay open. Our goal has always been to make you smile. Since May of 2017, we sincerely hope that every time you entered our store, we made you smile at least one time. Now during these unusual times, we ask you to go and make others smile! It’s been a privilege to serve not only Lee’s Summit, but others in the KC community. We do ask that if you have any gift cards, please come use them by the 15th! We love you with all of our hearts. The friendships that we made through our store are ones that will last a lifetime. THANK YOU.”
Menchie’s Willowgrove, Saskatoon, Canada temporarily closed due to the coronavirus and that closure became permanent. Menchie’s still has a shop in Saskatoon on 8th St. E.
Muddy Monkey, Richmond, IN announced the self-serve froyo shop was closing on July 9. In addition to frozen desserts, they offered doughnuts and beverages. The closing message said, “It is with heavy hearts that we have decided to close Muddy Monkey. It was our hope to sell so the business remained thriving in the community. However, with the uncertainty and challenges COVID19 has brought us and our community this has not happened. Our final day will be Sunday, July 19th. We appreciate every one of you that have supported us through this part of our story. Muddy Monkey has been such a blessing to us, as we have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people through the Wayne County community and beyond. I cannot say Thank you enough to those who have served alongside of us as part of our team over the last 5 ½ years. Working with and learning alongside some of the greatest youth in our community. I will be forever grateful to the parents who are raising such outstanding individuals and allowed us to be a part of their lives. That blessing was unexpected and has impacted my life more than you know. It is never easy to close a chapter in our lives. I am learning transition is a way of life, and if we do not get great at shifting, we risk missing out on what God has in store for us next.”
Muggle Shakes in Colleyville, Denton, and Fort Worth, Texas: Muggle Shakes started in Fort Worth and was known for offering elaborate creations, froyo shakes served in mugs with sweet toppings like unicorn horns, rice krispies treats, and marshmallow fluff. All three locations closed on June 28. In the closing message, the owners said, “We wanted to take this time to thank all of our amazing customers, family and friends for all the love and support. You have no idea what this once in a life time experience did for our family the last 4 years. Our kids learned work ethic, sacrifice and team work. We learned what it means to to do something with your whole heart with out fear knowing the possibility of failure! We have learned how much it takes for small business to succeed and have a special place for all those out there, we want you to know that you have our full support! We loved celebrating all the special moments with you and meeting your sweet families. We loved that we were able to bring you smiles with our product and that you loved it just as much as we did! We know this won’t be the last of Muggle Shakes, so please continue to follow us for future announcements (think mobile).”
Orange Leaf, Austin, TX closed the South Shore District location on June 19. The announcement said, “Due to the situation with COVID we had to permanently close this location.” The Avery Ranch location in Austin, Texas remains open.
Orange Leaf, Overland Park, KS announced a temporary closure due to the pandemic on March 17. The shop originally opened in 2011. The business was sold to a Yogurtini franchisee and will be converted to a Yogurtini.
Peachwave, Brookfield, CT opened in 2013. The last post on their FB page was made on June 27 to announce the reopening. There was no closing message.
Peachwave, Kalamazoo, MI opened in August 2016. On June 25, the owners posted this message, “After much deliberation we have decided to close our doors. As the impact of Covid-19 is being felt by many we are no exception. We appreciate all of the support over the past 4 years and wish you all well!”
Slusheeland, Tarzana, CA was the 2nd outpost of Slusheeland. Slusheeland replaced YoBoLand, a froyo & boba shop in 2017. Slusheeland specialized in Mexican style snacks and desserts, including slushies, shakes, raspados, shave ice, nachos, tamarind chamoy covered apples, Dole Whip and froyo. Slusheeland was going to be replaced by PS I Love Boba and offer many of the same treats and froyo, but it became Pokemotto, a poke eatery instead. And no, Pokemotto does not serve froyo.
Smile Yogurt, Sha Tin, Hong Kong closed because the lease expired. The final day of business was May 31, 2020. Four branches of Smile Yogurt remain open in Hong Kong.
Spice Isle Froyo, Grenada was Grenada’s first self-serve froyo shop. It might have been the only frozen yogurt shop. The permanent closure was announced on May 14. The closing message said, “Spice Isle Frozen Yogurt is closing its doors after 6 years. We are very sad that we have to go. All good things always come to an end but we always thought of ending with the big Free Froyo party. Unfortunately, Covid-19 happened and it set us back. Being faced by this pandemic and all the restrictions that it has caused, we see it fit that it’s time that we close our doors.We are not happy that we did not get a chance to say a proper goodbye! You were not just our customers, you became our friends and felt like family. The late nights and early mornings, you were there to support us. Thank you to our team, past and present, you’ve contributed to our success Thank you, family and friends, we had a great 6 years!”
Spoon Me Yogurt, Orange, CA opened in July 2017, offering self-serve frozen yogurt, boba drinks and crepes. The closing sale started on July 5, 2020. The closing announcement said, “Thank you for all the support and the opportunity to serve you and get to know the community and hear such amazing stories for the passed few years! We will miss you all so much!”
Spoonlickers, Grand Rapids, MI (2 locations) sold its brand, recipes, and equipment to Sprinkles Donut Shop in mid-June. The owner of Spoonlickers said that he made the decision based on the impact of the coronavirus and the build your own dessert business model. This must mean that Sprinkles will offer froyo?
The Spot, Kauai, Hawaii in Kapa’a was the second location. It opened in 2017. The shop served made-to-order organic soft serve, smoothies and acai bowls. The good news is that the Princeville location will reopen.
sweetFrog, Asheboro, NC announced its permanent closure on April 24. The closing message said, “We’re sorry to announce that we will close permanently on Sunday April 26th, 2020 (last day of operation). Thank you for all of your support and patronage through the years! You will be missed Asheboro North Carolina!” The shop opened in 2015.
Swirl Fiesta, Riverside, CA offered self-serve froyo and Mexican desserts and snacks. The permanent closure was announced on June 4 but the owners are hoping to reopen at another location soon. They gained fame for their colorful elote and esquite. The closing message said, “It is with a heavy heart that we want to let you know that @swirlfiesta is permanently closed at our current location. Thanks to all our customers that have been supporting us some from day 1 we appreciate it 🙏🏽 it’s been an amazing journey this past 4 years.”
The Swirl & The Pearl, Hanover, NH was next to the owners other business, Noodle Station. The Swirl & The Pearl was a self-serve frozen yogurt bar. The Valley News reported on June 4 that both Noodle Station and The Swirl & The Pearl would not reopen. The owners also posted a closing message, “It is with heavy hearts that we have to inform you all that we have decided to permanently close Noodle Station/ The Swirl & Pearl. We want to thank you all for seven wonderful years of business.”
Taste and See, Granbury, TX was a self-serve salad bar and frozen yogurt shop. It was established in 2017. The closing message said, “We are making a life style change! Although Covid has created difficult situations for so many people including us, Covid has given us more clarity than we have ever had in regards to family. Running a restaurant is a 24 hour a day job. We love our business and we had a great first year. We have spent much time in prayer and decided that we wanted a different life style for ourselves. We are grateful for the precious times, memories we share with each of our patrons and the impact made in the community by giving back through our mission of the month. We love you all! We ask for your prayers and continued support as we move forward from here.”
TCBY Cranberry Township, PA served Cranberry Township for nearly 10 years. It was a self-serve location. The Cranberry Eagle reported the closing on May 6: “As the pandemic and the state’s economic downturn aligned with the end of TCBY’s 10-year franchise agreement, the Vanasdales decided not to renew their contract. The couple believes it’s time to find a new appropriate tenant.” The final day was May 9. The closing message said, “TCBY Cranberry has appreciated serving all of you the best yogurt and treats for almost 10 years! With gratitude for your business and friendship we will be serving you safely delicious TCBY yogurt one last time this Saturday, May 9 from 2 pm until supplies last. We will be following CDC mitigation measures and provide preselected yogurt cups for each person in your vehicle. You will simply drive up to the curbside of our store and we will provide the yogurt cups that we prepared.We will also be collecting donations for Gleaners food bank in Cranberry Township, Saint Vincent de Paul food bank in Butler, and The Lighthouse Foundation food bank serving northern Allegheny County and Butler County. Our staff and volunteers will be available to accept your drive-through contributions when they provide you with the yogurt cups. We are very proud and thankful to all of our employees over the years. Two of our employees, Makenna Laffey and Jessica Osselborn, have been with us since high school and will be serving you safely one last time this Saturday. Makenna was a freshman in high school when she helped us open the store and now she is a freshman at Pitt Medical School. Jessica was also in high school when she first started working for us and now she is earning her Master’s Degree in Health Services Administration at Robert Morris University. A lot of goodness has been a part of TCBY Cranberry! We enjoyed sponsoring many community events and will miss serving TCBY yogurt to the kids on local fields and our friends at local church fish fries. We thank all of you for a great almost 10 years! Although our store will be closing, we will forever cherish the opportunity to serve the community that we all love.”
TCBY/Mrs. Fields Cookies, Hot Springs, AR announced plans to permanently close in mid-August after 9 years in business. The closing announcement posted on July 28 said, “With heartfelt consideration, we have decided to close our TCBY/Mrs. Fields doors. We would sure like to blame everything on COVID and it’s restrictions amongst small businesses, but that wouldn’t be fair. While that weighs HEAVILY on our decision, so does the fact that Cody is now an EMT and will start furthering his schooling in August. We have made some wonderful friends over the past 9 years and had some very faithful customers. We have enjoyed making every cake and appreciated every sale. We will forever be grateful to all of our employees. Without them, our doors would have closed a long time ago. This community is absolutely amazing!!!”
Top That Frozen Yogurt’s (Glendale, AZ) final day of business was July 28. The closing announcement said, “We fought as hard as we could for as long as we could to try and get through this incredibly difficult time. Unfortunately, we have to face the fact that it just isn’t possible anymore. We are very sad that it has to end this way, but we are so grateful for the love and support we have felt from this community over the last 6.5 years.”
Tutti Frutti, Oxnard, CA has closed and the space is being taken over by another self-serve froyo shop, Yogurt Creations. The shop is located at the Center Point Mall.
YaYa Best Tex Mex Yogurt, Dallas, TX opened in late 2018 in Bishop Arts and garnered attention for its art displays made out of froyo cups and creative Tex Mex froyo flavors, offered in a self-serve format. Trademarked flavors included Grandpapa Chocolate, Corny Corn, Homemade Horchata, Gentle Jalapeño, Chamoy, Mysterious Guava, Tarty Tamarind and more. Culturemap Dallas reported that “founder Ralph Isenberg, who was recently hospitalized with diabetes, says that, “given my age and and underlying medical conditions, I just do not feel safe opening back up.”
Yogi Berry, Fresno, CA closed on July 27, 2020. The self-serve shop opened last year.
Yo Momma’s Frozen Yogurt, Voorhees Township, NJ has permanently closed as of June 14, 2020. The closure was announced on June 4. The closing message said, “As a very small business, we have struggled since mid-March, first closing for 6 weeks and now open for 5 weeks trying a full service menu with little success. Unfortunately, we don’t see our self-service model being allowed or widely accepted for some time, and we can’t continue to operate at such a significant loss while we wait out the uncertainty.”
Yo Zone, Beaverton, OR was a family owned and operated independent self-serve froyo shop that opened in May 2011. The owners envisioned “developing and creating a store that would have wonderful products, caring customer service, a comfortable environment and a consistently excellent experience for all.” The closing announcement was posted on July 25, followed by a closing sale. The owners posted, “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closing of Yo Zone. In April we would be celebrating our 10 year anniversary.”
Yogotogo, Kaysville, UT was a self-serve froyo shop that turned 10 years old this year. On April 23, the owner posted, “It is with a heavy heart that I have to announce ..we are shutting our doors for good! Thursday, April 30th will be the last day we are open! If you have purchased gift cards, Please come use them before next week! I can’t thank you guys enough for the support! I’ve met some amazing people and to my cute workers, you have been the best! Love you all so much!”
Yogurtopia, Dearborn, MI opened in June 2013. In May, the owners announced that Yogurtopia would not reopen. However, they have a new project in the works. “Enter The Great Commoner. This is a brand new project we have been developing for well over two years at the Wagner project on Michigan Avenue. We have the prime corner in the building that was built in 1896! The menu promises to be everything we were forced to leave behind and more! In addition to great desserts, you will be able to enjoy full breakfast, lunch and dinner service, as well as quick grab-n-go items and gourmet coffee (trust us, you’ll want to try this stuff – it’s not your average mud). We have been endlessly laboring over every detail of the menu and interior, and are ready to get back to work as soon as this lockdown is lifted. We wish we had better news regarding Yogurtopia, but are excited to see you all at the newest spot in West Dearborn very soon. Thank you all for your continued support.”
The shops that closed varied greatly in terms of age (a few were 10 years old) and location. Some were franchisees and most were independently owned and operated. A few were sold and may continue to offer frozen yogurt from the same location. Lease expiration was cited in a few cases, but most attributed the closure to the coronavirus and the difficulty of the self-serve model during the pandemic.
Did we miss any shops? Send us an email at info@internationalfrozenyogurt.com with the shop name and location and we’ll add it to our list.
