Yoppi Yogurt

My coworkers and I have been looking for pearl milk tea in Palo Alto for a while now. I guess we haven’t been looking hard enough because judging by the reviews, Yoppi Yogurt has had milk tea for a while now…
Anyway, we walked by and saw the banner/​posters announcing that they now have milk tea and of course we had to try some.
They have around 10 – 15 different flavors, I decided to try the normal milk tea with pearls since it was my first time there. There was only one person working here so it took a long time to get our orders in and paid for, and then for her to make them. The tea was not bad though, I’m sure I’ll be back since there are not many options in Palo Alto.
They also have gelato and yogurt (obviously) which I haven’t tried yet, but I did notice that they had a large selection of yogurt toppings.

Another froyo gelato place on Uni. I think the thing that is different is that they also serve boba drinks which I was really in the mood for this afternoon but… apparently the boba machine was broken. So I decided to get some gelato instead which was OK.
They have iPads that are available for customers to use which was cool. Before you get too excited, they are bolted down. Always appreciate outdoor seating which was available for people watching.

Not a huge fan of the texture of Yoppi’s froyo– it was very runny/​goopy. It seemed somewhat melted, but seemed to have a very creamy texture akin to traditional sweet froyo. I didn’t try many flavors, but of the ones that I did, I would recommend sticking to tart fruit flavors. I tried a cookies n cream flavor that was so nasty I had to spit it out immediately. The lychee and mango tart flavors were pretty good, if you ignored the off-​putting texture.
If you’re hankering for froyo, I’d recommend heading a few blocks east on University to Yogurtland instead.

Decent pearl tea. Mango tea with pearls is a good choice

Terrible ambiance but the frozen yogurt itself was very delicious.
No napkin holders, wobbly tables and chairs, sketchy toppings in the back.
BUT cookies & cream and peanut butter yogurts were the best I’ve had and the heathbar and mochi toppings were nice and fresh. Nice service to boot.

Maybe the yogurt here is good. Maybe the gelato is worth trying. Perhaps the bubble tea with regular tapioca pearls would have made my day.
But, alas, I decided to try the mango pearls in my bubble tea drink. I’m a bubble-​tea-​aholic and am thrilled that boba is available here (thus, 2 stars awarded). I can love just about any textured beverage, but this was disgusting. The bubbles are not chewy at all, but instead had the feel of red caviar … a firm, thin outer layer pops and the fake flavoring pours out from within. Eeeew!

used to be red mango. but i don’t know what happened to them. the new décor is a bit awkward…
yogurt was too watery and the flavor was way off. too tart. too sour.
the topping wasn’t so great. the fruit wasn’t fresh. and the counter was run by a sweaty guy. everything was wrong…
the gelato was decent. oh and bottled water was delicious just because it was a very hot day.
sigh this (or red mango) used to be the place where i hung out with friends late at night in the summer.

Probably one of the worst yogurt spots I’ve ever been too.
I’ve been here twice now and it always just seems like the place is barely functioning. It could be super busy and I see one person working.
The two flavors I wanted were both super watery! The consistency was totally off so I ended up getting something I don’t really care for. The toppings area was super messy and there was NO FRUIT! It was all candy junk… Is it really that hard to chop up some fresh fruit?
I liked this place better when it used to be Red Mango. I don’t like this chain/​franchise. It’s pricey too! There’s nothing worthwhile about it, so don’t waste your money here.

prices have gone up and quality has gone down. i swear the last time i was here, the yogourt was $.43/​oz and now it’s $.45???
i sampled the cookies n’ cream, not bad, but it melted pretty quickly, even the small amount in the sample cup. then i sampled the cake batter, and it came out like soup. not only was it liquified, but it was extremely sweet.
i was not impressed with the samples, hence decided to pass and not make a purchase.
an hour or so later, when i passed by the store, i saw the sole employee sitting on a chair outside, just chillin’, which made me wonder, who is manning the cashier and taking care of business inside?
i’m a little scared to come back here again…

My boyfriend and I like to have a treat night every Wednesday as something to look forward to during the week and to give us a bit of a push to the weekend.
We decided to visit University Avenue since there are many choices to choose from. We decided to give Yoppi Yogurt another try. When we get there, we find that the door was locked. On the window, the business hours are printed that they close at 11 pm on Wednesdays. So, we tapped on the window and alerted a man by the counter that the door was locked. He approached the door to tell us that they are closed. It was 9:35 pm. That’s not even close to 11 pm. He then pointed to the fine print that hours vary during winter. It’s is March 28, 8 days after spring. Nice try. He then proceeded to explain that it’s «cleaning night» that’s why they closed early. Huh. I thought it was best business practices to perform maintenance, inventory, etc during non-​business hours.
Well, looking at other posts, I don’t think my experience is an exception.

I do like Yoppi Yogurt and I’ve met the owner before– he was super nice. However, yogurt is only edible if the store is open during the hours it says it’s going to be open. Business hours state that it opens at 11 AM. Well, the 2 times that I’ve been there at 11:10 and 11:25– it was not open. I knocked on the door and the kid inside said «well, we normally are open at 11, but I came in late». Alright, I’ll let it go the first time– but the second time? They need to hire people who are going to be at work ON TIME so the yogurt is ready at 11! Not «uh…well you can wait 15 minutes». I don’t have time for that.
Besides that– the yogurt is good.
(note: I realize it says winter hours may vary– but we’re nearly into April here– it’s technically spring)

The regular milk tea with boba is decent (3 stars). Would not recommend the jasmine milk tea as it has been bitter on multiple occasions.
The tea (both regular & jasmine) is heavier than most places. Not sure what they put in it. Yoppi’s PMT is nothing like Tea Era or Verde PMT, but it’ll meet my boba needs when I can’t get down to Mtn. View.
Their gelato tastes good, but it’s not real. It tastes like softened ice cream.
The extra star is for the employees’ personalities. Sometimes you can catch them rocking out around the store and in the kitchen. Makes my day every time.

This place had a very Asian theme to it and come to find out it is a chain from Asia. With Yogurtland down the way, this place is a good alternative for those who like a more low-​key scene. The prices are a bit higher and the yogurt, in my opinion, just the same.
The difference is however, the toppings are located in the back and you stick spoons into the jars. I’m sure sure this is the most sanitary way to do it and I like having an employee watch over the toppings. That way, nothing fishy happens.
I had the Pumpkin Pie flavor and it was awesome!

43 cents per ounce?!! So expensive compared to 33 cents across the street at Yogurtland. But they do have ice cream too on top of their yogurt selection. I did like the cool lights inside, but not sure why they’re trying to make the yogurt shop a club? Kinda cool though.
The chocolate yogurt is EXCELLENT, and the best flavor they’ve got. The «sugar-​free» strawberry banana was like tasting some plastic chapstick or something — ew gross, don’t eat it. The lychee was pretty good.
The girl working there is nice and a good employee. The guy working there was texting on his cell phone when we got there and knocked over all the sample cups when we asked for one. Then after touching all of them, he simply put them back to hand out for the next customers. Not the best hygiene? What killed it for me was when he stepped onto the counter near the toppings section with his extremely filthy dirty tennis shoes to fix a light. If you’re going to do that, please place a towel under the area you will be stepping, or wear cleaner shoes. The lack of hygiene was a huge turn off. I don’t want to eat at a place that openly displays such unsanitary conditions. Why would I want to test my stomach like that?
If it hadn’t been for those instances, we probably would have paid more for the chocolate yogurt.

BLEH let me tell you, walking an extra 30 seconds (assuming you are an aggressive j-​walked like I am) across the street and down the block for Yogurtland is more than worth it. There are more flavors, better flavors, cheaper yogurt, better quality yogurt, AND promotional Hello Kitty spoons. What more could you want in life?
The late Red Mango was definitely more of a value add to the beautiful Palo Alto downtown area. Maybe they should think of a different place to put there, because as long as Yogurtland is still around there is NO way anyone would return to Yoppi after making the mistake of going there once. Take it from me.

Yoppi is a new comer onto the Palo alto downtown froyo scene but it’s definitely a contender.
When they first opened, the yogurt was terribly runny. But since then the texture and consistency have greatly improved. Their yogurt is comparable to other yogurt stores. One time at yoppi I watched as one of the employees handcut the fruit toppings to refill the fruit station.
Yoppi is more expensive than other similar self serve yogurt stores like yogurtland. This price difference definitely plays into where I decide on yogurt.
Despite this difference I find yoppi better than Yogurtland because of the atmosphere. The employees are more helpful and engaging at yoppi and have better customer service. Yoppi is also a more comfortable place to sit and enjoy your yogurt and often see people sitting and talking with their friends.
I recommend yoppi over yogurtland because of the friendly atmosphere and helpful staff. The handcut fruit and attention to the customer will make me continue to go to yoppi.
*TIP* yoppi let’s you vote on next weeks flavor! First green apple, then mango tart (nom nom nom), next week?

its rare that i am ever in palo alto, but i actually had a good experience at yoppi.
i asked for some sample cups–
The tart yogurt is amazing. Usually, i stay away from tart yogurt, but yoppi’s is way better than any other tart ive tried.
i was in the mood for vanilla though, which was great– it doesn’t leave a yucky after taste. thumbs up on the tart and vanilla
No idea why this has 3 dollar signs. This is a frozen yogurt store, not a 5 star gourmet restaurant.
the walls are empty and blank for now, but apparently they will be decorated sometimes later this week.
I dont undersand why almost all the reviews are bad. Give em a break, they are brand new and just opened.
Anyways,
Im coming back to yoppi the next time i am on university ave
i got 30% off too.

Yoppi takes over the red mango spot. they also sells gelato (3.25, 4.25). just opened about a week ago. limited seats at the windows and along the walls.
froyo availability:
–cookies & cream
–yellow cake batter
–peanut butter: peanut butter taste, not too sweet
–cappucinno: coffee taste
–pomegrate tart
–signature tart: pretty sour, tart
–classic chocolate
–french vanilla
pricing: .45@ounce froyo & toppings, 31ish dry toppings in bins and silos on shelf across from froyo machines, 12ish wet toppings in counter next to register.
frodrips:
–30% off until grand opening day (2 weeks)?
–taylor froyo dispensing machines, customized apo cups
–froyo texture not firm, a little soft
–froyo machines handles seem stuck, some hard to manuever
–voting for next week’s froyo flavors possible.
–flavors not as memorable as before.

Red Mango put up a sign that said «remodeling» but went away and now a Yoppi Yogurt is here.
If you remember NYC circa 2007, there were 2 Starbucks across the street from each other. If you read «Onward» by the founder of Starbucks, he says he opened too many stores too soon. I mean, people can just cross the street. So 2 Starbucks across the street from each other had a tough time working — and they had the same product at the same price.
Yoppi has the same product as YogurtLand, but 50% more expensive. Again, people can really cross the street. Honestly, it’s a pleasant easy walk in Palo Alto.
I tried 3 flavors
— Signature tart — very very good
— Sugar free Boyseberry — terrible
— Pomegranate tart — ok not great
3 stars for the overall yogurt (4 stars for the signature tart, 2 for the others, so overall 3). 1 more star deducted for the silly price vs. YogurtLand for the same quality and less selection.
And allow me to vent for a second. The store’s signs say «Gourmet Frozen Yogurt» — gourmet for me has a meaning, like Evvia being «gourmet Greek» or Kaygetsu being «gourmet sushi» — but this is just what everyone comes to expect from Pinkberry, YogurtLand, etc. Yoppi is not higher end or better than them, so I was turned off by the whole «gourmet claim».
Summary — you do realize YogurtLand is across the street, and that you can walk there in 30 seconds from when you are in front of Yoppi, right?

ow many yogurt joints can downtown Palo Alto have? well it looks like it might be saturated as new ones are taking over old ones. Seems like Red Magno made a mad exodus out of NorCal and this one is now Yoppi. As Yogurt Queen Unilocaler Loila S, states, one of the machines is down. They have crazy topping dispensers and they also serve gelato. Got a swirl of original tart plus pomegranate which were fairly tasty, though some might not like the icy texture which Im ok with. Looks like they’re going mano a mano with Yogurtland across the street. 3.5 stars