More than 25,000 cups, or about 800 gallons, of Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt were given away at a special customer appreciation event on Oct. 12, 2010, in honor of the chain receiving numerous awards throughout the Western United States. A total of 85 stores in California, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona joined together to offer customers a free yogurt from 6:00 p.m. to closing.
The 100-unit chain recently won the top award in the Orange County (Calif.) Register’s annual “Best of OC” reader survey in the “Best Frozen Yogurt” category. Golden Spoon has also recently won the “Best of San Diego,” “Best of Las Vegas,” “Best of Long Beach,” “Best of Coachella Valley,” “Best of Santa Clarita Valley,” and “Best of South Bay,” and OC Weekly’s “Best Enduring Frozen Yogurt Phenomenon.”
“We couldn’t think of a better way of showing our appreciation for our loyal customers than giving away free yogurt,” saiys Golden Spoon founder and President Jeff Barnes. “For the past 30 years, our fans have known that we hold our standards high and focus on making great-tasting yogurt. We were delighted that so many of them came by on October 12 to share in the celebration.”
Various stores held special celebrations, including one in Orange, California, where more than 1,200 free cups of yogurt where given away. Owner Dan Finch hosted a yogurt-eating contest, a cheerleader “Cheer Off,” and appearances by Golden Spoon’s own “butler,” Stewart Smythington III, and Miss Orange 2011.
In Irvine, California, near the University of California Irvine campus, the line stretched 50 people deep from 6 p.m. on.
Founded in Orange County, California, in 1983, Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt was one of the first frozen yogurt brands, helping to establish legions of frozen yogurt devotees. Since then, the small local favorite has steadily grown into an international chain with more than 100 locations and a huge loyal following surpassing that of many higher profile players. Headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, Golden Spoon locations can be found in California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Japan, and the Philippines.
Billed as “the classic frozen yogurt,” Golden Spoon has outlasted many of its competitors. The yogurt is made from fresh California Grade A milk, with a taste and creamy texture much more like ice cream than typical frozen yogurt – hence why it was originally known as “the ice cream lover’s frozen yogurt.” Having ice cream’s rich taste without all the fat and calories has made the treat a hit with today’s more health-aware eaters. Golden Spoon also pioneered the concept of closely replicating the taste of popular dessert favorites like “Pumpkin Pie,” “Peanut Butter Cup,” “Toffee Bar” and “Chocolate Malt” at a time when competitors produced mostly fruit flavors. It was one of the first chains to create a large selection of over 50 rotating flavors, most of which are nonfat, and continues to introduce new flavors like “Tart Mango,” “Pomegranate Blueberry” and “Graham Cracker.”
The devotion among its fans is remarkable because of the company’s low-key approach to sales and marketing. With its image carefully guarded by the original founding family, its reputation up until now has been spread mostly by word-of-mouth, rather than expensive advertising campaigns. Many customers grew up with Golden Spoon, and have since introduced their friends and families to it. Golden Spoon focuses upon the quality standards of its products and service to attract customers.
