| Location |
| 231 E Street , next to Peet's Coffee |
| Hours |
| Store Hours |
| 11:00 a.m. - 11 p.m. Daily |
| Winter hours: (beginning 11/14/11) 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m. (11 p.m. Friday/Saturday) |
| Phone |
| (530)758-5555 |
| Website |
| CultiveYogurt.com |
| Owner |
| Ross Hanstad |
| Established |
| 2007-10-20 as "Swirl Frozen Yogurt" |
| Name changed 2008-07 |
| Price |
| $0.39/oz |
| Payment Methods |
| Cash, Visa, Mastercard, Aggie Cash, Davis Downtown Gift cards |
Cultivé Frozen Yogurt (formerly known as Swirl Frozen Yogurt) is a locally owned business that serves frozen yogurt with live and active cultures. It is now self-serve with 10 flavors at all times that always include: 4 to 5 tart flavors, regular flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, cake batter, peanut butter, etc., and a dairy-free sorbet. There are also 65+ topping options that include 8 fresh fruits and 11 different sauces. For current flavors, check out http://www.twitter.com/cultivedavis.
The business name was changed in 2008 after Pinkberry claimed the "Swirl" name was too similar to their trademarked phrase, "swirly goodness," according to the Davis Enterprise. Pinkberry also claimed that the leaf used in Swirl's logo was too similar to the leaves used in Pinkberry's logo. Cultivé has the famous Pineapple Dole Whip in their sorbet flavor rotation. Dole whip is a popular nonfat, lactose-free soft serve dessert most notably found at Disneyland, Disney World and the Dole Plantation in Hawaii. They also have the other Dole Whip flavors in rotation--strawberry, mango and raspberry.
Customer rewards cardCultivé is the only yogurt shop in Davis that carries two types of plain tart -- Original Tart and Euro Tart. The difference between Original Tart and Euro Tart is that the Original Tart is smooth (more sugar=smaller ice crystals=more "creamy" melting properties) while the Euro Tart is icier, which makes the tartness more pronounced. Original Tart is 90 Calories per half-cup serving; Euro Tart has 4g less sugar and 1 g less protein per serving, which makes the ET 70 Calories per serving. To put this number in perspective: 20 Calories = 5 plain M&M candies or 2 peanut M&M candies.
Reading the following lists shows that the main compositional difference is that Euro Tart has skimmed yogurt powder. The two have different ingredient orders, and may have different "natural flavors."
Original Tart ingredients: Pasteurized and Cultured Skim Milk, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Whey, Nonfat Dry Milk, Natural Flavors, Food Starch, Carrageenan, Pectin, Citric Acid. Contains the following active cultures: S. Thermophilus, L. Bulgaricus, L. Lactis and L. Acidophilus.
Euro Tart ingredients: Pasteurized and Cultured Skim Milk, Water, Sucrose, Corn Sweetener, Corn Syrup Solids, Nonfat Dry Milk, Skimmed Yogurt Powder, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Modified Food Starch, Carrageenan, Pectin. Contains the following active cultures: S. Thermophilus, L. Bulgaricus, L. Lactis and L. Acidophilus.
Country Vanilla (Not Tart): Pasteurized and Cultured Skim Milk, Sucrose, Corn Sweetener, Whey, Nonfat Dry Milk, Natural & Artificial Vanilla Flavors (Caramel Color Added), Milk Protein Isolate, Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Mono & Diglycerides, Annatto (color). Contains the following active cultures: S. Thermophilus, L. Bulgaricus, L. Lactis and L. Acidophilus.
- Gotta love ice cream, gelato, or frozen yogurt on a hot Summer day!
2008-07-19 19:06:43 No matter what it is called, this place is great. I think Pinkberry needs to get over itself. —themichelle
2008-08-06 22:14:37 why did they change the nameeeeeeeeeeeeee! argh. —PalakKapasi
2008-08-06 22:15:05 Well, i guess i read the description and i know why...but it's still DELIcious!!!!! —PalakKapasi
2008-08-07 11:18:08 That is the most ridiculous thing I have EVER heard. Pinkberry needs to relax!! —grrr
2008-08-14 02:12:52 that sucks that swirl had to change its name pinkberry needs to simmmmmmmmmmer down like congeeeeee —hannah.lee
2008-08-17 22:24:41 I say we protest the Pinkberry- what snobs. This place is GREAT! —passiton
2008-08-18 19:52:27 Not too happy with them... I went in yesterday to get some yogurt for my kids only to be told that I couldn't get kid sizes without my kids. Hello... it was a surprise!!! Then after explaining the situation, they still insisted I get the larger size (extra $$$). When I asked for 2 green tea's, they said they were out. My kids don't like the plain flavor so I was forced to get one of the "specialty" flavors (extra $$$). I asked since they were out of the flavor I wanted, were they still going to charge me the extra $$$ for the mango flavor, and guess what... they did. As I was paying, he shorted me my correct change, and looked irritated when I pointed it out. As we were leaving, he told the girl he was working with that I didn't even tip after everything he had to do for me. What a @#$% up ending to a good day. —Aaron.Curtin
To follow up... the owner (Ross) called to apologize for what happened. I honestly feel that he was sorry, and I appreciate the call. This was a one time thing that by no means is the norm at Swirls/Cultive. My family and I will still continue to get yogurt here on a regular basis. —Aaron.Curtin
It seems to me that the owner is a straight savage when it comes to good customer service, I recall a post they made on the wiki stating if you ever have any comments questions complaints here is my work/home/ AND cell don't hesitate. Right then and there I decided to hit up cultive instead of yogurt shack when I get around to trying them —StevenDaubert
2008-09-24 21:53:46 I went in just now and tried the yogurt. First, the place was packed, clean, and the service was nice, friendly and fast. The girl who prepared the yogurt went out of her way to be fair and nice, awesome. The frozen yogurt was just about the worst frozen yogurt I had ever had. Anyways, the yogurt was just very sweet. Absurdly sweet. I really thought Ben+Jerry's yogurt was much better, it was a lot more smooth. The yogurt base was fine but it was just too sweet. I was disappointed. I went with a friend and he concurred. Sorry. Great Service. Horrible Yogurt. Any advice? Did I just get a bad batch or something? —nid
2008-09-28 20:10:43 1. I love the plain yogurt. Its so good! 2. I want to contact them with a couple of questions/comments, but their website doesn't have any web/e-mail contact information. Anyone know how to contact them other than by phone? —LaurenMcNees
2008-10-07 10:30:57 I'd still like to see organic toppings and biodegradable plastic spoons. —ZN
2008-10-28 18:05:29 the yogurt was great even though it makes me want to puke when it starts melting but it's so good that i keep craving it. when i went in recently i had the asian male as my cashier and he was not too pleasant/friendly. my friend agreed. —skinnyfatgirl
2008-11-01 20:07:58 I've had the asian male cashier several times too and he was most unpleasant. I try to avoid him when going there, but just as my luck would have it, I always end up having him taking my order. Other than that, this is my favorite yogurt place! I would take this over ice cream any day. —Colleen
2008-11-05 11:09:04 I had the mango/orange and it was very good and refreshing. —DagonJones
2008-11-05 21:42:34 Yogurt is mediocre. Credit card fraud not so good. I went there twice this last month and on my credit card statement received 8 charges (4 on each of the two days I went). Three were for the same amount, and one on each occasion was for 50 cents different. Same exact scheme both times. I am currently resolving this dispute with Bank of America's Fraud division. I would advise anyone who has eaten here recently to scrutinize their credit card bill. Seriously. When I found out I was livid! —dannyg
See the Owner's reply below, I use my credit card here all the time and never had a problem. CC fraud is a pretty harsh accusation, you might want to check whether or not the charges were immediately credited to your account. Companies do this all the time, it's not intentional. —KellyM
I am the owner of Cultive Frozen Yogurt and we had a problem recently with one of our cash registers batching credit cards which caused an error on two days. Our credit card company caught the mistake and IMMEDIATELY refunded the cards that were charged. If you look at your statement you will see that this has been corrected and I can assure you that we are an honest family running an honest business. I apologize for the inconvenience and worry this has caused and would be willing to take care of this issue in whatever way you think is fair. By the way, your false accusations are way out of line and are 100% false. The word "libel" might come to my mind and if it hasn't it will soon enough
Ross Hanstad
2008-11-08 18:39:01 This is my favorite yogurt place ever. I discovered Pinkberry when I was down south and fell in love with it, and was sad there was no equivalent up here. When Cultive opened in Davis, I was ecstatic. I actually like this place even better than Pinkberry because I like the special flavors, most notably Pomegranate and Blueberry. And the mochi toppings are delicious. I've already gone through one frequent buyer card and making good progress through my second. —DiLane
2008-11-20 14:42:28 I've tried their Plain and Green Tea flavored yogurts and they are dee-licious. I've tried the blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, and some sort of sweet, white tiny-marshmallow-shaped topping that reminded me of Botan Rice Candy. All wonderful! The prices are great, considering the size. The small size for me is almost like a meal, or at least a nice fulfilling snack/dessert. :) And unlike with ice cream, I never feel sick afterwards.
I second the request for biodegradable plastic spoons. —gurglemeow
2008-11-20 17:52:32 Customer Service? I give it a 1. I went in their the other day really excited to redeem my free yogurt, I had my stamp card all filled out. There was a line and I got to the front and waited to sample some of the different flavors. I don't know why but people behind kept getting helped before me, and finally I had to ask someone if I could get a sample. I didn't exactly get the most pleasant look, but fine, I got my samples and was happy. Then I went to the register and made my order. The girl went on to tell me my total, then I said "Oh I have my card for a free yogurt." She snapped back and said "Next time tell me BEFORE that you have a card because I have press a different button." I'm sorry, how am I supposed to know how your operations work? I'm tired of being treated by cold customer service there. —SarahDavidson
2008-11-20 21:39:43 I am on my fourth card, I go there a lot. The yogurt is great, but the customer service is terrible. It seems like every time I go there, I receive a different amount of yogurt, even though I always order a large... The employees take my order, do not smile or talk, and most recently have been giving me less and less yogurt. Last week, I went with one of my friends. I ordered a large with three toppings, and he ordered a medium with three as well. We sat down and I realized that we had basically the same amount of yogurt. Why was I paying more? Although yolo berry and yogurt shack yogurt don't taste as good, there employees always have a smile, and are happy to give you samples. I would recommend that cultive get new employees. —JeffLL
2008-11-22 16:44:23 This place is amazing!! I just went there for my first time and it has to be just about the most delicious thing ever. And it doesn't hurt that its super healthy either :) —Clifton2007
2008-12-15 23:20:03 I tried every yogurt place in Davis, and my taste buds choose Cultive! The original yogurt flavor here is more tart than sweet, which is the way I like it. I'm glad their "special" flavors now cost the same as the regular and green tea. —geezlouisexyz
2008-12-16 02:40:09 Euro Tart is the shit, I go here all the time just to ask for more Euro Tart. MMMMMMMMMM and Cultive is way better than Swirl, I'm glad PinkBerry got involved. —GregWebb
2009-01-14 00:43:50 There are other good yogurt places in town, but Cultive's yougurt is of good quality and consistent in taste and texture. When I first tried this place, I thought that it was what "real yogurt" should taste like. Some people don't like the taste, but those who do really do! —AmanpreetSingh
2009-02-20 22:39:55 god i really hate this place...i'm not coming here agian —psanchez
- Most helpful review ever. —KellyM
- Over on the Yolo Berry Yogurt page, psanchez enjoyed "a cheesecake and cake batter mix flavored ice cream with cookie dough, cheesecake bits, mochi, cherry pie filling, hot fudge, white chocolate sauce, and it was the best!" So yeah, I'm guessing that Cultive is not his thing, but if the above doesn't sound appetizing to you, I'd take it with a grain of salt. —matthewpearson
2009-03-16 22:16:47 My favorite here is Mango, but the other day they were out of it, so I got peach instead. I honestly couldn't tell the difference, but that just might be my tongue's fault. I think they added some other flavors too, one called Eurotart or something. I sampled it, but the taste just didn't make sense to me. Still a great refreshing treat, and one of my favorite dessert places in Davis. —BrookeB
2009-04-12 20:08:16 This place has the best frozen yogurt in Davis. It has a tarter flavor, which is way better than Yogurt Shack. The toppings are wonderful. I especially like the fresh fruit and the mochi :) —littlemissfashion
2009-04-13 21:52:11 I hate Mochi. —Penelope
2009-04-16 22:25:32 Hello Ross, I have a complaint about one of your employees.
I have gone to your store three times in the past two weeks and I have been greeted and helped by the same girl. First I thought that she might be having a bad day, but apparently she has just been having a bad month or something. She is very rude to customers. She does not smile- in fact, she looks down-right combative. She acts like she's annoyed with the fact that she's there. The last time I went in, she slapped my credit card down next to her after she swiped it through the register and had me reach across the counter to get it back (instead of returning it to me or putting it anywhere remotely near me, which I was taught, during my time in food service, is the appropriate way to return a customer's credit card). She basically has no customer service skills. Please have a discussion with this girl about her attitude. I am sure that you did not hire her so that she could hone her skills at being a little bi-tch, but that is essentially how she conducts herself.
This girl is Asian and short in height with short hair. From what I gather, she is part of a sorority called Sigma Omicron Pi (otherwise known as S-O-Pi). She works at nights, because I only go in the evenings close to closing time, and she seems to always be there. Please let her know that her behavior is not only unacceptable, but, frankly, it is pathetic and class-less. Perhaps she should not even be working there if she is so unhappy with her job that she takes it out on customers who keep your business running. Thanks for your time.
Respectfully, Jess —JessKL
2009-06-01 01:47:29 Please bring back the Mango... pretty please. —KimN.
2009-06-01 08:57:24 This place is great, well the yogurt is great! The place itself you don't want to spend time in, but that's the way most of these places are anyway. I liked the name swirl a lot better it was just cute, cultive sounds snobby; oh well. pinkberry sucks it's like swirly goodness from a dogs behind. —belles
2009-06-10 22:30:14 I love this place!!! I will never eat any other ice cream except for this anymore! :D —littlemissfashion
2009-06-17 12:35:55 Reallllly yummy, especially the green tea flavor. It's the only reason I come back to this joint. —strawberry
2009-07-15 11:54:02 Some coworkers and I visited this place for the first time during lunch one day. The yogurt was tasty , but the girl working the counter (Asian, short to medium height) was extremely rude. She looked at us as if she would rather that we not be there, and when my coworker innocently asked what the difference was between two bins of "chocolate chips", replied, "That's NOT chocolate, it's CAROB." I have to admit her snootiness was somewhat entertaining, as we all imagined her saying "stupid" after her little statement. We still make jokes at work about her lack of proper customer service skills (for example, "They requested a CBC on that blood sample, STUPID"), but will probably never visit this place again. —StefanieC
2009-07-16 20:59:39 This yogurt joint is a scam. They basically give you an over-sized cup and fill it half-way. In this economy, it couldn't be more of an insult. I actually made a comment about this at the counter and both the server and cashier were indifferent. This may sound somewhat abrasive, but I really hope they don't stay in business. People who do not practice good customer service and who do not treat their customers with respect do not deserve to stay in business. Thanks anyway, but I'll take Ben and Jerry's or one of the other yogurt shops in Davis over Cultive ANY DAY. —katietakara
2009-07-27 03:08:08 this place is awesome.. i always get the original tart with a serving of strawberries whenever i'm in town. and also i would like to add the customer service there is great. why? it's because i don't waltz into cultive demanding a "king's ransom" like most of you. the lines might be long at times but remember the people behind the counter are also human and they are college students. so let's all just get our yogurt, smile and be on our marry way! remember original tart with a serving of strawberries! (: —naichangas
2009-07-28 12:21:06 Cultive (AKA Swirl) is superb! We've been there over a hundred times (literally) and have always left happy. Ross is very honest. I think his staff serves by weight, not volume. We love the tanginess and freshness; now can't tolerate the uber-sweet and rainbow-colored stuff served elsewhere in Davis. My only complaint is that I get dizzy (i.e. seasick) every time I look at the white swirly wall, so that we always eat our yogurts outside. How about replacing it with some artwork, maybe something by local artists/schoolkids/customers? —Chamoudah
2009-08-04 00:35:09 Flavors are interesting. Blueberry and Mango are great. Prices are a bit high but acceptable for a once-in-a-while treat. Server was helpful and asked if my friends and I needed flavor samples. Mochi got a bit too sweet after I got half way into my small sized cup. Will be returning. —BenLee
2009-08-14 15:31:05 This place is great. My only complaint is that the chocolate doesn't seem to be on their regular rotation of flavors. It was unexpectedly great - please bring it back! —lemurific
2009-09-02 19:33:51 i love this place =] i love how it's so clean
btw, yoloberry is overrated, the only reason i think it tastes good is because of the ridiculous amount of sugar, the store looks tacky, and just sounds like it changed its name from PINK-berry to YOLO-berry, if anybody's name changes, it should be yoloberry —emme
2009-09-08 12:26:06 I absolutely LOVE Cultive. They have a great selection of the usual flavors and always delicious new exotic flavors. I quite frankly am not too bothered with the service, and think the employees are generally friendly. Of course, I also go there for yogurt, and it's the best yogurt in Davis, so I couldn't care less about the service as long as it's a clean establishment and provides the yogurt I expect. All the other yogurt places are just full of sugar and don't have that refreshing taste. I also don't understand the hype about yoloberry, their tart stuff is awful and icy and everything there is just as sweet as the yogurt shack. I want real frozen yogurt not ice cream. True, cultive may be a bit more expensive, but their quality of yogurt is far superior to the others. —smoh
2009-09-12 21:15:25 I've seen this comment about the sugar in Yoloberry's yogurt both here and on the Yoloberry wiki page. I really wish people wouldn't spread rumors without checking their facts. Comparing the nutritional facts on the YoCream and Cultive web sites shows that Yoloberry's original tart yogurt actually has 1g less sugar per 1/2cup serving than Cultive's tart yogurt. YogurtShack doesn't list their nutritional information online. —MonicaWilliams
2009-09-26 15:52:00 Great healthy yogurt. The staff is friendly and the price is always right. Very clean and professional. I love the decor because it still retains the charm of the original. My only complaint is that I wish they also had a location in Seal Beach and Hawai'i!! The Mango yogurt is my favorite. I will keep coming back. —GarySaylin
2009-09-26 20:13:50 I much prefer Yoloberry's vanilla with hot fudge. The vanilla at Cultive seemed bland and the hot fudge wasn't hot. —JimStewart
2009-09-28 08:44:17 Their newly remodeled place is great. Neat, inviting and organized. Plus, they have all my favorite flavors: Mango, green tea, eurotart and original. I'm always reverting back to these four no matter how many times I tell myself to try something new. I definitely love how they got rid of the portion size and changed it into self-serving. It's definitely a change for the better and WAY cheaper than before. I never made it for the free yogurt from 3-6pm on their grand opening, but paying less than $3 for a full size is not bad either. No wonder I almost filled out a whole stamp card.
My one complaint though is that one time, the green tea yogurt came out of the machine a bit watery. I think the machine must have been recently refilled so not enough time passed for the consistency to be up to par. It was just disheartening to see melted green must on swimming in the bottom of my cup. But hey, this was only one time. I love this place! —KimN.
2009-10-02 12:09:23 Oh, the heartbreak! I have been a consistent fan of Cultive since it opened & have really appreciated the top notch quality of the yogurt & toppings. There are lots of other yogurt places in town but this one stood out for sheer quality -never had better yogurt. They remodeled, and now... why did a remodel change things so much for the worse? The yogurt seems the same, the same toppings are still available, but with the added bank of CRAP toppings & SH*T syrups & the serve-yourself mode, the whole thing has come to feel more or less the same as all the other yogurt places in town. Maybe the serve-yourself contributed to something else I never noticed before, which was a kind of shabbiness to the place - spills, scattered toppings & garbage around the floor, etc. Why? Why? —Dora5
2009-10-12 22:38:04 looooove this place. the green tea flavor froyo is the only reason i come back. —strawberry
2009-10-16 22:18:06 i love cultive...it's my favorite frozen yogurt place in davis. it's the only one that has a good variety of REAL yogurt flavors...and the green tea in particular keeps me coming back! though i just recently went and discovered it changed to self-serve...i like the extra flavors and toppings, though i was sad to discover that green tea isn't an every-day flavor. though the taro it was replaced with was almost as good, so i was still satisfied. also, the pumpkin pie one is great! not the actual cultured yogurt flavor but still delicious! —KTFreeman
2009-10-20 01:54:26 I love Cultive! VERY Tangy! However my heart will always be with YOLO BERRY! But this Place is 2nd I promise. I think there should only be TWO FRO YO places in Davis and those are YOLO BERRY and Cultive. HATE Yogurt Shack, that place needs to Leave. —Macco
2009-10-27 16:35:35 Hi Macco, Thanks for liking our tart flavors but I would not want people to get the wrong idea about Cultive. Cultive is now SELF-SERVE with 10 flavors at all times. We usually carry five tart flavors as well as five traditional flavors that always include Chocoalte, Vanilla and a Dairy Free Sorbet. We have 65+ toppings at all times that include 7 to 10 fresh fruit offerings and 4 different flavors of mochi. To check our flavor list and to keep up to date with our "FREE YOGURT" giveaways just check out cultiveyogurt.com
Thanks for your support!
Ross Hanstad —RossHanstad
2009-11-08 14:33:13 very happy about the switch to self serve, this is the best place when craving a tart yogurt but the pricing wasn't competitive with yogurt shack or yoloberry. Now it is and I just checked, they will honor competitors stamp cards. yay! —OliviaY
2009-11-08 20:52:53 If you like the type of frozen yogurt they serve here, just go to yolo berry.....same delicious taste, more toppings, and less expensive. —mrandmrs
2009-11-10 18:08:02 0.38/oz! The yogurt here is so much better and taste better than the other yogurt places, I think it can be a little bit more expensive per ounce than others. A part of me wishes it didn't change from it's previous practices, but cheaper prices just means i'll be going more often. Thanks for the quality yogurt and toppings, I hope the quality never changes. —BamCam
2009-11-16 10:31:29 I only come back for the green tea flavor. —strawberry
2010-02-04 22:41:38 My boyfriend and I came here yesturday because I had been craving froyo all last week. It's nice that it is right next to Chipotle because we can get lunch and then just stop by afterwards for a quick dessert before going back to school. The froyo is a bit more runny than I would like but otherwise it's really yummy. I don't know why I prefer it over Yoloberry but I like their flavors more than Sugarplum's. I like the environment, although it's always empty when I go. For some reason, it just seems "sterile", and being a sort of germaphobe, I really like that. —snsdgee
2010-02-04 22:46:58 Oh, and I also loved how they had a sorbet flavor. —snsdgee
2010-04-23 14:52:27 Their sorbet flavors are to die for! Except the watermelon, that one is kinda nasty. —TR
2010-09-11 22:52:01 I checked this place out for the first time today and liked it a lot. The employees were extremely friendly, and the yogurt and toppings were delicious. I'll definitely be hitting up the 25 cent Mondays/Tuesdays in the future. I love the variety of tart flavors (incidentally, anyone know the difference between Classic Tart and Euro Tart?). It'd be nice if they put out a pitcher/jug of water. They'll get you a cup of tap water if you ask (a paper yogurt cup, but it's nice and big!), and are cool about it. —TomGarberson
2010-09-17 00:56:31 i LOVE this place esp mondays and tuesdays! <3 but yolo berry is good too if you like the park.. but if you feel down-towny.. here is a good choice :) —sallythatgirl
2010-10-20 19:39:12 A VERY nice group of people work at Cultive. Since they have opened I have been always treated well and go nowhere else in Davis for FroYo if I can help it. —FlavioOppenheimer
2011-05-02 13:37:03 I love the Greek Style yogurt —MischaGushiken
2011-06-08 01:57:52 We love u guys! best frozen yogurt spot in town and service to match! Never again will I settle for any other spot in Davis cause Pinkberry is wack and Sugarplum is cheap! Cultive fo life!!!!Word! —JaneDo
2011-06-08 10:05:15 This is my favorite Froyo in Davis. Mango and Lychee are the best, but unfortunately not always available. This is the only place in town that seems to have flavored coconut jelly as a topping. —DagonJones
2011-08-16 16:43:46 Now that Cultive is self serve, it has become one of my favorite places to indulge myself with froyo. They have a decent selection of flavors, and best of all, I love their COUPONS (which for some reason the other froyo places in Davis do not have). Always check out their deals, you will save quite a bit.
I wish they had green tea flavor every week though. —PaulV
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