From Vacant Storefront to Community Gathering Place: Froyo & Fido Gives Back More Than $10,000 in Its First Three Months
Simi Valley, CA, July 08, 2026 --(PR.com)-- For nearly a decade, a storefront in the Wood Ranch Shopping Center sat vacant. Today, it's home to Froyo & Fido, a frozen yogurt shop that has quickly become one of the community's gathering places.
When owner Karen Abram opened Froyo & Fido on April 10, she hoped the grand opening would introduce the shop to the community.
Instead, more than 2,000 people came through the doors that first day.
"We wondered if it was simply opening-day excitement," Abram said. "It wasn't."
Three months later, families gather after baseball games. Kids celebrate milestones. Neighbors stop in after walking their dogs. Local schools, sports teams, and nonprofits have made Froyo & Fido part of their fundraising efforts. Teenagers are getting their first jobs. Together with its customers, the business has given back more than $10,000 to the community.
What began as a neighborhood frozen yogurt shop has become a place where families gather after baseball games, students celebrate milestones, neighbors reconnect after walking their dogs, and local organizations find a partner committed to giving back.
"We opened hoping to create a place where people could enjoy frozen yogurt and leave a little happier than when they arrived," said owner Karen Abram. "What I never expected was how quickly Froyo & Fido would become woven into the fabric of the community. The support we've received has allowed us to give back in ways we could only dream of when we first unlocked the doors."
In just its first three months, Froyo & Fido has:
- Donated more than $10,000 back to the community through weekly FUNdraisers.
- Supported local schools, youth sports organizations & families experiencing hardship.
- Celebrated 1,000+ local 5th & 8th grade graduates with complimentary frozen yogurt.
- Served more than 1,000 Pup Swirl Cups to local dogs.
- Created moments of joy through games of Rock/Paper/Scissors, sticker hunts, giveaways, and monthly community challenges.
- Provided meaningful first-job opportunities for local teenagers, helping them build confidence, responsibility, and customer service skills.
Before opening Froyo & Fido, Abram spent her career designing products and customer experiences for companies including Nissan, Sony Electronics, Universal Pictures, and Lionsgate before founding and selling a real estate technology company. She says opening Froyo & Fido has reinforced a philosophy she's carried throughout her career:
"The best experiences aren't defined by the product," Abram said. "They're defined by how the experience makes them feel.”
As National Ice Cream Day approaches on Sunday, July 19, Froyo & Fido is celebrating not just frozen yogurt, but the community that transformed a long-vacant storefront into a place where kindness, connection, and giving back happen every day.
About Froyo & Fido
Froyo & Fido is a locally owned frozen yogurt shop located in the Wood Ranch Shopping Center in Simi Valley, California. Built around the belief that frozen yogurt is simply a reason to bring people together, the shop offers rotating frozen yogurt flavors, more than 50 toppings, Pup Swirl Cups for dogs, weekly community fundraisers, and a welcoming environment for families, neighbors, and visitors of all ages.
Media Contact
Karen Abram
Owner, Froyo & Fido
949-295-4918
Instagram: @froyo_and_fido
Fast Facts
- Opened: April 10, 2026
- Location: Wood Ranch Shopping Center, Simi Valley
- Storefront: Vacant for nearly 10 years before Froyo & Fido opened
- Grand Opening: More than 2,000 visitors on opening day
- Community Giving: $10,000+ donated back in the first three months
- Weekly FUNdraisers: Every Thursday supporting local schools, youth sports, nonprofits, and families in need
- 1,000+ local 5th & 8th grade graduates celebrated with complimentary frozen yogurt
- 1,000+ Pup Swirl Cups served
- Mission: Building community through kindness, creativity, and meaningful first-job opportunities for local teens
Previous Coverage
VC Star: Froyo Shop Opens in Simi
VoyageLA: Rising Stars – Meet Karen Abram of Simi Valley
When owner Karen Abram opened Froyo & Fido on April 10, she hoped the grand opening would introduce the shop to the community.
Instead, more than 2,000 people came through the doors that first day.
"We wondered if it was simply opening-day excitement," Abram said. "It wasn't."
Three months later, families gather after baseball games. Kids celebrate milestones. Neighbors stop in after walking their dogs. Local schools, sports teams, and nonprofits have made Froyo & Fido part of their fundraising efforts. Teenagers are getting their first jobs. Together with its customers, the business has given back more than $10,000 to the community.
What began as a neighborhood frozen yogurt shop has become a place where families gather after baseball games, students celebrate milestones, neighbors reconnect after walking their dogs, and local organizations find a partner committed to giving back.
"We opened hoping to create a place where people could enjoy frozen yogurt and leave a little happier than when they arrived," said owner Karen Abram. "What I never expected was how quickly Froyo & Fido would become woven into the fabric of the community. The support we've received has allowed us to give back in ways we could only dream of when we first unlocked the doors."
In just its first three months, Froyo & Fido has:
- Donated more than $10,000 back to the community through weekly FUNdraisers.
- Supported local schools, youth sports organizations & families experiencing hardship.
- Celebrated 1,000+ local 5th & 8th grade graduates with complimentary frozen yogurt.
- Served more than 1,000 Pup Swirl Cups to local dogs.
- Created moments of joy through games of Rock/Paper/Scissors, sticker hunts, giveaways, and monthly community challenges.
- Provided meaningful first-job opportunities for local teenagers, helping them build confidence, responsibility, and customer service skills.
Before opening Froyo & Fido, Abram spent her career designing products and customer experiences for companies including Nissan, Sony Electronics, Universal Pictures, and Lionsgate before founding and selling a real estate technology company. She says opening Froyo & Fido has reinforced a philosophy she's carried throughout her career:
"The best experiences aren't defined by the product," Abram said. "They're defined by how the experience makes them feel.”
As National Ice Cream Day approaches on Sunday, July 19, Froyo & Fido is celebrating not just frozen yogurt, but the community that transformed a long-vacant storefront into a place where kindness, connection, and giving back happen every day.
About Froyo & Fido
Froyo & Fido is a locally owned frozen yogurt shop located in the Wood Ranch Shopping Center in Simi Valley, California. Built around the belief that frozen yogurt is simply a reason to bring people together, the shop offers rotating frozen yogurt flavors, more than 50 toppings, Pup Swirl Cups for dogs, weekly community fundraisers, and a welcoming environment for families, neighbors, and visitors of all ages.
Media Contact
Karen Abram
Owner, Froyo & Fido
949-295-4918
Instagram: @froyo_and_fido
Fast Facts
- Opened: April 10, 2026
- Location: Wood Ranch Shopping Center, Simi Valley
- Storefront: Vacant for nearly 10 years before Froyo & Fido opened
- Grand Opening: More than 2,000 visitors on opening day
- Community Giving: $10,000+ donated back in the first three months
- Weekly FUNdraisers: Every Thursday supporting local schools, youth sports, nonprofits, and families in need
- 1,000+ local 5th & 8th grade graduates celebrated with complimentary frozen yogurt
- 1,000+ Pup Swirl Cups served
- Mission: Building community through kindness, creativity, and meaningful first-job opportunities for local teens
Previous Coverage
VC Star: Froyo Shop Opens in Simi
VoyageLA: Rising Stars – Meet Karen Abram of Simi Valley
Contact
Froyo and Fido LLC
Karen Abram
(805) 395-6836
www.froyoandfido.com
Karen Abram
(805) 395-6836
www.froyoandfido.com
Contact
Categories