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Past peak froyo? Downtown Crossing froyo place melts down
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Their yo wasn't fro enough.
Their froyo was always drippy and melty as it extruded from the dispensers.
I liked Fresh Mango on Bromfield St., they're gone too now.
it's been
That's been gone for at least a week now. I was by there last week and saw it all closed up.
I've always failed to see how these places can stay afloat in places with seasons (So FL, So Cali.. sure). Especially places that have winter. Yeah you'll get the few that DO want something sweet N frozen in the winter (other than snow) but probably not enough to make payroll and rent.
Business Model
I don't know the business model but I've got figure the operating costs are low enough that even with few sales you can generally afford the single low-paid employee plus keep the machines running at the slow times of the year. That's the theory at least.
These Froyo places seem to come and go pretty rapidly -- I can think of several which have closed plus plenty of others which have opened. I always wonder if someone poured their life savings into one hoping to be their own boss only to find things didn't work out as they dreamed.
Peak hipster trends?
Peak hipster trends?
I don't think it was hipster
But it fits into the same category as cupcakes and juice bars. Flash-in-the-pan trends that were over once everyone and their dog thought they could do it.
hm.
I work downtown and I don't even think I knew this was there.
The Froyo Place in Coolidge Corner
near Starbucks is closed too. And I think it was a different chain, so guess the trend is over?
That was Yogurtland, who had
That was Yogurtland, who had three locations in the area. (Coolidge, Harvard Square, and one on Newbury St.) I was actually a fan of Yogurtland because unlike some other yogurt stores their scales always seemed to round down and the price I paid was lower than I always expected. I racked up like 9 free ounces in rewards there and the day I went to go finally use it, Yogurtland had completely pulled out of Boston and closed all its stores at once lol. Oops. They retreated back to San Francisco it seems.
Chill in Cleveland Circle is still open, staffed by BC kids, as is Pinkberry in South Station, Prudential, and Newbury St.
Hey, we got Shake Shacks now.
Sixteen Handles is open right
Sixteen Handles is open right across the street (next to Trader Joe's) and always looked busier than the now-closed froyo place next to the Starbucks. Plus you have JP Licks just a few doors down from there, it was kinda an overload.
I just hope this space won't
I just hope this space won't stay vacant like the old Qdoba right next door. I work right over there and the lunch variety is getting old. Plus I'm tired of seeing empty storefronts—too many in DTX.
Qdoba is like the Rite Aid of burritos.
The bigger, more successful chains are everywhere, yet Qdoba felt it had to compete. So they open two doors down from Chipotle. Then closed six months later (and still paying rent for the spot)
I agree the food choices are pretty dismal. Two of the biggest disappointments are Pret-A-Manger and Paul. Pret has the same sandwiches every single day and Paul is more of an expensive bakery. But if you think DTX looks bad now,you should have seen it 5 years ago. It was a ghost town. At least life has finally come back to the area.
Froyo in Davis Square
Long long ago, we had a place called The Yogurt Bar & Co. It eventually became Denise's Ice Cream and is now a JP Licks. Which does sell some froyo, but that's obviously not their main business.
During 2012-13, Davis Square had three froyo places open in a 13-month period, all within one block's walk. iYO Cafe is still there and still has froyo, but has become more of a coffee and sandwich place. Orange Leaf, a national chain, still seems to be doing well with its formula. Pinkberry turned out to be one froyo shop too many, and it closed less than a year after it opened.
Read about it all here: http://davis_square.livejournal.com/tag/froyo
Fro Yo Tappas?
Could it be a thing?
Frogurt
Does the Frogurt come with a free topping?