Apparently no one will be getting Yogurt Crazy now on Third Avenue

[June 2012]

Signs went up for an incoming Yogurt Crazy last June on Third Avenue between 12th Street and 11th Street ... replacing the hardware store that closed in January 2010...

However, there was never any craziness... Last month, we spotted a "rent demand" letter on the door from landlord NYU ... Per the letter, signed by Peter Min, director of NYU's Lease and Acquisitions, Yogurt Crazy owes $37,134.87 "for rent and additional rent" through Feb. 28.

Last Monday, we spotted more legalese papers taped to the door...

And now, someone has removed the Yogurt Crazy signage....



So! Let's do a quick FroYo recap. A Twister self-serve frozen yogurt shop is in the works on Second Avenue near East Seventh Street. The Yogurt Station remains closed on St. Mark's Place ... the NLYU Yogurt on First Avenue near East 10th Street closed after just a few months in business.

Oh! That Yooglers froyo place opened on Broadway near East 10th Street about a month or so ago. Never noted that...



Before the building housing Yooglers was torn down to make way for luxury condos, the address was the last home to New York City's unofficial poet laureate Frank O'Hara. Read more about that at Jeremiah's Vanishing New York.

East Village FroYo craze lives on, apparently

Over on Second Avenue near East Seventh... there's a new tenant for the former Spa Belles location ... A Twister self-serve frozen yogurt shop...

Here's the description of one from Long Island:

Twister Frozen Yogurt is a family-owned and -operated, self-serve frozen yogurt shop. It features an ever-rotating selection of 16 flavors, including low-fat and sugar-free options, as well as sorbets. The toppings bar stocks 40 toppings, including fresh fruit, nuts, hot fudge and more.

Meanwhile. The Yogurt Station remains closed on St. Mark's Place ... the NLYU Yogurt on First Avenue near East 10th Street closed after just a few months in business... And there's still no sign of the Yogurt Crazy shop on Third Avenue.

The state of national retailers in NYC; Dunkin’ Donuts tops the list again

The Center for an Urban Future released its 10th annual State of the Chains report in late December... here are some cut-n-paste highlights ... (the full report is here)...

The tenth annual ranking of national retailers in New York City ... shows a 1.8 percent increase in the number of store locations over last year. Though this is the ninth consecutive year with a net increase in national chain stores across the five boroughs, the growth was limited to a relatively small number of retailers.

In a year in which the challenges facing brick-and-mortar retail have burst into view, this report finds that New York’s national chains are not immune to the pressure. Although food establishments continue to show strong growth, retailers that compete most directly with online outlets — such as shoe and electronics stores — have experienced significant contractions.

Overall, a fifth of all national retailers in the city closed stores in the past year, and only one-in-seven retailers on our list increased their footprint — the smallest share since we began keeping track a decade ago.

For the ninth consecutive year, Dunkin’ Donuts tops our list as the largest national retailer in New York City, with a total of 612 stores, a net increase of 16 stores since 2016 — and 271 since 2008. But this year there is a new retailer in the second position on our list: MetroPCS now has 445 stores in the five boroughs, adding 119 locations over the past year and surpassing Subway, which is now third, with 433 stores.

Fast-casual dining chain restaurants in the five boroughs increased 105 percent over the past decade, from 141 to 289, while the number of fast-food restaurant chains grew 14 percent, from 1,107 to 1,261.2 And there are now 952 chain coffee shops in New York, 65 percent more than a decade ago, led by Dunkin’ Donuts. Food-related chains are responsible for 41 percent of the growth in national retailer locations in New York over the past ten years, the most of any category.

And...

In reviewing the past decade for New York’s national retailers, one thing is clear: the growth of restaurants and food retailers is leading the charge.

The number of coffee chains expanded 65 percent since our first chains report was published in 2008, powered by the expansion of Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks, as well as local chains like Joe Coffee. During this ten-year period, chain coffee shops added 621 locations, more than any other category. Dunkin’ Donuts alone grew 79 percent.

The number of fast-casual dining chain restaurants in the five boroughs has more than doubled in the past decade, from 141 to 289. The growth of fast-casual chains like Chipotle and Chop’t is in addition to the growth in fast-food restaurants.

The number of chain bakeries — such as Le Pain Quotidien and Panera Bread — has more than tripled over the past decade, from 55 to 161. This is in addition to the growth in fast-casual chains.

Chains that specialize in frozen yogurt, such as Red Mango and 16 Handles, have expanded 283 percent — the largest growth rate of any retailer category. In 2008, there were 12 chain yogurt stores, and today there are 46. However, the city seems to have reached peak yogurt in 2014, with 57 chain yogurt locations.

[A]fter years of growth, chain pharmacies have begun to contract. Chain pharmacies, which include Duane Reade/Walgreens, Rite Aid, and CVS, lost 53 locations since last year and now have a total of 588 locations. This number is just 1 percent above the number of chain pharmacy locations in 2008. This is largely because Duane Reade/Walgreens has been consolidating locations since its 2010 merger and is closing 600 locations nationwide in preparation for a major acquisition of stores from Rite Aid.

Starbucks has more stores in Manhattan than any other national retailer, with 223 locations.

You can find the 2016 report here ... and 2015 ... 2014 ... 2013...

Speaking of Dunkin' Donuts, the one at 250 E. Houston St. between Avenue A and Avenue B will no longer be open 24/7, per the door signage...

Will Bleecker Bob's sell records inside the FroYo shop that's taking its place?

Possibly! DNAinfo reports today.

After a huge rent hike, the nearly 45-year-old shop is closing. And Forever Yogurt is taking over the space.

Per Andrea Swalec's article:

The self-serve dessert seller Forever Yogurt is in talks with Bleecker Bob's management for the fro-yo and music combo, Forever Yogurt franchise CEO Mandy Calara said Thursday.

"We're talking with them about a counter with their inventory," he said. "And we're decorating the place so it carries on the design of Bleecker Bob's."

Maybe Forever Yogurt can name flavors after classic bands... The Vanilla Fudge ... the Grand Funk Railroad Twist... Vanilla Cream... so many possibilities...

Previously on EV Grieve:
[UPDATED] Let's help Bleecker Bob's find space in the East Village

Bleecker Bob's is for rent

152 2nd Ave. storefront to yield a combo Greek yogurt and smoothie shop

[Photo by Steven]

Signage went up yesterday for the combo business coming to 152 Second Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street — a Greecologies and Pure Green.

Here's more about Greecologies from a June 2015 New York Times feature:

Yogurt is made on the premises at Greecologies, an airy emporium in Little Italy that offers the thick and tangy strained style of Greek yogurt as well as a sweeter, unstrained variety that comes with a layer of cream on top and whey on the bottom. Both use Hudson Valley milk, as does a lovely cultured butter spread that can also be stirred into strong coffee.

The menu includes a variety of Greek yogurts as well as desserts, coffees and teas. This will be the second NYC location for Greecologies.

Here's more about Pure Green, which has multiple NYC locations, from the company website:

Pure Green's focus is to make it easy to live a healthy lifestyle. Our philosophy is everyone should experience sustained energy throughout the day. Starting your day with our cold-pressed juice, drinking our handcrafted smoothies and nutrient-rich snacks will restore your energy and RECHARGE YOUR LIFE.

This is an ultra-competitive market for juices and smoothies. For starters, one block to the north, there's the well-entrenched Juice Press on 10th Street just east of Second Avenue … and Liquiteria on Second Avenue and 11th Street ... and there's beQu Juice on Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue... with a a shop called JuiceGo opening soon directly across Ninth Street. Plus, there's Juice Vitality at 192 First Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street ... and East Village Organic on First Avenue between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place sells fresh juice ... as does Commodities on First Avenue between 10th Street and 11th Street. (Added: The Be Juice shop next to Basics Plus on Third Avenue between 12th Street and 13th Street.)

152-154 Second Ave. is the former Sigmund Schwartz Gramercy Park Chapel that Icon Realty bought, gutted, added three extra floors and opened as luxury rentals.

Things that you cannot make up on Third Avenue: Yogurt Crazy!

Hahahahaha.

We've gone Yogurt Crazy!

Sorry! Seems about right. Hardware store closes (in January 2010). FroYo store opens ... here on Third Avenue between 12th Street and 11th Street.

And that name! Yogurt Crazy. Yes. It's crazy.

Yogurt shop taking over Bleecker Bob's space has a logo with a record on it

[Photo by Benjamin Krieger via Facebook]

Well, you know the story of Bleecker Bob's closing this past spring after a rent hike ... and a Forever Yogurt leasing the space...

As you can see from the above photo, the Chicago-based chain is apparently paying some sort of macabre tribute to Bleecker Bob's by incorporating a record into its logo at this Bleecker Street location...

Here's the Forever Yogurt logo as it usually looks...



There was some brief talk that Bleecker Bob's would continue to sell record from a counter inside the self-serve froyo shop. That never materialized. By the way, we haven't heard any further discussions about Bleecker Bob's opening a new store in the East Village.

The never-opened Yogurt Crazy owes NYU back rent

Signs for the incoming Yogurt Crazy here on Third Avenue between 12th Street and 11th Street arrived last June.

And we haven't seen much, if any, activity in the space. Apparently the shop has been on the clock. A "rent demand" letter dated Feb. 2 is on the front door... Per the letter, signed by Peter Min, director of NYU's Lease and Acquisitions, Yogurt Crazy owes $37,134.87 "for rent and additional rent" through Feb. 28.

They'll have to sell Crazy amounts of FroYo to pay that.

Deal of the day: FroYo shop for sale on St. Mark's Place

Spotted on Craigslist:

Busy Self-Serve frozen yogurt shop in East Village for sale buy owner.

Store is located on St. Marks Place between 2nd and 3rd Avenue. Extremely high foot traffic area 7 days a week.

Great for frozen yogurt business or other fast food concepts.

Store has been in business since 2008. Absentee owner looking to sell.

9 years, 6 months remaining on new lease with new 2013 tax base year.

750 SF plus basement storage space. Plenty of space for outdoor seating as well.

Current monthly rent way below market at $6200.

The listing doesn't mention the shop by name, but it has to be Yogurt Station, which recently reopened after a several-months hiatus.

Noted

Photos by Derek Berg 

Crews are setting up for a production with the code name "Yogurt" here on Seventh Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

It's a TV series with a retro vibe, given the assembled 1990s-era props here ... and NOT TRASH!

Anyway, the crews will be filming around here ... we saw notices on Avenue A... the Bowery... among other places. And we'll see if we can uncover what "Yogurt" really is (ASIDE from a popular food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk).

Updated 12:36 p.m.

Thanks to Emily, via the comments. The series is called "Up Here."

Here's more via Deadline:

Former Good Girls star Mae Whitman has been tapped as the female lead in Up Here, Hulu's musical romantic comedy series from Tick, Tick… Boom! and Dear Evan Hansen writer Steven Levenson, The Carmichael Show's Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, Hamilton director Thomas Kail, and the Frozen and WandaVision songwriting duo of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. 

What's going on with the Yogurt Station?

Back in March, a reader wondered what was going on at the Yogurt Station on St. Mark's Place ... the place had been closed, and the widows had paper over them. Turns out that they were just remodeling.

Anyway. Trashbags now adorn the windows. For how long, I don't know. Do you? Closed for the FroYo season? More remodeling? Yesterday, we spotted someone sleeping on the couch left out front...

[Bobby Williams]

Noted

From the Strong Buzz via Eater:

If you’ve had enough of Red Mango, Flurt, YogoMonster and the dozen or other Pinkberry clones that have opened at warp speed around town, it’s time for you to check out Daydream, Union Square’s newest chef-driven frozen yogurt shop.
Owned by Gwen Butler and partners, the shop is fashioned like an old-school ice cream parlor with elegant Italian celeste marble tables and counters, walls and ceiling painted as a windswept blue sky, dark tiled flooring and glossy white high wood wainscoting.Their yogurt is prepared in four flavors from live cultures: green tea, pomegranate, and two styles of plain—one is low-fat with a creamy texture and the other is a light-textured nonfat ($3/$5/$6 for plain flavors, $4/$5/$7 for flavored yogurts).
But the hook at this shop is the toppings (30-85 cents each) which are all made in-house by chef Greg Pena (and some by Ian Russo) like butter rum crunch, peanut butter crumble, and chocolate covered pretzel bits. More unique toppings include infused and spiced wild honeys, organic fruit dust, dehydrated espresso, milled flax seed, honey roasted wheat germ, and chocolate block shavings grated to order. All their nuts are double-roasted for extra flavor, and we toast our coconut as well. Coming soon, they’ll be serving "moffles" which are mochi waffles.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Dare to Daydream! -- and eat Fro-Yo

Stuff that you can't make up: More FroYo for the East Village

Hey now. EVG reader Malin passes along the above photo... sadly noting that the former New Amici Pizza space on Third Avenue at East 12th Street will become home to... Funkiberry.

MORE FROYO!

Per their website: "Funkiberry is the land of endless yogurt possibilities, where you rule the portions, the choices and the scene."

Perhaps this will make up for that Yogurt Crazy shop that never opened across Third Avenue.

There are two Funkiberry locations in Brooklyn.

Previously on EV Grieve:
East Village FroYo craze lives on, apparently

A quick look at Twist, now open on Avenue A

Bill the libertarian anarchist stopped by Twist, the new yogurt shop at 70 Avenue A between East Fifth Street and East Fourth Street...

"I just sampled an organic chocolate yogurt at Twist. Excellent indeed. Jim is the proprietor. He hopes to show art made by local artists. He has a bit of work to do on the walls, but expects to have it done soon."

Former Bleecker Bob's space back on the market

Bleecker Bob's was priced out of its longtime home on West Third Street this past year, closing for good in April.

And, as you may recall, a Forever Yogurt franchise was set to take over the space, even sporting an oh-so-cutesy record logo on the front door during the summer.

Apparently there won't be FroYo here, at least according to a Facebook update today from Bleecker Bob's:

wow....
today we give a big FUCK YOU to the assholes at Forever Yogurt who closed down a 45 year old landmark record store to build a bullshit froyo shop and now pulled out of the lease!!!

the storefront at 118 west 3rd is now for rent.

Last that we saw, the space for going for $17,000 a month. (Alex has a photo of the rather homemade "for rent" sign here.)

Previously on EV Grieve:
Bleecker Bob's is for rent

Bleecker Bob's won't be moving to the East Village — or anywhere else, for that matter

From FroYo to dry cleaning

As Hunter-Gatherer noted this past January, öko frozen yogurt at 137 First Avenue near Ninth Street "closed for renovations" after just six months at the location...



"Closed for renovations" after six months, of course, is simply code for "we're out of business." Sure enough, the location never reopened.

Now, coming to this site: A dry cleaners.



By my count, this makes the fourth dry cleaners to open in the East Village this year.

P.S.
There are still two öko frozen yogurt shops in New York: Park Slope and Forest Hills.

[öko photo via Hunter-Gatherer]

NLYU Yogurt has closed and everything — and we mean everything down to the Fruity Pebbles — must go

EVG regular William Klayer points out the not surprising news that NLYU Yogurt on First Avenue near East 10th Street has closed...

We first saw the sign in April... And we don't recall seeing any patrons inside — ever...

Anyway. Everything must go.

Now is your chance to load up on Fruity Pebbles.

FroYo casualty: Twister is done on Second Avenue

Twister has closed on Second Avenue near East Seventh Street. Which may not be too much of a surprise given that we never ever ever saw one person inside the place other than employees. (Somewhere we have a photo of an employee sitting by the front window playing a game on his smartphone ... next to a Help Wanted banner.)

The family owned and operated self-serve frozen yogurt shop opened back in August.

On this subject matter, several readers have noted that Twist on Avenue A appears to be dead. (What is the difference between Twist and Twister? Please don't answer.)

Still! Despite closures like this, the froyo craze doesn't show signs of ever slowing down... Red Mango opened earlier this year on Second Avenue... and then there's Funkiberry coming to Third Avenue. Per their website: "Funkiberry is the land of endless yogurt possibilities, where you rule the portions, the choices and the scene."

What do we want for Avenue B? Yogurt? Ice cream? Yoga? Pilates?

The space at 41 Avenue B has been vacant for some time...

There's now a new ad in the window giving a better description of the property, which can be split into two storefronts.



And what are some of the suggested uses? (No bars, thank you!)



Hmm...Yoga center...Pilates...Yogurt...Ice Cream...Zzzzzzzzzz...Pastry and Desserts....Spa...ZZzzzzzzz....

The fro-yo wars will be getting ugly (and pricy!)

AdAge.com delves into the competitive world of marketing frozen yogurt.

Red Mango is throwing down the gauntlet in the "authentic frozen yogurt" wars. The chain has hired the Richards Group, Dallas, in a seven-figure deal to create online, in-store, public relations and event marketing. Print and outdoor work will likely be added in 2009.

The chain's announcement comes just weeks after news that archrival Pinkberry hired branding firm Bulldog Drummond, San Diego.

EV Grieve's complete Fro-Yo library.