Paul Bass Photo
Customer Peralta: The secret lies in pretending “it’s healthy.”
A powerhouse dessert chain is preparing to move into a former jewelry shop on Chapel Street — bringing to five the number of frozen-yogurt outlets within walking distance of the Green.
Can New Haven support them all? We’re about to find out.
The latest entrant into the torrid downtown frozen-yogurt market is Santa Monica-based Pinkberry, which has opened franchises worldwide amid the latest boom for the popular dessert. By Oct. 1, Pinkberry plans to open up in the 2,300-square-foot former Savitt Jewelers space (pictured) tucked between the Panera and Starbucks outlets by the corner of Chapel and High, according to landlord John Wareck.
Contractors hired by Wareck’s company, Chapel Investment LLC, have been busy transforming the space to meet the deadline. The pictured worker, who declined to give his name, was cutting flex-duct as part of the work Monday.
Once it is ensconced on Chapel Street, Pinkberry will compete with the popular Froyo World just steps around the corner on High Street and two blocks from a new Polar Delight outlet across from the Green on Chapel near Temple. Other competitors include Flavors, next to Toad’s Place on York Street, and Go Greenly on Whitney Avenue.
“It’s just a fad. That’s all. At least two out of the five will be out of business a year from now,” customer John Deaton (pictured with fellow customer Nilda Torres) predicted while enjoying a mid-afternoon frozen yogurt at Polar Delight Monday afternoon. “They’re all pretty much similar.”
Not so, insisted Wareck: “Pinkberry is a unique product. Pinkberry is the best frozen yogurt I’ve ever tasted.”
Around the corner at Froyo World, cashier Yarelis Canalis didn’t sound worried about the competition. Froyo World already survived a smaller version of the yogurt wars three years ago; it put a customer across the street out of business. “Our customers are pretty loyal, so I don’t think there’ll be a problem,” Canales said. “We were the first. We have people come in three times a day.”
“It’s going to be interesting” to watch the shake-out in the frozen-yogurt marketplace, remarked “store associate” Elka Medina, who’s pictured serving customer Jasree Peralta at Flavors on York Street. Medina predicted that her outlet’s location squarely in the Yale/Broadway-York shopping district protects it from the competition in other parts of downtown.
Asked about the secret behind the frozen-yogurt craze, customer Peralta, a Southern Connecticut State University student majoring in communications, considered the cup in her hand. “We make ourselves think it’s healthy — then put all kinds of crap on it anyway,” she said. Yogurt just sounds more healthful than ice cream. She served herself coconut and mango — i.e., “fruit” — flavored yogurt. She topped it with some watermelon. Then she added the marshmallow and fruit-colored candy toppings. She and Medina agreed that the self-serve bar is a major selling point at the city’s frozen yogurt spots.
It won’t be at Pinkberry: The company doesn’t offer do-it-yourself topping bars. “You don’t get near the machines or the toppings. The do it for you, like at Ashley’s,” Wareck noted.
Wareck was asked about the emergence of chains along Chapel Street downtown, including the Panera-Pinkberry-Starbucks troika replacing Savitt Jewelers and the former News Haven.
New Haven has room for both locally owned outlets and the chains, Wareck argued. Especially the Chapel/High area, which he said has seen a jump in street traffic since the Yale Art Gallery’s nationally celebrated renovation and expansion.
“There has to be a balance,” Wareck said. “The market demands Starbucks now. The market wants Panera. There are over 1,700 Paneras. People are looking for it now.”
Never thought I'd be saying this about a money hungry real estate developer but, Wareck is right, there has to be balance, and as of today if you make the choice to support local folks there is:
Willoughby's (on York) instead of Starbucks
Ashley's Ice Cream (prob sells frozen yogurt too) instead of any of the giant frozen dessert chains.
Burrito carts (on York) instead of Chipotle
Louis Lunch/Prime 16 for burgers instead of Shake Shack
Atticus/Booktrader for lunch (on Chapel) instead of Panera
So long as we have this choice than it is great. However, I have a feeling that owners of real estate in downtown will not care about keeping this in balance, and why would they--the giant chains pay more generally and can sign on to longer leases generally. It is up to New Havenites to ensure this balance remains.