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August 5, 2008

Red Mango Marches Into Court Street Yogurt Wars

Are frozen yogurt shops the new banks? On Court Street, it's looking that way more and more every day. We reported in July that Korean-style froyo maker Yofiore had agreed to pay big bucks for a spot at 32 Court Street and construction at the new Yogo Monster at 115 Court Street is almost done. To top it off, last night we got word from a tipster that Red Mango, a Sherman Oaks, CA.-based yogurt company that claims responsibility for launching the yogurt trend, is slated to open in the small storefront at 125 Court Street. (Not to be outdone, Fort Greene is getting a place called Silver Spoon Yogurt and Park Slope already has a few of its own.) How much frozen yogurt can Brooklynites consume? What happens to these places in the chill of February?

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Comments

Three froyo stores within walking distance of each other is a recipe for disaster. It'll be interesting to see which one closes first.

Posted by: jwald at August 5, 2008 10:34 AM

Lots of froyo in BoCoCa

The one that was highlighted last week paying $14,000 a month in rent will be the first to go!!!!

Anybody know what this one is paying??

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 5, 2008 10:40 AM

Yes, frozen yogurt is delicious, but do we really need so many in the same area. How typical of a brooklyn based business to jump on the band wagon and open up the same type of store that is already established in the area. Think outside the box lads!

Posted by: Smatchums at August 5, 2008 10:48 AM

Are frozen yogurt shops the new Starbucks (and the like)?

Posted by: TownhouseLady at August 5, 2008 10:59 AM

I believe the asking rent over there was about $7,000/mo for 850 SF. The asking rent for Yogo Monster's space was $15,000/mo for 1,500 SF. The asking rent for Yofiore's space was $14,000/mo 650 SF. Who knows what any of these Froyo places actually ended up paying. Assuming Court Street can sustain 2 froyo places, I'd have to guess Yogo Monster will be the one to fold given the excess size and location. My $.02.

Posted by: Shoots and Leaves at August 5, 2008 11:06 AM

I actually passed by this yogurt store front Saturday night on my way to Union Hall for my typical night of bocce ball and live music :). The highlight of the night besides my my several wins in bocce ball was seeing this Staten Island based band called Happy Anarchy rock the place out. Great live performance. Who knew Staten Island had music like that.

Posted by: Jackslope at August 5, 2008 11:09 AM

i agree with Shoots and Leaves

Posted by: BK realestate veteran at August 5, 2008 11:22 AM

One will be at 115 Court and another at 125? Does indeed sound like a recipe for disaster.

Red Mango is probably the best of the lot coming to Court, although Oko still trumps them all for me.

Posted by: 11217 at August 5, 2008 11:23 AM

Jackslope - How dare you be so condescending towards Staten Island...j/k.

Staten Island has it all; affordable housing, great schools, parks, shopping, dining and as Jackslope witnessed firsthand, great musical talent. They even take part in this new frozen yogurt trend...blah, blah, blah.

Posted by: Zohan12 at August 5, 2008 11:40 AM

who the hell eats so much frozen yogurt?

Posted by: sam at August 5, 2008 11:50 AM

I love how a post about 3 yogurt shops within a few blocks of each other on the same street can turn into not a neighborhood discussion but an inter-borough discussion!!!!!

I'll pass on the yogurt and always go for the ice cream or the italian ice anyway. I bet Staten Island has better Italian ice places!!!! Not trying to start anything though.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 5, 2008 11:53 AM

*Dance of Joy* This one is the best!!!

Posted by: columbiatch at August 5, 2008 11:54 AM

Dave - well in fact they actually do have a great italian ice place called Ralph's Ices. Not trying to start anything either! Have you ever been there because you should try it; my treat.

Posted by: Zohan12 at August 5, 2008 11:59 AM

Frozen Yogurt is for grown ups...I'll take an italian ice from a pizzeria...thank you.
Cheap, flavored, sugared up ice.....so refreshing on a hot day.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at August 5, 2008 12:04 PM

Thank goodness, real (Red Mango) creamy frozen yogurt, not that watery/icy junk that those other wannabes sell. My tastebuds thank you Red Mango. You are welcome in my neighborhood. Shoots and Leaves your assessment is right on! 14k and 15k in rent?!? Red Mango is paying 7k? If my math is right, RM is paying half the rent of the other two and they have the yummier product to boot! I think we all know who's gonna win the froyo battle of court street. ;P

Posted by: chocho at August 5, 2008 12:11 PM

I totally agree with you bayridgegirl. I go to Ralph's Ices on SI almost every day. It is extremely refreshing and addicting. You're very close to SI...you should try it out. It's on Port Richmond Avenue.

Posted by: Zohan12 at August 5, 2008 12:12 PM

smatchums-i don't think any of these are brooklyn-based businesses. i know you can't mean the landlords, because why should they reject new tenants if the rent and concessions are reasonable?

oko has a nice selection of expensive teas (service as well as bulk sales) that might help them struggle through winter. do any of these places?

as for these court street places, the two in the 100s are right next to that huge movie theater, the Y, the kids' gym, and the brooklyn law school dorms. i'd want to know the hours, prices and taste each product before i handicapped based on rent alone. anyone have that info?

32 is across from the courthouse and closer to other municipal buildings and the subway and probably won't really be competing with the other two.

Posted by: i disagree at August 5, 2008 12:17 PM

I know this thread is about yogurt...but I couldn't help myself.

http://www.ralphsices.com/

2 locations in brooklyn, but do I dare step into Bensonhurst?

Posted by: bayridgegirl at August 5, 2008 12:26 PM

I think Yo Fiore will be the first to go. At night and on the weekends that part of court street is dead. They might have business during the afternoons but I think people are looking for a meal not frozen yogurt for lunch. If they really are paying 14k in rent it might be tough.

Posted by: chocho at August 5, 2008 12:40 PM

bayridgegirl, you know I hate it when people go off topic :-). But since you mention it, I did walking tours of BedStuy and Crown Heights this weekend (from the book Walking Brooklyn, which is great) and went through Brower Park in CH. There was one of those guys under a large umbrella scraping snow cones old school style off a giant ice block with different flavored syrups available. To me, watching him do it and buying one of those on a hot day is an infinitely better experience than going to any ice cream or yoghurt shop. Talk about feeling like an excited kid again! I doubt he has a website like Ralph, though, otherwise I would send it to you.

Posted by: Biff Champion at August 5, 2008 12:47 PM

Was he soliciting franchisees like Ralph's??

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 5, 2008 12:55 PM

He has one already. She's on the corner of Nostrand and Fulton but her hours are inconsistant. Not as upscale as the Brower Park location but her ices have a certain street edginess the guy in the park lacks.

Posted by: bxgrl at August 5, 2008 1:06 PM

Was he soliciting franchisees like Ralph's??

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 5, 2008 1:06 PM

Biff..that's a NY experience. Last time I had one of those ices was bout two years ago in the Bronx.

We use AIA Guide to NYC when we walk around.

Back to yogurt.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at August 5, 2008 1:08 PM

The guy in Brower Park must be itching for the Children's Museum behind him to open while the weather is still hot. Although the benefit of working the winter months is that his inventory lasts a bit longer before it turns to water. Only thing is the demand for sno cones seems to slow around New Year's for some reason.

But seriously, it is a great NY experience.

What were we talking about again?

Posted by: Biff Champion at August 5, 2008 1:15 PM

Biff- I think you are talking about piraguas, which is basically the Caribbean/Latin version of shaved ice with tropical flavored syrups. There are usually a few of these in Sunset Park during the summer.

Posted by: jwald at August 5, 2008 1:21 PM

A yogurt discussion will be the longest thread today!!! I have nothing more to add but that won't stop me from making additional posts as I see fit. Why no commentary from the What on Yogurt??

jwald is correct...that syrup onto the ice is not Italian Ice. And I thought you might have a little Italian in you Biff.

There was a place on Armitage Street in Chicago that had the best ice...lumps of fresh fruit mixed in.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 5, 2008 1:35 PM

Yes, Dave...this is going to be the longest thread today.

HOTD links aren't working. Condo of the day is boring. Today, we live for Ices...sorry yogurt.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at August 5, 2008 1:40 PM

Yogurt is for breakfast. And there it competes with glazed donuts, McD sausage biscuit, toasted bagel & cream cheese. It must have a real inferiority complex. Hence all those additional toppings!!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 5, 2008 1:43 PM

Hey, Lisa, I made the February comment yesterday, lol.

Eh, it's okay.

Harken yea all back to the eighties, the last time we had frozen yogurt shoppes in every mini mall across the land. Frozen yogurt and then croissants. After that comes jelly beans in multiple colors sold by the pound, and then flavored popcorn and more muffin stores. Oh, yay.

Or maybe that was just Philadelphia, where, by the way, they have proper water ice.

I've only sampled the fro yo at Ecks in Williamsburg, but I have to say, at least this time in the trend, at least it tastes like actual yogurt and not just "healthy" DQ.

Court Street could use a DQ.

Posted by: Heather at August 5, 2008 1:44 PM

I'm not getting this phenomenon so I'm skeptical all these places will survive! I found the plain frozen yogurt at Yogo Monster gross. So bitter and sour. The flavor had way too much bite. Putting fruit on it didn't help because the berries were sour too. And I eat regular room-temperature plain unsweetened unflavored yogurt every day so it's not like I don't like that somewhat sour tangy yogurt flavor.

I much prefer Italian ice, gelato, frozen custard, or good ole ice cream. If I want something cold I'll eat those things, if I want yogurt I'll eat yogurt.

Posted by: traditionalmod at August 5, 2008 1:48 PM

Flavored popcorn...YUM.

Anybody remember the popcorn store on 8th Street (btwn 5th & 6th aves) in the Village? Those were the days.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at August 5, 2008 1:49 PM

Heather...if you call it Water Ice again I'm going to have to come over there and smack you upside the head. It really irks me to hear that when I'm down in PA...not just Philly, the whole stae calls it that...because all they have is Rita's anyway.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 5, 2008 1:59 PM

I keep saying the same thing about mobile phone stores, but they keep on coming.

I like the tang of frozen yogurt. But most of the health benefits of yogurt (i.e. the live yogurt cultures) must be negated by the freezing, which would kill the cultures, no?

Posted by: BrooklynButler at August 5, 2008 2:06 PM

Um Dave, please read again. I never said that was Italian Ice - I knew it wasn't. jwald's response was an expansion of my comment, not a correction. And yes, I'm fairly familiar with the Italian culture and cuisine.

Posted by: Biff Champion at August 5, 2008 2:06 PM

Wow, sorry Dave, that sounded way angrier than I intended. You know how worked up I get over my confections!

Posted by: Biff Champion at August 5, 2008 2:10 PM

Yes Biff. I got particularly upset when you used my old line of "please read again." We all tend to get so worked up over threads of this sort... the race baiting, snarky inter and intra borough comments, poor shape of the economy and house prices going down 50-75% in 85 days!!!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 5, 2008 2:13 PM

Traditionalmod unfortunately it seems that your first experience was the inferior froyo, I think Red Mango and even Oko should change that, not as tart and more creamy.

Posted by: chocho at August 5, 2008 2:17 PM

Dave, good one! At least I didn't pull out the old "I can tell reading comprehension isn't your strong suit" line. I don't mind the race baiting, the snarky banter, the taunts that my home will be worth the cost of a Red Hook taco, the yo momma is so fat jokes, etc. But dammit, don't you EVER accuse me of getting my sweets mixed up!

Posted by: Biff Champion at August 5, 2008 2:18 PM

Biff...And I sure hope you don't get your tarts mixed up either. I did that once or twice with dire consequences.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 5, 2008 2:20 PM

Dave, chocho had no idea what s/he was getting into by posting the "not as tart and more creamy" line. If you didn't jump all over it, I was going to.

Posted by: Biff Champion at August 5, 2008 2:22 PM

"At least I didn't pull out the old "I can tell reading comprehension isn't your strong suit" line."

You took my line, biff. I copyrighted AND trademarked it and now I have to sue you or picket your house protesting the condition you keep your tarts in. I hope you did the asbestos removal before you brought them home.

Posted by: bxgrl at August 5, 2008 2:33 PM

bxgrl, my head's exploding with all the cross-thread references! I think I need to FLEA this thread!

Posted by: Biff Champion at August 5, 2008 2:36 PM

I heard that same thing on a different thread. "Consistency is the hobgobblin of small minds."

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 5, 2008 2:39 PM

Nothing wrong with having one's hob gobbled every once in awhile...

Posted by: Biff Champion at August 5, 2008 2:45 PM

PropJoe's going to come along and call us all @ssholes again!!!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 5, 2008 2:54 PM

I tried yogomonster yesterday - it was pretty good. i think Red Mango is better, though. At least it tastes like yogurt, rather than Pinkberry, which tastes like poison. I had the banana flavor with blueberries and mochi.

If Rita's comes to Downtown Brooklyn Mr.biatch would have a coronary - it's like his favorite thing in the world - and he calls it Water Ice.

Posted by: columbiatch at August 11, 2008 5:28 PM

SOMEONE TOLD ME THAT YOFIORE IS OPENING AT RICHMOND AVE SI,AND THEY R HAVING ICY PLAIN AND CREAMY PLAIN...WHATS THE DIFF...?? I HAVE NO IDEA...

Posted by: supermario at August 18, 2008 9:56 PM