Maybe The Froyo Bubble Will Be Next To Burst

Image courtesy of (Josh Liba)

We learned earlier this week that famed cupcakery chain Crumbs would shutting down, an indication that the cupcake bubble that began in the middle of last decade has finally burst. What other dessert food trends are ready to melt or crumble right before our eyes? Maybe it’s frozen yogurt places.

The proliferation of modern froyo shops is tragicomic in some cities: there’s even a Tumblr that chronicles the varied, not-dessert-related businesses in New York City that have now become chain or independent froyo places. (The site’s URL and name contain a curse word and are not safe for work or for sensitive eyes.)

Maybe the prominent froyo chains won’t collapse like Crumbs did, though: while it’s easy to bake your own cupcakes at home, few people are equipped to make their own soft-serve with a huge array of both healthy and unhealthy toppings.

The CEO of ice cream company Carvel notes that they are not about to start making Fudgie the Fro-Yo Whale anytime soon. He told the Wall Street Journal that eventually this proliferation of froyo places will have to stop. “I absolutely believe we’ll see a frozen yogurt bubble, and only the strongest brands will survive long term,” he told the Journal. Then maybe the independent restaurants and other businesses replaced by frozen yogurt shops will come back. Or they’ll just be replaced with the next dessert trend.

With Cupcakes in Decline, is Frozen Yogurt Next to Fall? [Wall Street Journal]

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