Friday, February 6, 2015

Yogurt Mountain Falls Flat in Sandy Springs

FroYo shop second to fail at same shopping center 

Birmingham-based Yogurt Mountain has closed its franchised location at The Prado in Sandy Springs.  The froyo shop opened at the tail end of the yogurt boom in Atlanta in 2012, and occupied quite possibly one of the worst locations in one of the most logistically challenging centers in metro Atlanta.

The parcel where Yogurt Mountain opened (after the center was redeveloped) sits essentially beside the now shuttered Staples, with limited parking and virtually zero visibility. 

The Sandy Springs Yogurt Mountain had been offered for sale on a local real estate site with the asking price reportedly virtually "free." While I frequent the area and had monitored the location, a source indicates the location quietly closed "about two weeks ago." 

Bruegger's Bagels signed a lease to open next to Yogurt Mountain, but wisely never built out their space and ended up leaving the market entirely.  

Yoreka, another FroYo shop, previously closed in the lower level of The Prado near Genki. Today, the former Yoreka operates as a Subway.  

A single Atlanta-area Yogurt Mountain remains in business at Johns Creek Village at Medlock Bridge & McGinnis Ferry Roads in Johns Creek.

Books-A-Million purchased Yogurt Mountain in 2011 and began to incorporate the brand into their bookstores.  (The Books-A-Million at Sugarloaf Mills in Duluth is without a Yogurt Mountain.)

Yogurt Mountain is not alone in struggling to survive in the challenging froyo market.

Locally, Yoreka not only closed at the Prado, but closed in Little 5 Points as well. Cowlick's Yogurt & Floats also closed both of their locations, while other upstarts like Froyolo, Yoforia and Swirlin' Twirlin' have significantly reduced their store counts. 

National players like Menchie's and Pinkberry have each closed locations while Red Mango and Swirll have left entirely.

Both RaceTrac and Kroger have added frozen yogurt to their new and high volume locations, adding even more options to an already crowded field.  One chain that has expanded recently is Irvine, California-based Yogurtland which just last week celebrated the grand opening of their new store at TOWN Brookhaven.  (Swirll previously closed their location in a different space within the Brookhaven development.) 

What are your thoughts on the current state of FroYo in Atlanta?  What is your favorite place to feed you FroYo craving? What would you like to see open in place of Yogurt Mountain or Staples at The Prado?

Please share your thoughts below.   

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I went to that place a couple times when I was craving froyo since it was pretty much the only froyo place near Dunwoody that I know of. It was very hard to find and I'm sure that contributed, but their product was nothing spectacular either. I'm surprised there isn't at least one froyo place in the Dunwoody area because I feel like if there were a decent offering, the market would support it. I certainly would. There used to be a Swirll by Perimeter near Panera but it was not good. If a Menchie's were located anywhere nearby I would be so happy (and probably so fat). Menchie's is the best froyo available that I know of.

Anonymous said...

There is a Yogli Mogli at the Abernathy Square shopping center, at the corner of Abernathy and Roswell Roads. This is the only froyo store near Dunwoody that I know of, now that the others have closed.

Anonymous said...

In Johns Creek a few doors down from the long-time Cold Stone that is next to the Regal movie theater, a sweetFrog just opened. And they are across the street from the short-lived Menchie’s. What’s the over-under on how long the sweetFrog will last? And who approved their business plan?

Anonymous said...

theres a Yogi Mogli in the Kroger anchored shopping center in the Williamsburg area of Dunwoody across from where Sprouts is.

Anonymous said...

I have absolutely no idea how frozen yogurt places survive in any city with a winter. Sure, California and Florida have a decent number of places , but it doesn't get cold in orlando or Pasadena. I would imagine the stores will continue to dwindle every year.

Anonymous said...

Yogli Mogli
2090 Dunwoody Club Dr
Ste 123
Atlanta, GA 30350
http://yelp.com/biz/tzss81tJE9zoas0HFWvUNQ

Anonymous said...

Yogli Mogli owners in Orchard Park center are excellent - they always support community events, swim teams, festivals, etc. Please support them!

There is also a Pinkberry open in Perimeter Mall where Orange Julius used to be.

Anonymous said...

To me, the only froyo that's worthy of the name is Pinkberry. Everything else out there tastes like ice cream and is made from the exact same mixes. I think Pinkberry has its own proprietary formula and they are not buying it from the same place everyone else is. I'm glad to see most of these places go under. What we really need are real ice cream shops. And I do agree that anywhere with even a bit of winter is not a great market for these shops.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...