Sweet Tooth is on the move. The ice cream shop is packing its bags and heading down to the northeast corner of Elmwood and Allen. You can look at this move in two different ways... as many of our viewers (through comments) usually do. This is a blessing for the NE corner, but it is also going to leave another vacancy on Elmwood - in a block that has seen its fair share of shop closings. The pros far outweigh the cons in this instance, so while Sweet Tooth's current block will be busy reinventing itself, Allentown will happily welcome a new neighbor and longtime friend of the city.
The addition of a popular ice cream shop in Allentown will turn what is currently a vacant, unkempt eyesore into a vibrant, colorful corner. The location, formerly a pizza joint - formerly a coffee shop - almost another banner-laden market, is exactly the type of corner that Steel refers to when talking about what key ingredients an effective urban area should have. A multiple story building, filled with tenants upstairs and a successful business downstairs is what makes a truly dynamic corner.
Sweet Tooth will continue to conduct business as usual in its new home, selling ice cream, cookies and cakes to customers on the go, or to people who want to enjoy their treats in a seating capacity double the size (40 seats) of its current location.
Sweet Tooth owner, Renee Newton tells me that one of the really neat features, besides the expanded space, will be the ability for passers-by to witness the cakes and desserts being prepared. She will also be applying for an outdoor cafe-patio license. Renee is looking at a May timeline for opening at her new corner and is thrilled at the opportunity to expand into the space that offers two walls of glass for additional exposure.
I stopped in to talk to Tom and Jeff at Eminent Design who could not be happier about the news. Tom is especially glad to see a longtime Elmwood business move into the space. He talked about the ice cream shop being a strong anchor-like destination on a corner that has struggled for years to attract a healthy business. He also sees the move as another bond to strengthen the Elmwood/Allentown business corridor. I am sure that being situated smack between the Elmwood Village Charter School and the Theater of Youth (Allendale) will not hurt business either.
Brian, owner of Cafe Taza, was a bit nervous at first when he heard that an ice cream shop with a coffee counter was moving in next door, but now welcomes the addition and is excited to see the increase of traffic on the block. Renee expressed that she wants to work with Taza towards growing each business and ultimately strengthening the entire corner. This is great news for Allentown for sure.