Has the Crumbs deal crumbled?
The highly touted cupcake chain had announced plans to come to Rittenhouse.
Center City carbophiles rejoiced last summer at the prospect of eating cupcakes from Crumbs Bake Shop, which announced that it was opening its first Philly location at 133 S. 18th St., near Rittenhouse Square. Timetable was first quarter 2012.
Now, such a store is not looking like a sure thing.
First, and this is the most obvious: The New York-based chain has removed Philly from its list of future openings posted on its website. As recently as late November, the public company was mentioning 18th Street on the site and in SEC filings.
Second, no construction has begun.
Third, the brand-new Crumbs president and CEO - in a conference call with investors on Tuesday (2/28) to discuss a disappointing fourth quarter - suggested that Crumbs would shift strategy to open stores in malls from Boston to D.C. as it goes after the youth market. (Here's a summary.) That said, it's quite possible that instead of a storefront in Rittenhouse, Crumbs will land in - say - King of Prussia.
At least the Shake Shack construction is going full-tilt at 20th and Sansom Streets. Its corporate office says "early summer."
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