What's Up With The 16 Handles Store On Court Street?

You may have noticed that the 16 Handles store at 349 Court Street  between President Street and Union Street has been closed since just after Thanksgiving.  Mail has been accumulating under the front door,  a tv screen has been removed and seating has been stacked up and moved to the side.
There are no signs in the window indicating why the store is currently closed, but a quick search on 16 Handles ' web site stated that the Carroll Gardens store is closed for the season.  However, most of the other locations of the frozen yogurt franchise seem to have stayed open this winter.  Besides, the Court Street store stayed open year round since it opened its doors in April 2012.
Does anyone know what is up?  Is it likely that the store has closed for good or is there really a chance of it re-opening in the spring?

****UPDATE****

January 22

So, 16 Handles just confirmed via email that they have closed their Carroll Gardens location.
see the email below.  And as of a few days ago, the storefront is for rent.  So now we know.

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PS 58 First Graders Celebrate Carroll Gardens

Sunny Bettles, Age 6, First Grade Class 213

"Fun in PS58th School Yard

Laura DePaolo, Age 6,  First Grade Class 211

"Ice Cream At 16 Handles"

Dylan Scott, Age 7,  First Grade Class 209

"Smith Canteen"

Ulan Velayoyan, Age 7, First Grade Class 213

"Sliding In Carroll Park"

Zayan Adame, First Grade Class 213

"On the swings"

Edith Harrington, Age 6, First Grade Class 213

"Painted Pot"

Dylan Marotta, Age 7, First Grade Class 227

"Skateboarding on my block"

Jacob Sheldon, Age 7, First Grade Class 209

"Spring"

If you happen to walk by Assemblywoman Joan Millman's district office at 341 Smith Street, make sure to take a look at the very sweet drawings made by first grade students of P.S. 58., which are hanging in the window.    The drawings all share one theme: "Celebrating our neighborhood."
A volunteer who helps out in the Assemblywoman's office organized this special art project with PS 58's art teacher. The result is super adorable.  It is also interesting to see what the students love most about Carroll Gardens.  Obviously, Carroll Park plays a big part in the children's lives, but so do the Painted Pot, 16 Handles and Smith Canteen.



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Santa Making An Appearance At 16 Handles On Court Street

16 Handles at 349 Court Street is throwing a holiday party in the store for the Carroll Gardens community this Sunday, December 23rd from 12-6. There will be games and giveaways, and Santa will make an appearance.
But more importantly, from 1 to 4 pm, there will be 2 dollars "all you can fill" yogurt.
Make sure to swing by with the kids.



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BP Marty Markowitz Stops By 16 Handles On Court Street

The new 16 Handles Frozen Yogurt store on Court Street celebrated its official grand opening on Thursday with free samples, face painting and balloon making by Sharon.
Borough President Marty Markowitz stopped by at around 5 PM to present a proclamation, which read in part:
"Whereas, on behalf of all Brooklynites I salute and command General Manager Sheldon Legendre and the staff of 16 Handles for all their hard work and commitment to the community, including tailoring a sign in accordance with the neighborhood's wishes, and for enhancing Brooklyn's thriving gourmet scene with their unique touch, I congratulate them on the auspicious occasion of the Grand Opening of 16 Handles, ready to tempt our hungry palates morning, noon and night."
Of course, our BP sampled some of the frozen yogurt   Which flavor did Marty chose?  The non-fat Vanilla Sky.





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16 Handles Now Open On Court Street

The 16 Handle Frozen Yogurt store on 349 Court Street opened over the week-end, and, as many had predicted,  the place already seems to be a favorite in the neighborhood.  Shortly after 3pm yesterday, just after school had let out, a steady flow of customers stopping by for a frozen treat.
16 Handles is hard to resist. What's not to like?  The yogurt flavors include Pomegranate Tart, Thin Mint Cookie,  NY Cheesecake and Go Banana to name just a few. Choose from non-fat, non-dairy and no sugar added.   Then step to the topping bar...
This is the kind of place you dreamed of as a kid.  Sure enough, the little ones seemed mesmerized by all the sweet possibilities.  So did some of the adults.


An update on 16 Handles storefront sign:
For those of you who felt that the original sign was way too bright for our brownstone neighborhood, rest assured.  As reported earlier, the company agreed and took it down immediately.  A temporary one has been hung, but a new, more muted sign will go up very shortly.  Pictures to follow.





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New Court Street Frozen Yogurt Store "16 Handles" Heard Carroll Gardeners Loud And Clear, Will Replace Sign For A More Tasteful One

(photo credit N. B.)

(photo credit: Simmi Degnemark)

This morning, I had a very nice conversation with Jon Lake, Vice President of Operations for 16 Handles, as a follow up to an email exchange that we had regarding the sign one of the company's franchisees had placed on the front of their brand new store at 349 Court Street.

Someone had forwarded my blogpost about the rather 'loud' sign and he read the comments left by members of the community. He responded by saying. "We too agree that this sign is not in keeping with the neighborhood vibe and feel. I would like to discuss potential signage options."

I thanked him for his very quick response. He assured me that the sign will be replaced by a more contextual, muted one. He will send over a photo of it as soon as he can and I will share it with everyone.
In the meantime, crews were removing the sign at 349 Court Street this morning.

I told Lake that his company's handling of the community's concerns was impressive. He responded that it is part of 16 Handles' philosophy. " We are human. We are not perfect, but we are always trying." Most importantly, he added: "We want to bring more smiles to the community."

16 Handles certainly made me smile...

***UPDATE***

As promised, Jon Lake just sent me a photo of a proposed sign for the store.  (See below)
"This sign could be mounted with the brick of the building as the backdrop. The sign would be simple white channel letters," he writes.

I think the sign is much better, especially if it is mounted directly to the brick and does not stick out as much.

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"16 Handles", New Frozen Yogurt Store To Open In Former Joe's Restaurant

According to the construction crew that has been working on the storefront at 349 Court Street, a new yogurt place will soon be moving to that location. A quick glimpse inside revealed white plastic benches and chairs and bright green walls. It looks rather sterile.

Reader Mark just wrote in to left me that the frozen yogurt is called 16 Handles, a small, local franchise chain. According to their web site, 16 Handles "is committed to changing the way you do frozen yogurt. We're also committed to changing the world we live in, so we use cornstarch spoons and biodegradable cups, and we compost and recycle whenever possible. We also partner with Trees for the Future; every 16 Handles location helps plant 16 trees every day."

Until just a few months ago, this was the home of Joe's Restaurant, a no-frills diner that had been there for many decades. In the last few years, it was run by Nick and his wife Asia.
And for those of you who have lived in Carroll Gardens Red Hook for longer, here is a blast from the past. Does anyone remember Tina, the waitress? She was a real Brooklynite and had lots of attitude, though she was a real sweetheart. I think she lived on Columbia Street.
Here is to all the people who worked and hung out in there over the years. You are missed here in the community.

Below are just a few photos I tok right after Asia and Nick closed their restaurant.

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