Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Purple Cow Leaving Uptown

Some disappointing, but not unexpected, news from Facebook:

"Many of you have been wondering when The Purple Cow ice cream cafe will be open again. Due to family obligations I will not be able to reopen on Montrose. I want to thank the people of the neighborhood for being so welcoming and supportive. I will truly miss being a place where families and friends gathered. I will also miss the many friends I made along the way and the many smiles I saw from my side of the counter.

This April, the Purple Cow ice cream cafe will be opening a new location at 1740 W. Division street, in Wicker Park. Please come visit our new location for the same ice cream, treats and the great service you had on Montrose, with a few new things for you to try, of course. Look for updates and grand opening information, here, soon.

Mark"


We wish Mark and Purple Cow much success in his new location. We will miss him on those hot summer days!

31 comments:

  1. Sad to see you go. All the best to you.

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  2. I am sure they will do good in Wicker Park. That area has it going on. Now if only Uptown could become like Bucktown and Wicker park. I would not hold my breath.

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  3. The location had nothing to do with this place lack of success. The ice cream was mediocre at best. I tried it a couple times, and was unimpressed. I basically could've gone to Jewel and bought some Edy's and cones and had a similar product for a fraction of the cost. Look at Bobtail in Lakeview or George's in Andersonville. Great product that is something you can't get at the supermarket. I wish them luck in Wicker Park, but highly doubt the hipsters and yuppies will buy into a bland product.

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  4. They'll definitely be missed. I hope the successor shop is similarly themed and not too far off.

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  5. If Media Critic, or whatever he's calling himself this hour, and WISEGUY met in person would that create a matter/anti matter explosion and would Uptown survive?

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  6. This was grocery store ice cream being sold out of styrofoam cups in a storefront. It was Kemps. Nothing to do w/ the neighborhood or location. My guess is Wicker Park won't buy it either. Now, what we need is a nice ice cream shop that produces its own ice cream or desserts onsite or something...

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  7. ditto on what jtizzle said. I was excited when they opened and disappointed after I gave them a try. Unless they are doing a complete overhaul to the kind of product they serve and the storefront they run, I don't see them succeeding elsewhere. In fact, the citizens of Uptown are so desperate to fill the vacant storefronts, I think we grade on a curve that without, some of these places would have failed earlier.

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  8. @jtizzle

    It's probably a little bit of both. Ice cream is a tough sell in a market that is cold half the year. I really only see two ways a business like that can succeed.

    A: the ice cream is game changing awesome stuff...destination worthy. I've personally never had ice cream that good anywhere...and really don't care to seak it out.

    B: it's located on a commercial strip that sees enough foot traffic, especially in the summer, to see pull in a ton walk-ins who don't care if it's the best but just have a craving.

    The businesses that do best in Uptown are the ones with unique-ish offerings that do them really well (Demera, Sun Wah, Hopleaf, etc). If you aren't blessed with being a destination by default of fortunate location, you better offer something special.

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  9. This leaves only 2 Uptown ice cream joints - both Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robbins. Am I missing some place? For good places just outside Uptown, try Margie's at 1813 W. Montrose or George's at 5306 N. Clark.

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  10. You can buy a gallon of ice cream for the same price of a cone at George's. :)

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  11. I could make a better sundae at home. I lived right across the street and would have been a frequent customer if not for the crazy prices for a mediocre product. It had every chance to succeed with the beach traffic.

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  12. Uptown Revivalist: Agreed. I peeked in the window of that George's before they even opened but already had their price board up. I knew I'd never be able to afford to go in there and never did. In this economy no less. Thought I'd give 'em a chance but that Sweet Occasions scandal left a bad taste too.

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  13. The location sucked.. .but to the other point.. if ONLY we could get the Soup Box/Ice Box on Broadway in Lakeview to expand to Uptown...now there is a very successful seasonal restaurant that is locally owned that would be successful up here..

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  14. @Uptown Superhero


    1000% agree!!! I am OBSESSED with Soupbox/Icebox. No soup in the city can touch what they offer. I'd eat it on 95 degree days in August its that frickin' awesome.

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  15. Reminds of a couple of nice places closing in ROgers Park.

    The Alhambra cafe and Sweet Occasions. Both failed at a nice storefront location on Morse near Ashland. Was just a bit too far west and just a bit too early in the whole scheme of things.

    Keep the faith, lots of good things going on in Uptown still.

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  16. We absolutely loved The Purple Cow and the atmosphere. Mark is really family oriented and was constantly evolving his business. We had our daughter's first birthday party there and it was such a special occasion. I realize the ice cream was not the absolute most gourmet ice cream in Chicago...but it was sweet, affordable and right on the way home from the beach. Purple Cow will be missed by us for sure.

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  17. Good ! Glad to see some positive things said about it. As opposed to Irish Pirate bashing his neighbors.

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  18. We need an arts & craft store in Uptown. I have to travel a ways to get my sewing supplies.

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  19. OH gawd! Don't throw me in the briar patch!

    I'm taking a deep breath and walking away from the last two comments.

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  20. Two bowls of soup from Soupbox @ $16+ to go. I'm glad you're all rich up there. Oh, 1 bowl had the side of bread for the edible "bowl". It's mediocre at best and my fault for not looking at that price board before ordering. I was too embarrassed to back out after it had already been poured.

    So I guess you can save on housing costs by living in Uptown to patronize the businesses in Lakeview or pay Lakeview housing prices and take up second residency at Target just to get by. Decisions, decisions.......

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  21. so many prima donnas on this site. ice cream snobbery, really? keep hiding behind that screen. if you dont have something nice to say...

    you want a better uptown? support your local businesses. hopefully the store front doesn't stay vacant too long. uptown can sure use a good anything.

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  22. "so many prima donnas on this site. "ice cream snobbery, really? keep hiding behind that screen. if you dont have something nice to say...

    you want a better uptown? support your local businesses. hopefully the store front doesn't stay vacant too long. uptown can sure use a good anything."

    try not to contradict yourself in a single post next time.

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  23. Hey here's an idea. How 'bout talking about Uptown rather than critiquing each other?

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  24. I'd settle for a full-service Dairy Queen like the one on Southport across from Blaine. You can always buy "regular" ice cream anywhere from the dollar store to the gourmet emporium, but for good ol' "soft serve" you gotta go out to get it!

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  25. Most businesses and suave business persons know their markets (or potential ones). Just reality.

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  26. I think I just made the Irish Pirate shut up. I need a community award! (Yes, I am baiting him.)

    Is he going to post my address and phone number next?

    LOL. All in good fun. Go Uptown.

    I liked the Purple Cow. Too bad it didn't work out.

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  27. I liked Purple Cow (and it's ice cream). I'm sad to see it go.

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  28. Lickety Split in Edgewater, at Broadway & Glenlake, has the best "frozen custard" icecream next to the famous Ted Drew's of St Louis, before old man Drew's son blandified the product. Lickety Split also has a great array of really decadent pastries and candies.

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