The spices of Kabob and Curry can still be smelled from a distance, and the music playing from Johnny Rocket's is the same, but Thayer Street has changed since classes ended in December. New developments include Juniper Frozen Yogurt, a remodeled East Side Perks coffee shop and the loss of Tom's Tracks record store.
Tom's Tracks, at 281 Thayer St., closed over break. The independent record store opened in 1985 and sold records and used and new CDs. Only in Rhode Island used to be at 297 Thayer St., but relocated over break. The store, which opened in May, is a specialty shop which only sells merchandise made in the Ocean State.
If novelty and entertainment shops are on their way out, restaurants are back in business. Juniper, which is located at 229 Thayer St. next to Tealuxe, serves all-natural frozen yogurt and smoothies. Rhode Island School of Design sisters Grace and Christina Kim opened the shop with their parents on Dec. 22.
Business was slow for the first couple weeks, according to Grace Kim, but since Brown and RISD have resumed Juniper has received "good feedback and good reactions."
The menu offers smoothies and all-natural vanilla and blueberry frozen yogurt. Kim said the menu may expand by the summertime, but the store's draw is quality, not quantity. The frozen treat is non-fat and low in calories, and tastes simply like yogurt, frozen-over. "Most yogurt takes more like ice cream," Kim said. "If (customers) don't like yogurt, they won't like this."
Though Juniper's product and atmosphere are different from those of Cold Stone Creamery or Ben and Jerry's, sweet-toothed locals may now face some difficult decisions. Kim is not concerned that Juniper will lose business to its nearby competitors. "I don't think Roba Dolce or Cold Stone is really competition - it's so different.
East Side Perks coffee shop, located inside Thai bistro Spice at 110 Waterman St., has changed management and will be renamed Hall of Fame Sandwiches. The sandwich shop will continue to serve coffee, tea and cakes, but will include a revamped sandwich menu, with options like the Bo Jackson Club and the Tom Brady. Hall of Fame Sandwiches will still be owned by Spice but will have a new manager, said employee Brendan Heine. According to Heine, Perks' manager "did a terrible job with this place - got us into a lot of debt."
Hall of Fame Sandwiches is set to open officially within the next week.
The sign outside of what will be Shark Sushi Hibachi and Grill still says "Coming Soon," but owner Ray Hugh says he needs five more months to prepare the Japanese restaurant for business. In August Hugh bought the space formerly occupied by La Femme Boutique, which is now located at 112 Waterman St., and Dunkin' Donuts. Hugh, who owns the Asian restaurant Shanghai as well as Extreme Pizza and Wings next door says his new project is "very intense" and that "there's a lot going on - you have to make sure everything is perfect."
Hugh says he is excited to be opening another business on Thayer Street and wants to create a student-friendly environment similar to Shanghai. Shark will feature an "incredible sound system," Hibachi grills and a five-foot shark swimming in an 1800 gallon tank, Hugh said.
Hugh foresees no obstacle in taking on Japanese cuisine for the first time. "You have a Japanese guy making Japanese food. If you have a Caucasian guy making Japanese food with more passion - he'll beat him any day," Hugh said.
