Pop Tart Shop

[burgeoningfoodie]

I'm glad it creates jobs... but really?! NYC?! Can someone please create a government job for Manhattan to prevent this stupidity? I liked pop tarts as a kid, but this store seems like a flagship for whats wrong in American dining. What do you think about this?

[iluvcookies]

I passed by here yesterday and it was PACKED! While my 6 year old niece would love this place, I admit it is one big advertisement.

I don't mind a pop tart every now and again when I'm working late and only have time for vending machine food...

[Geo8rge]

The shop is more of an advertising concept than a restaurant business. So you lose for mentioning their name.

[pbjluver]

What food group would Pop Tarts fall into?

[uwsister]

Breakfast pastries.

[Blumie]

It's hard to know which is more stupid: the Pop Tart Shop are arguing over it on chowhound.

[burgeoningfoodie]

:-) I would enjoy seeing more of the eras gone by of NY in the area (from what I can remember) not necessarily a deli or cross dressing hookers or XXX movies... eh forget it.. I can't explain it well enough to post.

[rdnnyc]

I work across the street. Personally - I'm a-ok with any pop-up shop in this location. Even for pop tarts. This stretch of 42nd has been underdeveloped and underutillized for years. Sure it's a stupid store and possibly stupid concept. But it's also temporary and it's 'something' on a stretch of neglected boarded up empty storefronts.

[Hinterlander]

If it's not for you, walk on by. What's the problem?

[fragnet]

"... a flagship for whats wrong in American dining." Are you serious? As others have said, it IS Times Square and it is the center for stupid/nutty stuff. But who cares? If it is popular (for whatever reason) it'll survive. If not, it'll close. There are a lot of other foods that are worse than Pop Tarts. For example, I think that having stores selling cupcakes is "... a flagship for whats wrong in American dining." And I'd venture a guess that cupcakes are a lot less healthy to eat than Pop Tarts.

[burgeoningfoodie]

*flips out wallet... looks at photo..." nope not serious ;-) to pay homage to Airplane. Just a rant and starting a thread. I don't much agree to the cupcake trend either nor the prices that are charged for them. Most in my experience are heavy on the icing and not so great on the cake.

[atjsfo]

I disagree. The key point isn't that Pop Tarts are bad for you, but that they are bad for you AND they don't taste particularly good. There's a case to be made for eating junk food if the junk food is good. But to eat something that's bad for you AND not particularly tasty is just wrong.

Of course taste is subjective. Personally I think cupcakes are much tastier than Pop Tarts, and of coure you are welcome to your opinion on that. But consider:
a) since you say "stores selling cupcakes", I'm focusing on non-mass-produced cupcakes, ie, the ones made and sold by bakeries. There is lots of room for variability there - and at least many of them use natural ingredients; to me - and many others - butter is a much preferred ingredient to vegetable shortening. Are you denigrating all cakes, or just small ones? Or is there something else inherently wrong with cupcakes? I like cake.
b) they aren't selling well - at least in the eyes of the company that makes them since they feel the need to improve sales - and so it looks like many people agree that they don't taste particularly good.

Bad for you AND not tasty. That certainly sounds to me like "a flagship for what's wrong in American dining".

[uwsister]

This is going into General Chowhounding territory, but Pop Tarts taste freaking fantastic when you're uh, not sober, and the only thing open in your 'hood is a bodega.

[atjsfo]

I'm not a resident, so take this as you will, but I have mixed feelings. I do think that Times Square is crowded and boring - but on the other hand, I'm not sad that the grit is gone. I also think it's nice to "put all the nuts in one basket", and I can easily avoid the area, except when going to a show - and I can live with it then.

So yes, it's tacky and gross and symbolic of what's wrong with America. But on the other hand, it isn't hurting me, and it's giving (some) people what they want, and it might even be good for the local economy;

I do think this is interesting: when I read about this in the NYT yesterday, the article stated (or implied) that PopTarts brand wasn't doing well and that this was an attempt to improve sales. What's interesting is that this approach does nothing to improve the product itself. If the product isn't selling, maybe you should fix the product. (maybe they realize it isn't fixable).

[uwsister]

You don't miss transvestite hookers in Times Square? I do.

[NewYorkNewHaven]

As bokhound says, it's Times Square, the face of what's wrong with Manhattan.

[bookhound]

The shop is located in Times Square, the same place as McDonald's, Olive Garden, Bubba Gump, Dunkin Donuts, etc. etc. and this is the "flagship for whats wrong in American dining"? I consider it just another drop in the bucket.

[burgeoningfoodie]

True but if I wanted to argue.. McDs, OG and BG at least serve some semblance of food items, but I'm not arguing :-p

[roro1831]

And also the M&M store, so why not. Tourists will flock to it. If it works they are geniuses, if not, oh well. No sweat off my back either way.