Ringing in the new year in Wayzata is going to be accompanied by saying farewell to several well known business entities.
Gerring’s sold
Gerring’s Car Wash closed sometime around Christmas. The following notice was found posted on the door:
After 60 years of serving the Wayzata community, Gerring’s Carwash has decided to close. We thank all of our loyal customers for their support over the years. We are excited to announce that Crew Carwash, a family-owned business since 1948, will be opening at this location in Summer 2023.
Crew is known for their Clean, Fast and Friendly service and providing the Ultimate exterior-only washing experience. They look forward to serving you and will honor any pre-paid Gerring’s Carwash tickets in exchange for their best wash, the Ultimate wash. Again, it has been an Honor and a Privilege to serve you.
Thank You, The Gerring’s
Caribou closes after denial on Wayzata Boulevard
Caribou Coffee in Wayzata will also close it’s doors. The last day of operations will be January 9th, 2023 according to multiple sources.
Caribou has been a staple of the Wayzata Community for many years, a local favorite gathering hot spot.
Recent challenges to the retail community on Lake Street include the Coronavirus Pandemic and the reconstruction of Lake Street for the Panoway.
Additionally, Caribou Coffee had hoped to follow competitor Starbucks by building a drive-thru store on Wayzata Boulevard. Starbucks announced it was closing it’s Lake Street Location in 2020 after it built a modern store with a drive-thru on the more heavily traveled corridor.
An early 2022 proposal to build at the former Wayzata Texaco site located in between Edina Realty and Pennhurst Cleaners on Wayzata Boulevard was turned down by the City of Wayzata Council and Planning Commission after residents began a petition calling for the business to locate somewhere else.
The economics of coffee shops without a drive-thru appear difficult, and here are several reasons why:
- There is a ton of competition in the world of coffee.
- The revenue per customer is low compared to other business, and the time spent in the coffee shop can be high.
- Coffee shops must balance the amount they can charge for a drink with labor, rent, cost of materials, etc.
- Customer expectations can be very high when it comes to the variety and quality of the offerings.
Caribou had struggled with staffing in recent months and years. The store was open only in the mornings in recent months, and sometimes not at all.
Penny’s closed until further notice
Penny’s Coffee in Wayzata is likely dealing with some of the same economic issues, and has “closed indefinitely” in Wayzata and Minneapolis and closed permanently in Edina.
The following post on Instagram was posted in November:
The post indicated:
Hi Friends, we have some news to share with you. Our Wayzata location is currently closed until further notice.
We have limited staffing and are working on growing our team. We love our Wayzata community and greatly value our customers. We will be open again soon, ready to invite you in.
In the meantime, our downtown location is open with regular hours.
We are also hiring! Interested in working with us? Send your resume to people@pennyscoffee.com (must be 18+ & have coffee experience).
Stay tuned to Wayzata.com, your Wayzata business leader.
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