Two local businesses — The Sweetness, an ice cream shop, and Fair Trade Cafe — have parted ways after 11 months of doing business together.
Both Fair Trade locations, in Civic Space Park and at Central Avenue and Roosevelt Street, will still serve ice cream, but The Sweetness owner Jesse Robinson will no longer be serving up the scoops.
On Sept. 26, Robinson met with Fair Trade owners Stephanie Vasquez, Michele Lavis-White and Jean White to discuss the partnership between the two businesses. Originally, Robinson had signed a one-year lease with Fair Trade.
“He was behind on his financial responsibilities and unfortunately we are a small business and we couldn’t afford to bear that financial responsibility anymore,” Vasquez said.
Like most downtown restaurants, both Fair Trade and The Sweetness faced difficulties this summer due to the Arizona heat and lack of ASU students frequenting their businesses. The financial problems, however, started long before the slow summer months, Vasquez said.
Robinson had been late on rent payments and still owes Fair Trade rent, electricity and supply money since June. In August, Fair Trade also covered the cost of ice cream for Robinson. This amount was $140, Robinson said. Vasquez declined to share more financial details in order to protect Robinson’s reputation.
“We really do wish him the absolute best,” Vasquez said.
On Sept. 27, Robinson initially tweeted that The Sweetness was out of business. He posted on his website a clarification of what was actually happening with Fair Trade.
“I am no longer doing business with Fair Trade,” Robinson wrote. “If you go in to the Roosevelt location there is a big hole where my dipping cabinet used to be. But contrary to my knee-jerk tweet, The Sweetness LLC is not out of business; it is just homeless for the time being.”
During the meeting, Robinson told Fair Trade that if he could continue selling until the end of October or the beginning of November, he would pay them the money he owed in full by the end of October. Later in the meeting he suggested they end the partnership.
Fair Trade agreed to end the partnership and said it did not want Robinson to continue operating his business in the coffee shop, Robinson said. Vasquez said they would have allowed Robinson to stay if he would pay a $40 per week good-faith payment. They also considered a commercial equipment exchange, where Fair Trade would take his equipment in replacement of the money he owed them.
Robinson and the Fair Trade owners could not come to an agreement on this either, however, resulting in Robinson removing his equipment from the Roosevelt location himself directly following the meeting.
Robinson still plans to pay back the money he owes Fair Trade Cafe but he isn’t sure when he will be able to.
The next steps for The Sweetness are uncertain, but Robinson has recently formed a partnership with New Orleans Sno Ball at Seventh Street and Bethany Home Road. The details of this partnership are still being negotiated.
Cupcakes from the Crypt, a Johnny Cupcakes event originally to be held at The Sweetness on Oct. 19, will now be held at The Lab 137 at Sixth and Roosevelt streets. Robinson said the venue change is appropriate and Johnny Cupcakes is excited about the new location.
Robinson said he has received an outcry of public support since his departure on Sept. 26.
Sustainability sophomore Alex Novak said she was sad to see that Robinson was no longer working at Fair Trade.
“It’s sad because it’s really good ice cream and he is really friendly. Just last week I had a good conversation with him about Johnny Cupcakes,” Novak said.
Novak said she would visit Robinson if he opens in a new location near the light rail.
Fair Trade Cafe would be open to including an additional business partner in the future, Vasquez said.
“The concept of having a business within a business is something we are all about,” Vasquez said.
Fair Trade will continue to sell Karen’s Kreamery ice cream, the same ice cream The Sweetness sells.
“It’s about having what the customers expect,” Vasquez said.
The ice cream will be at both Fair Trade locations, although there will be different flavors at each location to offer variety. Robinson was upset after hearing that Fair Trade would continue selling ice cream.
“They are now selling the same ice cream to the same customer base that I helped build,” Robinson said.
Contact the reporter at jessica.boehm@asu.edu
