Comfy Cow opening in Clifton today

[Robin Garr]

They really got the new building up fast over the Superfund Site that had been the former Genny's.

I'm sure the guys are proud that they got open before the new Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen that decided to open across the street.

I ran into co-owner Tim at Heine's the other day, and he mentioned - with a big wink - that this Comfy Cow will be the only one in town that has homemade pies and cakes. I think they're probably going to wipe out HIC&PK at that location.

We will be there! So very excited, but I think my scale is going to revolt.

[Robin Garr]

We will be there! So very excited, but I think my scale is going to revolt.

Mary says we can go to Comfy Cow for ice cream only if we walk both ways. It's about one mile from our house, so that's doable ...

What do you have against the HIC& PK? A so called General Store opened a few years ago in Georgetown, and took bits of several businesses, myself, the Feed Store and another eating establishment. The owner made no bones about stealing ideas etc. They have now closed and the business is for sale. If Comfy Cow don't normally have homemade pies and cakes, then I think it is a bit underhand to suddenly start doing them at one location. Just my thoughts.

They really got the new building up fast over the Superfund Site that had been the former Genny's.

I'm sure the guys are proud that they got open before the new Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen that decided to open across the street.

I ran into co-owner Tim at Heine's the other day, and he mentioned - with a big wink - that this Comfy Cow will be the only one in town that has homemade pies and cakes. I think they're probably going to wipe out HIC&PK at that location.

Comfy Cow does have homemade cakes, cookies, pies, and ice cream and IMO are all superior to anything HIC&PK produces.

last time i was at comfomy cow, i needed a small loan from gus goldsmith...

If Comfy Cow don't normally have homemade pies and cakes, then I think it is a bit underhand to suddenly start doing them at one location.

But you don't think it was a bit underhanded for HPIC to decide to open a store across the street from Comfy Cow immediately after CC announced their plans?

I don't see it as underhanded on anyone's part. It seems like good ol competition to me.

oh no! I have two new great dessert options in the Clifton area, and right across the street from my all time favorite pizza place.

Life just keeps getting harder....

Yeah, I do. I guess I just don't understand why two competing places would open next door to or across the street from each other. Running a food service business is hard enough without having to deal with close competition. I don't do pizzas for the simple reason that there is a pizza restaurant in Georgetown and I think it is only fair if they get all the pizza business. And don't give me that old standby that competition is good, because it isn't. There is only a certain amount of disposable income to be spent on food, so if people are confronted by two ice cream/pie options then one of them is going to lose out. That is why I was so pissed off when the "General Store" started doing ice cream and espressos. There was no need for it. A general store in my opinion should sell bread, milk and basic groceries which would have been of enormous value in the middle of Georgetown not straw, saddles, burgers and ice cream.

If Comfy Cow don't normally have homemade pies and cakes, then I think it is a bit underhand to suddenly start doing them at one location.

But you don't think it was a bit underhanded for HPIC to decide to open a store across the street from Comfy Cow immediately after CC announced their plans?

[Robin Garr]

What do you have against the HIC& PK?

Nothing, really, Alison. It's just that there's competition, and then there's competition. A direct competitor moving in across the street seems a little pushy. Sort of like when Whole Foods came to town and set up about 1/4 mile from the original Wild Oats. It was well known that those two were fierce competitors, and Whole Foods was known for doing this in an effort to push the competition down. In the case of Whole Foods vs Wild Oats, on a national level, it obviously worked.

Now, I like HIC&PK. I liked it all the way back when it was a single, family-owned operation in the Highlands. When a new owner came in and started a rapid expansion, I thought quality took a hit in both product and service. TO THEIR CREDIT, I think new management recognized that and took the firm's quality - and its reputation - back up. Good for them.

But I don't think they're on the same level as Comfy Cow, and I do think the across-the-street move looks a little in-your-face. As for Comfy Cow, they did offer pies and cakes originally at the Westport Village location, but went back to ice cream only because they wanted to concentrate on their core competency. In the face of a direct competitive approach by HICEtc., though, I don't blame them in the slightest for responding in this way.

Now we have TJ's setting up shop a stone's throw from WF.

[Robin Garr]

Now we have TJ's setting up shop a stone's throw from WF.

Not really comparable, though. Whole Foods and Wild Oats were direct competitors; so are Comfy Cow and HIC&PK. Whole Foods and TJ's both sell food, yeah but their niches are so different that I don't think either one will draw much from the other. But you know this, I'm sure.

Robin, I quite agree with you. I was not aware that Comfy Cow announced their intended move before HIC&PK did. I agree that the owner of Comfy Cow has every right to get his little dig in. In England, by every Mothercare outlet one whould find an Our Price Record store, and I am sure that there are plenty of examples of this here in the States. They are, however, completely different businesses, so nobody loses.

What do you have against the HIC& PK?

Nothing, really, Alison. It's just that there's competition, and then there's competition. A direct competitor moving in across the street seems a little pushy. Sort of like when Whole Foods came to town and set up about 1/4 mile from the original Wild Oats. It was well known that those two were fierce competitors, and Whole Foods was known for doing this in an effort to push the competition down. In the case of Whole Foods vs Wild Oats, on a national level, it obviously worked.

Now, I like HIC&PK. I liked it all the way back when it was a single, family-owned operation in the Highlands. When a new owner came in and started a rapid expansion, I thought quality took a hit in both product and service. TO THEIR CREDIT, I think new management recognized that and took the firm's quality - and its reputation - back up. Good for them.

But I don't think they're on the same level as Comfy Cow, and I do think the across-the-street move looks a little in-your-face. As for Comfy Cow, they did offer pies and cakes originally at the Westport Village location, but went back to ice cream only because they wanted to concentrate on their core competency. In the face of a direct competitive approach by HICEtc., though, I don't blame them in the slightest for responding in this way.

We will be there! So very excited, but I think my scale is going to revolt.

Mary says we can go to Comfy Cow for ice cream only if we walk both ways. It's about one mile from our house, so that's doable ...

That's how it starts. The other Comfy Cow is less than a mile from our house. And so we walked back and forth. It's called Comfy Cow, though, because after repeated eating, you begin to resemble one. Then you'll start riding your bicycle. After your 100th cone, you'll be taking the car. After your 200th cone, you'll enlist people to drive your car for you so you don't have to press the accelerator.

Their Smores ice cream (only there occasionally) is absolutely to die for. Despite the fact that I now have to be rolled out my front door due to this evil, frozen scourge upon mankind, it is worth the heli-lift to eat that one.

My dear fiancee feels the same about their red velvet cake ice cream.