Village Tart Review: Village Tart versus supply and demand
There’s a funny thing about supply and demand, which is that usually when you have a lot of supply with a constant demand, then the prices will fall. Here, for example, imagine you’re running a drug cartel, would you want fifty other folks doing the same thing, or more like five others doing the same thing? In that business, I presume that you just off your competition. It doesn’t really work like that here in the food world. In fact, prices don’t seem to behave normally in the food world. Last week I wrote a little bit about DT Works, the new store front for the guys who ran The Dessert Truck. This past weekend I went to Village Tart. So the city gets another dessert centric place. Cupcakes, cheesecakes, and cute little tarts. This city can’t seem to get enough of it. Sure I understand if the demand is super high, then the city is able to support all of these places at the same time. And the prices they demand will all be justified. But you know, what I really hope for is that we end up with excess supply, and that the prices come down. Because in order to get dessert in this city, you gotta hand over your wallet.
I suppose this whole story was my fault. See I saw there were two pieces of this grapefruity tart. One was way smaller than the other one. So I simply asked for a piece, when instead I should have asked for the bigger piece. You know, get more for my buck. The discrepancy really dawned on me when I heard the guy ask the girl next to him what to do about the bigger piece and she said that they can’t cut it up because the remainder would be too small to be served. So I’m just standing there thinking, “Stupid idiot. Shoulda asked for the bigger one.”
This tart cost something like $4.75 before tax. It was small. Nothing at Village Tart really screams value at you when you look at their counter. They’re supposed to start menu service soon but when I went, it was just a bakery counter. Maybe it’s just me being stingy (and this definitely has come to bite me in the past before), but with all the choices out there, I would have assumed there would be one that offered a good value. Sadly I’m not able to say that about Village Tart just yet. I wasn’t able to say it about DT Works either. So maybe desserts should be something I eat once in a blue moon, that way I won’t notice so much how much things cost.
While we’re on the subject of supply and demand, I want to talk about another issue where this is getting some press. Apparently my favorite Governor is trying to get supermarkets the ability to sell wine. Now this may sound ludicrous to you, but I grew up in the suburbs and you know, it’s no big deal to see wine or alcohol in super markets. This wasn’t always the case but when they started doing it, I didn’t really blink an eye. Wine sellers and stores do not like this idea at all because then the supermarkets will undercut prices and steal business away from the wine stores. What do I think about that? Awesome. Look, I work in an industry that’s being over-taken by the country of India. And I’m pretty sure that at some point before I turn 40, I’ll have to deal with the harsh realities of changing careers. If someone else out there can do something just as well and cheaper? Well they’re gonna steal some business. The real question you should ask yourself is… Does my wine person at the store actually do ANYTHING for me?
If the answer is an emphatic yes, then the wine guys have nothing to worry about. If your product and service is superior, then why would loyal customers leave? Now if the wine stores only stay afloat because they count on bozos like me who know nothing about wine to buy…. well maybe their business plan was flawed from the start. I feel like in the food world, there’s always this desire to protect the mom & pop-ness of the world. In the real world, we’re afraid for small business as they fight against the pricing powers of huge companies, and the consequences of over-supplying good. But in the food world, only small businesses thrive and a glut of supply seem to do nothing for prices.
Village Tart86 Kenmare St.New York, NY 10012212-226-4980
Posted by Danny on February 2, 2010 at 4:08 pm
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