J.P. Licks in Davis Square!

[feoh.livejournal.com]

OK, so when Krispy Kremes came to town, everybody and their uncle went screaming for donuts. Me, I think they're disgusting, but to each his own :)

Anyway, Denise's, right across from the Holland Street Davis Square T stop, just got bought out by my favorite ice cream place, J.P. Licks.

Colleen turned me on to the fact that their ice cream is better in basic areas like dairy quality, consistency and flavor rather than necessarily getting insane with wacky flavor combinations (Which can be good too, places like Christina's and Tosci's do this well. I love Tosci's ginger snap molasses ice cream, and the egg nogg ice cream around Christmas :) so I always end up getting something simple there like strawberry or sweet cream or a chocolate malted frappe and being quite happy with it.

Anyway, yay. Groovy new things opening in Davis Square. See you all around. I love walking around in this nice warm weather :)

Comments

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

Huh...I had precisely the opposite reaction. I think I would have been excited if JP Licks had bought*one* of the two Denise's, because I'd been getting sort of bored of their *lack* of flavor diversity -- they always had the same selection and all of their ice creams seemed to have the same basic approach -- "if we hit the human with enough fat, primal receptors will be very happy!" And they never had the unusual flavors (like the awesome azuki bean I had once at Christina's).

Mind you, I loved Denise's -- I was just getting a little bored, and Christina's and Tosci's aren't as convenient to me.

And now JP Licks is in and...I don't really like it. I think their ice cream has a grainy texture and the flavor is not very full. And they seem to have sacrificed some of the really excellent Denise's flavors. In other words, my reaction is *completely the opposite* of yours...huh...and yet presumably this is the same JP Licks...

But I've discovered that a candy store in Lexington Center, right near the bike path, stocks Christina's, and that's pretty convenient for me, albeit not as convenient as Davis or Arlington Center. Still, my ice cream trips may be taking me farther afield...

[ranger1.livejournal.com]

Many of my neighbors and I are not pleased about the demise of the "real" Denise's. The flavor selection has decreased. And I'm not sure what happened to the way-cool staff that worked there prior to the takeover. I didn't see any of them the last two times I was there. I hope they weren't all laid off. Davis Square won't ever be quite the same for me.

As for J.P. Licks' ice cream, I think it's alright. Nothing I'd write home about.

I suppose I should be thankful that Denise's wasn't bought out by Baskin Robbins or something even worse....

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

The ice cream is lighter, which can be good and bad.

What's with the Total Gap Staff working there now? I'm sure the staff has no control over the dress code, but it looks like they were all picked to be that safe generic middle america prototype. We miss the old staff muchly. It's funny how something intangible as character makes a place stand out. We're poorer for their absence.

[dubplate.livejournal.com]

JP Licks is a horrible distgusting company with a CHEAP Product. How can I gurauntee you that I know this? BECAUSE I WORKED for both places! JP Licks over whips the Ice Cream. There is more air and less Ice cream in the product, thus FLUFFING up the product. They also, apon purchasing Denises, promised the owner to try to keep as many loyal employees as possible on board. What they REALLY did was, (Including myself who left working JP LICKS on excellent terms after years if service and being a keyholder to all 5 stores at that point and a supervisor at the main branch in JP), FIRE US ALL! And give us an application which offered a $7.50 p/h rate. Most of us had worked there for years and were worth more than that. JP Licks Ice Cream USED to be good. But, with expansion comes sacrafices and pinches... they've pinched on ingredients. Cappucinno Crunch Used to be my favorite... I was born in 1983 and JP Licks started in 1981. Cappucinno crunch used to have LOTS of espresso toffee... now maybe one bite..... Hmm, sorbet lovers.. think about Denises sorbet vs JP Licks... Jp Licks is all ice. Anywho, my point is... Davis Square being the kind of place that it is... I URGE YOU to BOYCOTT JP LICKS. They should not sell they're slop under the Denise's name!

Interesting.

[feoh.livejournal.com]

Well this has been an eye opening experience.

So sorry to hear they shafted the former employees. Ugh, I hadn't thought JP Licks was a chain in the classic sense but it appears they are.

Seems like there's employee shafting happening in every industry now. Not even New England's sacred cow (No pun intended :) Ice Cream isn't safe.

just a voice from the other side

[cheerjess.livejournal.com]

at the same time, I'm not defending the mini-chain that JP Lick's is, but they recieved a call the week Denise's was shutting down, an offer to buy it, and they took it. Controversial move-in yes, but the place has been getting packed and most people still get ice cream once they hear it is no longer Denise's, and most of those people come back.

(I was hired there the first week...and took the job as I needed extra income...but I'm quitting soon for personal reasons)

Re: just a voice from the other side

[feoh.livejournal.com]

No, thanks very much for chiming in.

Honestly I don't think J.P. Licks are to be viewed
as the guys wearing the black hats.

I must admit having dealt with them (in their Brookline and Newton locations) for YEARS and having met some of the people involved it seemed very out of character for them to enact a hostile
take over complete with the usual dirty tricks, and thank goodness based on your information it sounds like that in fact didn't happen.

I've also noticed groups of happy people eating ice cream around the outside tables in Davis (actually more than were ever there when Denise's was around) and they all seem quite happy and some seem to be coming back.

Anyway, let's keep patronizing those locally owned businesses we like and expressing our vocal opposition to gentrification in all its guises.

Re: just a voice from the other side

[dubplate.livejournal.com]

Well, I worked at JP Licks for about 3 years... and you learn one thing... THEY LIE! It does not take a week to sell a store. They knew they were buying it for SEVERAL weeks... almost months.. AND due to contract, The Denise's owners couldn't tell us this. It's a breech of contact. Which sucks because for most of us.. that was our only job. It still sucks and I stand by saying that they sell a shitty product. So I mean, I don't know what they told you.. obviously they're gonna make themselves look like the good guys, but it was BS. It was cheaper to hire new kids at $7.50 than keep the people who made Denise's stand out.