Icy dessert company Popbar coming to Market Street
For those who enjoy mixing arts with dessert, Popbar will soon be able to provide a real treat of an experience. Gelato, sorbetto, yogurt and even gelato sandwiches get turned into customizable popsicles of varying colors and flavors at this trendy dessert shop that will soon open in The Woodlands.
For those who enjoy mixing arts with dessert, Popbar will soon be able to provide a real treat of an experience. Gelato, sorbetto, yogurt and even gelato sandwiches get turned into customizable popsicles of varying colors and flavors at this trendy dessert shop that will soon open in The Woodlands.
Popbar CEO Reuben Benjehuda founded the store in 2010. Originally from Italy, he and a friend wondered if it would be possible to put gelato into a popsicle form and sell it. After opening the first Popbar in the West Village area of New York in May 2010, the idea seemed to be a hit. To appeal even more to the American market, Benjehuda added various toppings customers could choose from to add to their gelato pops.
“We had to create everything from scratch. We made it more fun by adding dippings and toppings,” Benjehuda said.
However, the business owner always stuck to the No. 1 rule: Only use natural ingredients.
Benjehuda said customers would sometimes ask why there were no multi-colored sprinkles, and he would reply that greens and blues don’t occur on sprinkles naturally. Brown chocolate sprinkles are available, but other colors are not because Popbar does not use any artificial flavors.
Popbar opened a franchise location in Houston just one month ago, and now another franchise location is coming to The Woodlands. The space is still being built and details are getting finalized, but Popbar will open in Market Street early next year.
“We’re particularly excited about this one. I think it’ll be great,” Benjehuda said.
Aside from financial management and organizational skills, one of the main factors the company looks for when selecting a franchisee is passion.
“We really try to look for someone that has a connection with the brand,” Benjehuda said.
Vanitha Pothuri, the local Popbar franchisee, has that connection, Benjehuda said.
Pothuri fell in love with the all natural ingredients as well as the look and feel of the Popbar brand. The lower calories was nice, too. She even flew to New York City twice to taste pops at the brand’s headquarters.
“I was looking for a new business venture. I saw the brand and fell in love with the brand, loved the product,” Pothuri said.
Pothuri lives in Cypress and has been a successful businesswoman for the past 12 years. A physician by trade, she owns a health care staffing business, is involved in commercial real estate and is getting into manufacturing. Now, she also owns the Houston territory for Popbar locations and plans on opening several.
Pothuri grew up with a health care background. It’s a great profession, but she felt drawn to business, she said. Her father owned a dental practice and her mother would take her up there to learn about the business aspect.
“I felt like I’ve always kind of had a forte for business. I spent a lot of time in my dad’s dental practice,” Pothuri said. “My mom taught me a lot about how to run a small business.”
Along the way, Pothuri has had failures as well as successes, but she never let them deter her. She said she has pulled from her variety of business experiences to become and effective businesswoman.
“I’ve face a lot of challenges, but I’ve learned a lot also from those challenges and failures,” Pothuri said.
She decided to open a Popbar location on Market Street because she wanted a presence in The Woodlands and loves shopping there herself. The cobblestones and old time atmosphere provide a fun and relaxing shopping environment, she added.
“I love Market Street. I just love to shop there myself. Of all the retail space in Houston, Market Street is definitely one of my favorites. I think it just has that quaint, not too large of a center feel,” she said. “It’s just somewhere relaxing. You’re not in the hustle bustle of the Galleria Mall.”
The store is expected to open sometime between mid-February and early March of 2018. Pothuri is confident that customers will have a fun time and overall great experience at the shop.
“We hope people come out and enjoy our products and enjoy the service. We want people to come out and have a great experience,” Pothuri said.
— Patricia Dillon is a features reporter for The Woodlands Villager. Contact her at her office 713-362-4433 or on Twitter: @Dillon_Villager.