Pop Goes the Waffle, a go-to breakfast spot and dessert cafe, will serve its final waffles on Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 21-22 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Owner and waffle connoisseur Sara Fludd took to social media to inform her loyal customers on why she made the decision to close her storefront.
“This isn’t something I ever wanted to post here, but unfortunately, it’s time for the waffle cafe’s doors to close—our last day at what we so fondly referred to as “Tangerine,” will be Jan. 22,” she wrote on Instagram.
The Pop Goes the Waffle storefront, located at 5004 Tangerine Ave. S in Gulfport, has been open for a little under a year.
Fludd names overarching problems like the cost of goods, inflation driving declining sales, and “economic impacts beyond our control" as reasons why she is closing her first brick and mortar. "It’s unfortunate, but we’ve just reached the tipping point where I can’t justify using the viable segments of the business to prop up the failing part."
Although she mentions feeling like a "failure" in her farewell post, several comments from customers and community members commended Fludd for her entrepreneurial spirit, reassuring her that times are hard for all small business owners in Tampa Bay.
The good news, however, is that her bright blue food truck named “Blossom” will still be up and running, slinging Fludd’s sweet treats throughout Tampa Bay once again. Pop Goes the Waffle’s wholesale division will also remain in operation, although there is currently nothing available to purchase on its website.
For its final weekend open, Pop Goes the Waffle will sell its waffle biscuit sandwiches, waffle doughnuts, grab-n-go frozen treats, and beloved liege waffles—the treat that put the small business on the map several years ago. Liege waffle flavors that you can expect at its final weekend include cinnamon toast, cookies and cream, maple bacon, Nutella and strawberry and cream.
Fludd first started her Pop Goes the Waffle food truck in 2017 and announced the opening of her debut storefront in late 2021. That same year, she also made headlines for receiving a $10,000 grant from Stacy’s Rise Project, a national incubator that helps female entrepreneurs grow their businesses.
For the latest updates on Blossom the food truck's whereabouts and the future of Pop Goes the Waffle, follow its Instagram at @popgoesthewaffle.
“This isn’t something I ever wanted to post here, but unfortunately, it’s time for the waffle cafe’s doors to close—our last day at what we so fondly referred to as “Tangerine,” will be Jan. 22,” she wrote on Instagram.
The Pop Goes the Waffle storefront, located at 5004 Tangerine Ave. S in Gulfport, has been open for a little under a year.
Fludd names overarching problems like the cost of goods, inflation driving declining sales, and “economic impacts beyond our control" as reasons why she is closing her first brick and mortar. "It’s unfortunate, but we’ve just reached the tipping point where I can’t justify using the viable segments of the business to prop up the failing part."
Although she mentions feeling like a "failure" in her farewell post, several comments from customers and community members commended Fludd for her entrepreneurial spirit, reassuring her that times are hard for all small business owners in Tampa Bay.
The good news, however, is that her bright blue food truck named “Blossom” will still be up and running, slinging Fludd’s sweet treats throughout Tampa Bay once again. Pop Goes the Waffle’s wholesale division will also remain in operation, although there is currently nothing available to purchase on its website.
For its final weekend open, Pop Goes the Waffle will sell its waffle biscuit sandwiches, waffle doughnuts, grab-n-go frozen treats, and beloved liege waffles—the treat that put the small business on the map several years ago. Liege waffle flavors that you can expect at its final weekend include cinnamon toast, cookies and cream, maple bacon, Nutella and strawberry and cream.
Fludd first started her Pop Goes the Waffle food truck in 2017 and announced the opening of her debut storefront in late 2021. That same year, she also made headlines for receiving a $10,000 grant from Stacy’s Rise Project, a national incubator that helps female entrepreneurs grow their businesses.
For the latest updates on Blossom the food truck's whereabouts and the future of Pop Goes the Waffle, follow its Instagram at @popgoesthewaffle.
