Tyrra’s Waffles-N-Cream, known for its signature dish of homemade Belgian waffles and ice cream, located on Railroad Avenue, closed its doors last Friday because of financial problems.
The owner Tyrra Carter, a 1997 graduate of FAMU’s School of Business and Industry, said after many calculations, she and her husband could no longer support the business financially. In addition to major equipment failure, Carter said slow business during the summer hit the shop really hard.
“We’d rather go out gracefully than not offer top-notch service,” she said.
For now, Carter said they don’t want to replace the shop, but she hopes they will be able to re open at some point.
Students throughout campus are disappointed with Tyrra’s closing. Dione Facey, 21, was a frequent visitor to the shop.
“The cookies were really good and if you called ahead you could get them fresh,” said the senior psychology student from Lakeland. “It was a nice little chill spot.”
When Tyrra’s Waffles and Cream opened in October 2002, Carter said business was booming.
“It was new and everyone was really excited, it was something needed,” Carter said. “We had the space and we thought it would be a nice addition to the area.”
Tamara Davenport, 20, has worked as cashier and server since the shop opened.
“It’s been really tight, I met a lot of people and we worked hard to set the home style atmosphere,” said the junior elementary education student from Virginia.
Carter said she is sad to see the shop close, but the experience, as a whole, has been great. Carter said she was thankful to everyone who supported the business, including FAMU students because they were a tremendous help.
“If not for them, we might not have survived this long,” she said.
“I’m going to miss the customers, creating new shakes and letting them taste the new flavors,” Carter said. “I got to connect with the students and make a product that people really love.”
Daneesha Davis can be reached at DANEESHA@aol.com.