Rave reviews for their Brazilian açaí bowls and exotic smoothies weren’t enough to keep Samba Bowls afloat. The eatery closed Aug. 17, just three days after announcing it and fourteen months after unveiling a cheery remake of the former Vogel’s Lock & Safe on W. Washington.
Brazilian-born founders Jamille and Lucas Chamon sold the business last December in the face of pressing family issues. Valarie Sines, from the Flint area, stepped in based on an interest in supporting an ecosystem for healthy food options. She says she’s long suffered from fibromyalgia, and her symptoms recently took an unexpected turn for the worse, limiting her ability to run the business.
She also cites disappointing foot traffic volume and the cost of downtown rent as factors in the closure. Honoring her landlord’s request, she declined to specify the rent, as they’re in negotiations to terminate the lease.
“The plan that we had is just not sustainable any longer,” Sines says.
Dallas-based Buff City Soap has closed the “makery” it launched in 2022 on Ann Arbor–Saline Rd. Founded in 2013, the retail chain features plant-based personal care and laundry products produced on-site. Its experiential business model includes “bath-bomb” parties, where groups craft their own combinations of colors and fragrances.
The company’s ambitious, private-equity-fueled expansion appears to have reached a plateau at about 240 stores across thirty states, with scattered reports of other closures emerging in recent months. The nearest remaining outlets are in Canton Twp. and Brighton.
Got a retail or restaurant change? Email [email protected]