Goodbye Herrell's, Hello Allston Cafe

To the average Allstoner, the name change would appear to be nothing more than a blip on their radar, merely a new location nomenclature to keep on the button. The actual cafe hasn't changed, and thanks to the work of Page Masse, Derek Brown, and Marc Cooper it will retain the same spirit and originality that have made it such a welcoming place for locals, visiting prospective college students, hipsters, homeless folk, artists, old people, babies, and yes, your spare maverick.

For anyone who has visited Herrell's locations outside of Allston's borders, they would have found an entirely different ice cream store, where the focus of the shop is merely business. Hop on the 66 over to Harvard Square and see Herrell's for what the company's owner Judy Herrell wants you to see it. Sure, the ice cream is as tasty as ever, but there's a slight sterile feel to the place, probably inspired by the droll color scheme and simple customer-worker relationship that the place seems to breed. It certainly does not make for the friendliest place to snack on ice cream, and certainly no more memorable than any of the countless of other chains one can toss a stick at in any odd city.

So with the white banner of the Allston Cafe proudly announcing not defeat to the corporate machine but surrender to their individualism and homebred spirit flying high, this Bostonist can do nothing but appreciate and support the act. Sure, the economy is, well, pretty terrible, but the cafe at 155 Brighton Avenue has always drawn in customers; with the information that the store is celebrating its independent spirit and casting off the chains of corporate interest out in the public, Bostonist can only see great things continue for this must-see Allston store.