Tuesday, April 03, 2007

pinkberry is infiltrating my hood

i just walked over to the farmers' market (the third and fairfax one, which i like to think of as my farmers' market (that it no longer has much to do with farmers notwithstanding)), and next to singapore's banana leaf, where a very friendly produce man used to talk to me in spanish, was a giant white ad with big pastelly bubbles and a big la times endorsement, in nonthreatening sans-serif typeface -- natch, for that deliciously tangy fluff. that's right friends, pinkberry is coming to the farmers' market. i like pinkberry, but i feel a little weird about this. like, although i'm all about going back to basics and being able to identify yogurt as yogurt and not as a vaguely chocolate tasting chemical cocktail blasted with air, i've managed to steer clear of the giant pink fadmonster that has taken over los angeles in the past year. and now it's decided to plop itself, for all intents and purpose, in my backyard.

i harbor some romantic thoughts about the farmers' market. i know, it's got its starbucks, its johnny rockets, and now a coffee bean to boot, but still, it's mostly local establishments, lots of mom-and-pops, and what may be the oldest pizza in the city. once someone at work, new to los angeles, said in passing, "i really like the food court at the grove." it made me so sad. this place predates the grove by over seventy years, and despite a cheesy old-timey gas station straight out of main street, usa, tends to have a good sense of its own history. throwing in a pinkberry, with all its light-as-air vibes, just throws things off to me.

having said all that, i complained about the grove when they first built it (and still do!), but manage to go to barnes and noble, the movie theater, the apple store, anthropologie, more than i care to admit. dancing fountains and all, the place sucks you in. i'm sure the same will occur with pinkberry. i mean, real yogurt and fresh fruit. how long can my grinchiness hold out?

7 comments:

  1. I feel ya. Really I do on everything you said. Something about the Grove is just so "typical" and "new corporate America" while the Farmer's Market is "keepin' it real" and mom and pops-ish. Pinkberry is kind of a letdown to me with all the hype. I guess I don't see it being worth the price it is more than anything. It tastes good but it's like the scene in Pulp Fiction where he tastes the $5 shake. "it's good but I don't know if it's worth 5 dollars."

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  2. Pinkberry has already infiltrated and hypnotized the weaker minds of NYC... the stuff may be good, but the buzz is just too much here. I would eat it at the Grove, but not in Midtown.

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  3. Pinkberry is taking over everywhere. They just opened in the hood of Downtown LB. I've had a store there for a few years and believe me, I can't imagine my peeps spending $4-$5 on a cup of fro yo. Can't wait for the winos to go to Pinkberry and start rambling to their imaginary friends or better yet, vomit in the middle of their Pinkberries. It's happened to me and it will happen to them and Pinkberry is worried about photography inside their store!! Wait until the area (as it frequently does) goes into a complete "lock down" mood. That's always good for business. Pinkberry may be a hit with the celbs on the west side of LA but the Downtown LB is a whole 'nother story. Best of Luck.

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  4. haha beentheredonethat -- I have this image of my head of Snoop Dogg surrounded by baby pink and mint green swirls chowing down on America's latest yogurty sweetheart. Ahh, Pinkberry in the LBC. Amazing.

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  5. Maybe this means Pinkberry is someday going to make it out to "the country" where most people think I live. Apparently, anything past the Valley is rural to some folks. It'd be nice to see what all the hype is about.

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  6. Must be addicting from the looks of the long lines! You know people will pay anything to get their fix! I guess the rumor is true...Pinkberry is really Crackberry! Should fit right in some hoods just fine. Farmers Market should thank Pinkberry everyday...like the customers of Pinkberry do...I know...it should be the other way around but hey it's Pinkberry and they have it like that. As for the celebs in LA I can see Mike Tyson doing some time over his Pinkberry plain yogart with cookies in cream at the bottom...seen him in the West Hollywood store last week. Pinkberry has hit Gotham City...and still not 'the country' huh?...I'd move.

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  7. hey blogger -- are they paying you?

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