As I walked out of Pinkberry last night (make that last Saturday) in SOHO with my raspberry (super fresh), Crispy Crunch, Fruity Pebbles yogurt, I was chatting with my wife trying to explain the phenomenon I thought this chain was capable of becoming. Considering that this was desert on top of a Lombardi’s pizza in SOHO (my favorite pizza in the world), I should have been explaining the phenomenon that is my belly.

I think it was a new store, the only previous one I had ever seen was in Midtown.

As we walked out (the place was packed), a group of twenty something girls were walking in screeching what is now the title for this post.

WTF Ellen said to me. Why?

I think that some people just ‘tap into’ the right vibe. I looked at Cereality six or so months ago and passed. It was not any one thing and it’s interesting to look back at all the comments . The stores just seemed to be lacking something. Now that I have been to Pinkberry a few times, it seems obvious:

1. Small, but incredibly hip, contemporary design

2. Big City, high traffic, early adopter clientelle that spreads the word if they like it. Obviously this is a risky, expensive strategy, but pays huge dividends for growth if successful.

3. The name and brand. I am ‘so’ not an expert here and that’s why I was attracted to Cereality in the first place. I LOVE CEREAL. I think the big win for PinkBerry is that they offer cereal, but that’s as an afterthought to you getting ‘healthy?’ yogurt. A trap. It’s considered a Yogurt and Fresh Fruit snack despite all the sugar possibilities as toppings.

Anyways, I love seeing an idea executed well. Cereality would do well to check out their stores. Pinkberry is a winner.

PS – One thing they need to do ASAP tweak is the ordering process and ‘flow’ of the stores. They do have a good problem though…lines and a tiny footprint. That equals buzz and excitement.