I’ve always had the impression that Sprinkles was trying too hard to be the Starbucks of cupcake shops. The overtly branded “cupcake experience” style of marketing they do has always rubbed me the wrong way. But to be fair, I figured I had to witness that experience first hand, to give them a chance to win me over. So, while in Los Angeles for a few days, I took the opportunity to visit their flagship store in Beverly Hills (a few blocks down from Rodeo Drive).

I discovered that the more I try to harsh on the Sprinkles buzz, the more I run into another brilliant little innovation of theirs. In person I found their color coding system of flavors confusing, and the menu painted on their back wall hard to decipher. I was ready to slam them for it right here on this blog (and I guess I kind of just did). But then I discovered that their knives and forks are made out of wood, just like a popsicle stick, with the Sprinkles logo burned into them. Damn I wish I’d thought of that.

Sprinkles is a streamlined, spartan operation — a food boutique, for sure. And will ultimately become a cupcake juggernaut, much like Starbucks before it. But competition is what pushes you forward and keeps you innovating, and we couldn’t ask for a better competitor.