I don't mean to comment on Pinkberry but...

A friend posed a question to me today: What can a generic yogurt ice cream shop owner do to stay afloat if he/she just found out Pinkberry was moving into the neighborhood?

My answer?: "Don't even try."

I've had many of Pinkberry's valiant competitors and as much as I love rooting for the underdog I must admit that at the end of the day I'd rather have Pinkberry.

There, I said it. Now I feel dirty.

But with that said, really, what can one do? It's like being a guppy in the big blue ocean and seeing a shark heading straight toward you. *Cue Jaws theme*

Here are my personal suggestions:

1) Maintain quality fresh fruit. Some people I know are particularly picky about mangoes. Don't be sneaky and slip in the hard or sour pieces.

2) Stay open late and advertise that fact. Young people love to eat at night. LA has such a dearth of good late-night eateries.

3) Be generous on the portions. No hollow middle, please.

4) I dunno, maybe add fun stuff like a magazine rack, a flat panel screening showing music videos all day, board games ... Puri-kura machine?

Personally, I think Pinkberry's defining characteristic is that there's little creaminess to it. That's key. Even after consuming a giant bowl of dessert you still feel good about yourself. No heaviness, no feeling of utter disgust. It's simply counter-intuitive. That's why people come.