Smackdown Saturday!

It's like professional wrestling for major retail chains...

Smackdown Saturday is easy to understand...for most people. I am going to compare two very similar businesses. How similar you ask? Yankees and Patriots similar. Richard Pyror and Mitch Hedberg similar. See what I'm saying? Well, like I said "most people". Like all of the weeklies there are some simple rules. One, I have to have been to both places at least three times and sampled a variety of their products. Secondly, I will tell you some strong and weak points of each. Last but not least, they have to be almost lawsuit worthy similar. I'll let you know which one is worth your time and New Adult budget. Want to hear my qualifications? Well, I can cook, eat, and go places. Also I am a jackass which is basically like having a PhD. in everything. Some of the chains won't be everywhere, so I will make liberal comparisons with national brands.

This week on Smackdown Saturday:



VS.

Both of these places are riding the new trend of frozen yogurt, which sure beats the health pants out of the rise in privately owned cupcake bakeries. In all fairness Pinkberry probably started the wave of new yogurt chains, but Menchie's was the first to let you buy it by the ounce and customize yourself. They are both certainly trend setters, but who's the best TCBY remake? Let's find out.

This will always be an issue with Smackdown Saturday so we might as well get it out of the way: Who came first? Pinkberry was founded in 2005 in L.A., wow something trendy from Los Angles...weird. Menchie's came along 2 years later also from Callie, but this time from San Fernando. I assume they probably knew Pinkberry existed and one uped them with the customization.
I'd give Pinkberry the points for creativity here, but let's not forget they were just copying the frozen yogurt trend of the 1980's. Sure they moderned it up, but Menchies added a real twist. Also check out this: a frozen yogurt chain called Red Mango opened 3 years before it in 2002 with an obviously identical appearance to Pinkberry. Look it up. Originality goes to Menchie's.

Variety: Pinkberry offers 9 flavors at a time and rotates seasonally. Menchie's offers around 14 and rotates them almost daily. Menchie's also has about 100 total to Pinkberry's 50. I think Menchie's has the second win.

Quality: Both yogurt companies have pretty even flavor as far as just the yogurt goes. I'll be honest I was giving Menchie's a slight edge because of their Dulce De Leche, but then I had Pinkberry's Salted Caramel and the heavens opened up John Lennon's ghost leading an angel band. So good. There have been some complaints that Pinkberry's yogurt isn't actually yogurt, but that's by silly California standards so we'll ignore it. When we are honest though Menchie's gets the win, and here's why. We all really just eat frozen yogurt because its healthier than ice cream right? Ice cream is better, shut up hippie it is. Menchie's yogurt tastes like ice cream, while Pinkberry's taste like yoplait but more yogurty. Menchie's slam dunks this one.

Value: A medium at Pinkberry will run you around $6.75 with toppings. Menchie's has an infinite amount of sizes at $0.45 and ounce so I can't really compare it. Wait, yes I can. Menchie's lets you chose how much you buy and what you get for it. That's a hard argument to beat. Pinkberry's employee's carefully weight how much you get so you're never cheated, but it's hard to beat however you want it. Menchie's gets the golden spoon here. They even clearly mark if it's kosher for goodness sake.

Experience: Pinkberry's staff is very friend and happy to let you sample (atleast here in Buckhead it is). Menchie's staff doesn't interact so much, but that's really because Menchie's is more about you doing the fun part. Pink's has a cool modern decor inside it's store and you feel like an awesome hipster astronaut eatting there, but aside from that there is nothing to really set it about from TCBY. Menchie's is just as much an experience as it is a yogurt shop. You come in grab a bowl and some tasting cups and run around like a chicken child in a chicken candystore with its chicken head cut off. You are a mad scienctist making a crazy yogurt creature. It's fun and tasty. Oh, and you're surronded by Japanesse style advertisment cartoon characters. I hate to have it this one sided, but Menchie's wins again. Promise I didn't get paid. If either of you wants to pay me Yogurt CEOs, feel free.

The winner is:

Honest, both chains are excellent. I loved Menchie's, but Pinkberry was only what I expected. 

Good comparing Experts.

Pick of the day: Who's going to get the throne? Swordplay? Just word-play...Alright, cool. 

Watch the Throne

Jay-Z and Kanye West

True love.