Imagination! Innovation! Creation!

So.... yesterday I received an extremely disturbing picture from Sarahthebest taken from somewhere in Philly that if I had to guess, was the side of a bus. It seems that our brainstorming and birth of the tagline "Spring It On!" and subsequent plastering said tagline on our website, in the stores and in a print ad in the South Philly Review was not original text! Chevy or Ford or GMC (all the same to me baby) is using it to sell cars this spring in print! Plagiarize did we? No way, man! Each day is a reaffirmation that there has never been an original thought in some 5000 years. Someone, somewhere has thunk it and if you are smart enough to take legal action to make it your own, it's yours!! You win as the owner and proprietor of a not original idea, most likely. There is a Capogiro music store in Italy and a lesbian discoteca in Milano, Italy sharing the name as well. Head spinning all around!! Anywho, we are abandoning "Spring It On!" like the jeggings trend. It looked good for a while, but now that the entire school is wearing them (including the cute boys) they seem cheap, unimaginative and disappointing, if you know what I mean.

Ahhhhh, innovation. Not so easy is it? Sometimes it is just as challenging to create a new product with a twist on something tried and true. We have all seen Top Chef, no? They are always trying to invent something new from something old. Padma: "Take this disgusting inedible Hot Pocket and please make something that Grant Aschatz would serve and make sure you eliminate the gas, bloating and self-hatred aftermath. Our guest judge is....Paris Hilton." Paris: "Make something Hot." Cut to Paris trying the "new"amazing haute cuisine pockets.

It is truly impossible at times. So, we have taken the King Cone. You know the King, right? Well, we are making the King Cone. So delicious, even when you realize after you have peeled off the paper, bit into the icy ice cream and noticed that the cone is slightly soggy and chocolate tastes like chocolate flavored crisco. You have to be careful, because sometimes even if YOU think it is awesome, some may not. They like the original hot pockets and shun the haute. The original can be absolutely awesome, BUT we can improve, we can make it better, we can make it....BIONIC?

BIONIC CONES! So, what do we have here, taking into consideration that the King Cone did not have a parachuting accident? How could we possibly improve? Take an imported hand rolled cone from France, coat the interior with Valhrona dark chocolate, fill with Nocciola Gelato made with Italian hazelnuts, cover with same Valhrona chocolate and top with sliced toasted hazelnuts. I would say that we have improved (even though our cone cannot pop tennis balls) and kept the essence, the idea and the integrity of the mighty King Cone intact. Yes, sometimes it is hard to improve on things you love, even when they might not be that delicious. I love my cheeseburger with American cheese. Sure, a molten center of blue cheese is awesome, but when it comes down to a cheeseburger, which I grind my own meat (I am that serious, yo) I want American. John always wants provolone. You have to be careful. I think this King Cone is worthy. Looks good no?

I just have to say one last thing about jeggings. Please stop. They are not sexy. If I were 17 and a guy was wearing these, I would run. Run away like Jaime Sommers.