Pink Dot has found a new niche — literally. Last week, the iconic brand and grocery delivery service opened a new spinoff business model, Pink Dot Xpress, in the cozy back corner of the courtyard between Equinox and Soul Cycle in “The Sunset.”
The store’s layout — display walls lined up side to side for maximum efficiency in the narrow corridor — mimics the newsstand that it replaced.
Pink Dot Xpress’ location may seem inconspicuous, but that’s far from the case. Owner Sol Yamini and his business partner, Jeff Danzer (better known as JeffThe420Chef), have curated the store’s inventory specifically for the Equinox crowd. Instead of chips, candy and booze, Pink Dot Xpress offers a sprawling assortment of healthy snacks and boutique beverages — kombuchas, energy drinks, all kinds of protein bars — with lower price tags than you might find at Erewhon.
Many of the products they sell are from home-grown local companies like Lexington Bakes.
The bakeshop stocks the Xpress with “consciously baked luxury treats” (i.e. brownies, cookies and blondies) made with a concept they’ve trademarked “Radical Ingredient Transparency.”
“We believe the best ingredients are natural and ethically sourced with kindness and respect for people and the planet,” owner Lex Evan said. Evan has already seen the customer reach the Xpress is providing.
“Working with Jeff and Pink Dot has been incredible. It’s challenging for emerging brands, especially food brands, to build an audience online,” Evan said. “We occasionally host pop-ups around the city, but having a conveniently accessible spot in LA for our fans to pick up our treats is wonderful.”
The Afterbars on the Xpress’ shelves are also local. Blake Godlove and his company created what they call the “first muscle recovery protein bar” — made with plant-based protein, Upcycled Citrus CBD, and superfood ingredients — in order to “fill the gap between flavor and function that you find in most protein bars,” he said. “Either they taste great and have terrible ingredients/macronutrient profile; or great macros, but terrible taste or texture.”
Like Evan, Godlove feels fortunate to have his products sold here.
“Pink Dot Xpress provides a unique opportunity for West Hollywood locals to support products that were born and bred in their backyard, while helping companies like ours reach the community,” Godlove said. “Pink Dot, and especially Jeff, have been so incredibly supportive from the jump.”
If the encouraging signs continue, you can expect more Xpresses, Yamini said.
“This is our first location and if this pilot works for Pink Dot Xpress, we are going to scale into other locations similar to this one,” Yamini said. “So far, this location has been a hit for the center, the locals and for the offices and businesses nearby.”
Pink Dot Xpress is located in the back of “The Sunset” shopping center (Sunset Plaza area) at 8570 Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood. They’re open from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays, Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. Sunday morning.
Pink Dot, the parent company, was recently honored with the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce’s Creative Business Legacy Award for 2022. In 2003, a then-23-year-old Sol Yamini took over the struggling company, and in the two decades since, he revamped the brand and fostered its reputation into the globally recognized, cutting-edge franchise all across the United States it is today.
Very smart business move. Captive audience. Between two fitness studios. I’m wondering if they will deliver all of these products, from their delivery location. That might also be a good idea.
I wonder if this would work near Crunch fitness, at the 8000 Sunset complex. Not as much traffic as two fitness centers, but there are a lot of other businesses there, and I believe there is an open storefront. Although the protein shake place did eventually go under, but they really just sold merchandise and protein shakes.
Why is everything in West Hollywood termed “Iconic”?
This is a glorified snack stall @ Sunset Plaza.
It’s the first of its kind in the area. It’s pretty necessary, we’ve needed something like that for a while. And for a big name like Pink Dot to do it, I feel like it’s something iconic.
So happy to see a local mainstay not only grow, but surpass its roots and do so with the community it started in.
Nice coverage.
Are they expensive or not ridiculously priced?
I’m guessing they are expensive, being next to the crowd that can afford to work out at Soul Cycle and/or Equinox.