If you were to tell me 10 years ago that there would be specialty [gourmet] cupcake shops in every major city - all equipped with a "cupcake ATM" for after-hours - I probably would have laughed at you said... yes, but only in Vegas. Admittedly the concept is still odd to me = $4.25+ for a cupcake seems ridiculous to me when people are complaining about gas being $2.50 a gallon. Even as popular as Sprinkles is - and cupcakes in general - I don't really understand the craze.
As you can tell, I'm quite the life of a party.
First and foremost, the cupcake that I tried was good. My girlfriend got the red-velvet out of the cupcake ATM. However, although it was good it wasn't the BEST I've ever had. Maybe that is due to it coming out of the machine versus coming hot out of the oven.
Prior to going to the ATM we went inside. There was another couple in there just standing there. Not sure if they made a massive order or if they were waiting too but there was a grand total of about 12 cupcakes out on the racks at that time. Nobody greeted us or let us know what the scoop was despite us sticking out faces all over the glass trying to see the small remaining selection.
I kind of put Sprinkles in the same category as Starbucks. Sure, they are good, but they you are paying for it dearly. They have ever-so-cleverly figured out how to ensnare people into their culture - whatever that may be - to get them to continue to come back and to sing praises to all their friends when away. Come to think of it, maybe it isn't culture... but a CULT? LOL.