In the first, case, the market never takes off, the business dies, and everyone forgets about it.
In the second case, the market takes off, and the business becomes insanely successful. The companies formerly known as Apple Computer and Micro-Soft are recent examples.
But there is a third case, in which the market takes off, but the company that establishes the market ends up losing out to an established firm that muscles in to the industry.
Cereality appears to be the third case.
As I previously discussed, back in 2004 the Cereality chain of restaurants - places where you could eat cereal in various forms - was supposed to be the next hot thing. By 2015, Cereality was reduced to a spot at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, and a second location at a Richmond, Virginia hospital.
As of today, the locations remain the same.
But there's a competitor coming to a major city, New York City. While New York City may not be suitable for salsa, it's certainly suitable for fancified cereal.
With white-painted brick walls and chalkboard art, this is not your mother’s cereal or your grandmother’s porridge. Forget hot cereal, this is haute cereal with big name talent, locally sourced ingredients served fresh.
And your way, of course. The build-your-own option exists for the discerning cereal eater, meaning that if you just don’t feel like you’ve had breakfast until almond butter and green tea powder are part of the lineup, you’re all set.
In some respects, this is really really similar to the Cereality concept, although I don't recall Cereality going into locally sourced ingredients and the like.
But there's one big difference between the new place in New York, and the existing Cereality places in Texas and Virginia.
One of the backers of the New York location is Kellogg's. Perhaps you've heard of them. Anyone who passes by Kellogg's NYC will certainly know what's being sold there.
Which leaves Cereality bobbing in its (non-locally sourced) milk.
