Walking into The Yard, I was greeted immediately by a sugary, sweet smell and a family of four eating four equally decadent looking treats. The Yard on Telegraph Avenue serves edible cookie dough, vegan and non-vegan ice cream, and specialty milkshakes with campy names like “Cereal Killer” and “Mermaid,” colored brightly with synthetic food dye and heaped with toppings such as donuts, cupcakes and sprinkles. The Yard demonstrates an opportunity to observe how families interact with children, how to connect with your inner child, and how customers perform identity when ordering, ultimately serving how desserts can reflect larger social structures.Â
Family interactions at The Yard highlight the ideals of childhood, perception, and parenting. Children often express excitement and beg for the most extravagant or colorful option, while parents negotiate between desires and appearing as responsible to the public. In general, kids often lead the way, and parents are often left to negotiate or limit the extent of their desires, wondering aloud how the “milkshake got so blue” and the best way to take the leftover desserts for later. However, many adults choose to try the same fun desserts that kids do, and worry about being judged for it. Ordering behavior of a dessert itself becomes a form of expression, highlighting how consumer choices are shaped by what may be seen as “adult” or “too childish.”
Ordering behavior of a dessert itself becomes a form of expression, highlighting how consumer choices are shaped by ideas and cultural appropriateness. While the menu presents milkshakes and edible cookie dough as playful and fun, different options hold different social values. It’s temporarily acceptable for children to enjoy colorful and sprinkle-coated desserts. In this kind of society, there’s almost a time limit to enjoying overtly indulgent and colorful foods. In this sense, ordering desserts has become an act of value with the pressing reminders of a time limit. Ordinary consumer behavior has become an act saturated by classification and comparison.Â
The Yard on Telegraph Avenue may seem like any other sweet treat destination, however, it demonstrates the persistence of sociology in every aspect of your life. The way you eat, order, and choose to behave in public speaks true to this. While it may be acceptable for toddlers to order fanciful colorful creations, adults often wonder the social implications of ordering something bright and unusual. By examining family interactions, the street of Telegraph itself and the nature of ordering desserts, consumer choices represent broader norms, public performance, and rankings. The Yard demonstrates how everyday actions illuminate deeper truths of human behavior.