For the second straight year members of the Yelp Elite Squad in Broward-Palm Beach battled it out to see which county would reign supreme. On January 23 over 80 Elites took over Whole Foods Market (Pompano Beach) to test each other in 7 games that would challenge their skills, knowledge, agility, tastebuds and stomach capacity. At the end of the evening Palm Beach took the games for a second straight year!
It’s all fun and (Yelp) games though, as both counties celebrated with bites and sips at the conclusion of the event – with many high-fives and kind remarks exchanged — between photos of their food of course.
Check out the full recap of the games below!
The Yelp Games II: Broward VS Palm Beach kicked off with a tailgate for the ages. From Yelp tattoos and face paint to snacks and sips from our amazing sponsors: Zico, Suja Juices, KRAVE Jerky, it was the perfect kick off to what was expected to be an exhilarating evening. Our good friends from Y100 were also in the house and pumped up the adrenaline with great tunes and giveaways. After everyone had their game faces on the announcement was made: “Let the games begin!”
GAME 1 – Weighing Challenge
For the first game, teams had to weigh 3-3.5lbs of mangos, tomatoes and bananas in a relay race format. The Elites had to fill their basket with what they thought was the right weight, then make their way to the scales. If they didn’t get the correct weight, they had to dump out their baskets and start over. All of the produce was donated to a local charity after the event. Winners: Palm Beach
FUN FACT: Did you know that Whole Foods is America’s first Certified Organic Grocer?
GAME 2 – Guess The Price
For this game the two teams had to guess the price of a cut of meat, poultry and seafood! Each team had 7 prices to choose from and only three of them matched the dishes. It was a mad-dash to paste the velcro prices on the price board above each dish before the other team did. Winners: Broward
FUN FACT: Did you know that Whole Foods meat has no added hormones and no antibiotics, ever?
GAME 3 – Surprise Challenge (Dog Treat Eating)
The brave men and women that signed up for this one were in for a treat – a dog treat that is! With no prior knowledge, the teams were surprised to find out they would be crawling to their doggy bowl, eating a dog treat (made of peanut butter) and then taking a sip of water from another bowl, before giving their partner a paw, to tag them in. Winners: Palm Beach
FUN FACT: Did you know that Whole Foods has their own private label? Look out for 365 Everyday Value products in every aisle!
GAME 4 – Blind Tastebud Challenge
We asked the experts in BPB to sign up for this one and test their tastebuds! In relay format the competitors tasted a cheese, fruit, wine and beer – while blindfolded! Lined up in order of what they were trying, the first person had to guess what they were tasting before their teammate could go. In the end Palm Beach identified gouda, papaya, pinot noir and amber ale. Winners: Palm Beach
FUN FACT: Did you know that Whole Foods specialty department has everything from hand cut cheeses, local craft beers and premium chocolates?
GAME 5 – Cake Challenge
Let them eat cake! Another twist in the games came when it was announced that the teams wouldn’t just have to decorate a cake – but, eat it too! The teams of four received instructions and watched Whole Foods cake decorating expert, Matthieu, demonstrate the proper techniques to decorating a cake. Then then decorated gorgeous sugary masterpieces, before ripping them apart and devouring them! Winners: Palm Beach
FUN FACT: Did you know that Whole Foods uses no artificial coloring in their cakes? They used plant based colors made from veggies and fruits!
GAME 6 – Sushi Challenge
For this game the team from Sushi Maki trained our Yelpers on technique in sushi rolling – then challenged each county to create 3 unique rolls using a variety of ingredients from traditional (cucumber & carrots) to wacky (popcorn & pretzels). The rolls were judged on taste, look and uniqueness. Winners: Broward
FUN FACT: Did you know that Whole Foods & Sushi Maki partnership started on an flight to Japan? The two owners sat next to each other and started a conversation, the rest is history.
GAME 7 – Check Out Challenge
Heading into the last game Palm Beach held a sizable lead, but this would prove to be a tricky final game – and worth a total of 3 points! It was anyone’s game! Teams had to unload a basket, scan the items, apply the right coupon and then bag all the groceries. If the total was off by even a penny, they had to start from the beginning. Winners: Palm Beach
FUN FACT: Did you know that Whole Foods has Whole Deal coupons available on their website.
In the end Palm Beach pulled off the win – taking the Yelp Games for a 2nd straight year!
After the games, the two counties became one again as everyone celebrated, high-fived and congratulated each other on a hard fought effort. Whole Foods wasn’t done yet. They brought out a delicious spread of meatballs, empanadas, sushi and craft beer from our local favorite, Funky Buddha Brewery.
The eventing ended with cake (the folks from the cake competition skipped out on dessert for some reason?) and the entire Palm Beach team received prizes – a heavy duty Whole Foods tote bag STUFFED with goodies from cosmetics to gift cards.
Want to relive the good times – or catch up on what you missed out on? The reviews of the event can be found here. The photos (courtesy of Mavila Photography) can be found here.
Your biggest cheerleader,
Want to find out more about the Yelp Elite Squad? Check out how to get on the squad here.
