According to the International Dairy Foods Association, the average American consumes about 23 pounds of ice cream and similar frozen desserts each year. Flavor trends may come and go, but it’s a reliable, classic favorite.
“Ice cream is never going out of style,” says Greg Pryal, senior sales director at Taylor Company. “It’s trending no matter what is going on in the world. When restaurants put ice cream on the menu, they’re adding a high-profit product. It’s also a way to introduce new concepts and flavors in a way that customers will respond to.”
Many restaurant operators choose soft-serve when they start offering frozen desserts, conscious of the higher profit margins and minimal training needed. A soft-serve program also has other advantages, such as faster service, a fresher product, and the potential to start a milkshake program using the same equipment.
It makes sense to consider soft-serve, especially given the current environment of labor shortages and supply chain issues. One consideration to take into account is whether to choose pressurized equipment or “gravity” equipment—the answer depends on the operator’s unique needs.
Pressurized equipment delivers the product through a pump that puts a barrel under pressure. It offers consistency and about 30 percent more capacity and more precise control over the amount of air that ends up in the finished product (also known as overrun). Gravity equipment has a feed tube at the top of the machine to deliver the product. Without a pump assembly, cleaning becomes a simpler process.
Before buying into a program, though, operators frequently share some similar concerns.
“There’s a lot of interest in getting into frozen desserts, but there’s also hesitancy,” Pryal says.
He notes that many operators believe soft-serve machines are difficult and labor-intensive to clean, especially given chronically short staffing in the kitchen. “That’s a misconception,” he says. “Taylor Company’s distribution network not only delivers the equipment, but they also do the training and getting staff up to speed, and they offer extensive on-site support and remote diagnostics for the life of the equipment.”
Taylor Company and its distribution network work with restaurants to learn and address their specific needs. This includes options like a self-pasteurization (heat treat) line of equipment along with their standard soft-serve equipment line offering—the benefit of the heat treat line being that the operator only has to break down the equipment every 14 or 28 days. Along with these innovative equipment solutions to solve cleaning concerns, Taylor Company’s distribution network offers a Brush Butler program for heat treat equipment where a certified technician will come in on a 14- or 28-day cycle and clean the machine for the customer. “It’s a nice option for operators to outsource the cleaning process,” Pryal says.
For standard soft-serve (non-heat treat) equipment, Taylor Company also offers a Clean in Place (CIP) system called Hydra Rinse that will clean and sanitize the equipment without having to break the equipment down. “Both of these solutions are great options for operators to outsource the cleaning process, making it easier for them to consider entering the soft-serve world,” Pryal says.
When soft-serve equipment is properly maintained, its operating life can be extended, the quality of the product served to the customer is enhanced, and the equipment uptime increases. “The experienced, hands-on local support we provide is extremely important when it comes to dairy equipment,” Pryal says.
He urges restaurant operators to do their due diligence when it comes to investing in soft-serve equipment. “You need to understand that you’re entering into a 15-to-20-year relationship when you purchase a piece of equipment,” Pryal says. “It’s an important decision. Any products you buy—and any support you might need—have to hold up over the long term.”
To learn more, visit the Taylor Company website.
By Kara Phelps
