Ice Cream Help!

[beejaykc aka Munch A Bunch]

My big location wants to kick out the vendor that has a MiniMelt machine in the common area next to the water park entrance.  They leave the machine out of order for days/weeks on end.  Even in the summer.  They've asked me if I want to put one in or something similar.

 

Thoughts on what kind of machine?

The location viability is not in question.  I have 5 other machines there and they do well.  Current vendor sells MiniMelts at $4.00 each.

 

 

I like the MiniMelt or Dip-n-Dots products.....but I can't seem to find a supplier.  Vistar doesn't carry much of that product style.

 

Should I look at other freezer machines and do a variety of ice cream products......or is there another national supplier that I can buy the "dot" style product from?

 

I have a Wittern MPZ in the breakroom at this same property that I converted to all freeze.  Seems to work well for ice cream but I really have to do a good job getting the right spirals in place.  It's not the cheapest machine.....and quite frankly, NOT being a chest freezer with robotics has it's drawbacks too if the power goes out.  LOL

 

 

 

Thanks in advance!!

 

 

[AZVendor]

Just find a good condition Fastcorp F631 or Z400 (pricier) and do regular ice cream items in it.  You should be able to get the same higher than normal pricing as mini melts had as this is a public location and you know you will do killer business in the summer.  Either Fastcorp machine is robotic like what was there before.  The F631 is a flat front machine and the Z400 is a bubble front but it will cost you double what a F631 would cost. 

 

I stock parts for these if you get one and need anything repaired on it.

[beejaykc aka Munch A Bunch]

Thanks, AZ!  There are a few on eBay for rather inexpensive.  Why are these things so inexpensive?  I was picturing them to be more than that.  Are they pretty reliable???

 

I'd add a USATech CC machine as well.  Any known issues there?

 

THX

[Walta]

Ice cream is a tuff product for small vendor to deal with as it begins to degrade the quality if it gets above 0. Short of dry ice you can’t do this with an ice chest in the back of your truck.

 

Where I am there is one company that runs several ice cream routes from there sub zero warehouse and fleet of refer trucks. They do not sell soda or snacks only ice cream. Doing Ice cream right is no small feat.

 

The product you are talking about needs to be stored at -40 and will degrade at -20. To do it right requires special cascade freezers that are rare and expensive.

 

I think you will find the distribution of this product is limited to people that can prove they own the proper equipment.

 

Personally I do not like this product it has little flavor to me. Then it burns my tongue and I can’t taste anything for a week.

  

I would not recommend putting a CC reader on a Fastcorp F631 but if you find an 820 or Z400 CC will not be a problem.

 

If you think this equipment is expensive used try pricing it new.

 

A few weeks ago I found someone had accidently unplugged the ice cream machine. I had to dispose of a freezer full of product and it is not the first time.

 

 

 Walta

[dogcow]

I agree on the fastcorp machine I don't run them but I pitched one for a proposal and had to do a bunch of research went down to equipment distributors checked out a few diff models. Also just vend regular novelties you can get your local good humor dist to drop off a delivery to you and you would need a deep freeze (do u already have one for ur pasteries?) And also a dry ice to bring it to the loc as already mentioned. Its a nice wedge equipment to get an acct but its a huge pain and wouldt get involved with it unless I had to.

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[beejaykc aka Munch A Bunch]

All great points, fellas.  One item of note - I already have an MPZ frozen food machine on this property.  I've got it set up to do pizza pockets, cheeseburgers, and some ice cream.  Sam's Club is about a 7 minute drive from this location, so when I do need to load ice cream - I can get from freezer to freezer in about 15 minutes.  So I feel pretty good that I can make it work.  It is slightly more challenging in the summer - but I can make it work.

 

Also, the machine will be going in a little alcove that will hide the electrical outlet.  There's no way to get behind it the way the wall is constructed - so as long as the electricity in the building is on - I should be fine.

 

Yeah, I'm probably trying to talk myself into it.  ha ha  But it's a property that has 8 additional Coke machines that will fall into my lap one day if I can continue my good service and continue to meet their needs including this ice cream machine.  (They hate Coke - and only continue to allow them to service those machines thanks to a lousy contract)

[mission vending]

Just find a good condition Fastcorp F631 or Z400 (pricier) and do regular ice cream items in it. You should be able to get the same higher than normal pricing as mini melts had as this is a public location and you know you will do killer business in the summer. Either Fastcorp machine is robotic like what was there before. The F631 is a flat front machine and the Z400 is a bubble front but it will cost you double what a F631 would cost.

I stock parts for these if you get one and need anything repaired on it.

As far as I know Fastcorp no longer supports the 631. Parts should not be a issue if you get one........yet.

FWIW my 631's have been great, my only problems have been vacuum hoses going bad.

[AZVendor]

I think Walta is speaking of the Dippin Dots type product in reference to availability of product and having to store it at -40 degrees.  He is correct on that as I do work here for the Dippin Dots distributor on their machines.  You won't be able to freeze any normal Fastcorp machine to -40 degrees to protect that type of product even if you can purchase any, as the Fastcorp machines that Dippin Dots uses are upgraded to run at -40 degrees - much colder than a normal Fastcorp machine.  Therefore my recommendation to run normal ice cream products as I believe you are considering.  The Fastcorp freezer easily maintains its temperature for 6+ hours during a power outage, which is a great help to the vendor. 

 

Mission is also correct that Fastcorp is not supporting the F631 for the most part with parts specific to that model.  However, I have many new parts in stock and many off of parted-out F631's from the Dippin Dots folks so you would be able to keep one running for a long time. 

 

I think you will be very smart to jump on this opportunity to put an ice cream machine in, especially to show that you are willing and capable of meeting all their needs. 

 

I have two machines in stock that I can rebuild for you and set up to your product specs if you are interested and can't find one locally.  PM me if you might be interested in one.

 

***A couple of things I want to point out on the machines you see for sale on Ebay:

 

These machines do not move inventory as first-in, first-out as those item descriptions state.  You will sell the last item put into the top of a sleeve in the freezer first, not the first item loaded into that sleeve as all the products are stacked into the sleeves from the top.  You can only sell the first item loaded if you remove all product at each service and make sure the sleeve is loaded oldest to freshest, top to bottom.  So basically this vends last-in, last-out.

 

I noticed this as at least two sellers, AVS and Automated Services are copying the entire product description in their listings from each other, including the shipping information word for word and they both got the FIFO, LILO information wrong.  Just something that caught my eye.