It’s been a hot summer so far and with soft drinks sales buoyant, it’s not too late to add a slush or shake machine to the offering
With the warmer summer weather expected to last for some time yet, fast food operators should be considering equipment that can maximise profit potential during the hotter months.
For many, the secret to a successful and profitable beverage operation lies with the ingredients and equipment – more specifically, equipment solutions which quietly create colourful, eye-catching beverages, that can be served in seconds.
Profit centre
Jason Sanderson, Icetro and Elmeco brand champion at Jestic Foodservice Solutions, says this is where a slush machine comes into its own. He adds: “A slush machine, such as the Elmeco First Class, allows fast food operators to batch-prepare popular chilled and frozen beverages such as juices, frozen coffees, frappes, traditional slush drinks and even frozen mocktails, all of which are becoming increasingly popular.
“What’s more, these drinks are created in an ultra-efficient way thanks to the unique eco-friendly design that reduces friction. This allows for a wide range of chilled and frozen drinks to be served quickly, turning any counter area into a significant profit centre.”
Seconding this is Andrew Portbury, director of Us4Slush who says slush drinks can pull in a profit of up to 90%. Its machines are supplied with Sir-Lush syrup, cups and straws – everything an operator needs to start making money immediately.
Andrew comments: “If you have a 2 bowl Sir-Lush Slush machine then you won’t go wrong with blue raspberry slush and strawberry slush. These two flavours are a firm favourite with all ages. However, all of our 20 or so flavours sell well to varying degrees. Lemon & Lime slush is always a good seller and our Caribbean Cruise (tropical) is a real winner.”
To help boost sales, Andrew recommends locating your machine either near to the till or by the door, and offering self-service, adding: “To maximise sales, self-serve is the best way to sell Sir-Lush slush drinks. Just scan the bar code on the Sir-Lush branded slush drinks cup and hand it to your happy customer.”
To make it easy for operators, machines come with measuring bottles to ensure the correct ratio of syrup to water is used, a night mode that keeps the liquid cold but not frozen, and YouTube videos that show how to set up and clean your slush machine.
Quick shakes
For operators looking to add extra revenue to their summer trading, Paul Ingram, managing director at Carpigiani UK, says a takeaway or drink-in shake offering can be extremely profitable. He recommends Carpigiani’s 161K countertop, plug & play machine which uses a UHT base mix, adding: “Featuring Carpigiani’s exclusive Hard-O-Tronic system for perfect consistency every time, the 161K is packed with the latest technology to ensure fish and chips businesses can turn out perfect milkshakes quickly and easily.”
Syrup can be added to create a flavoured shake in seconds while built-in self-pasteurisation means cleaning is only required every 42 days.
Another option for super quick thickshakes is the Shmoo in-cup mixer which helps fast food outlets speed up service and sell more shakes in a shorter time frame.
Taking just 30 seconds a milkshake, operators can offer all the classic flavours – strawberry, chocolate, vanilla and banana – as well as limited edition varieties including cappuccino, mint choc chip, raspberry & white chocolate and brand new bubblegum.
Karen Green, marketing manager at Aimia Foods, says: “Shmoo thickshakes are ideal for fish and chip shops that want to keep their menus fresh, exciting and seasonally appropriate.”
Aimia Foods 01942 272900 www.aimiafoods.com
Carpigiani UK 01432 346018 www.carpigiani.co.uk
Jestic Foodservice Solutions 01892 831960 www.elmeco.jestic.co.uk
Us4Slush 01202 798100 www.us4slush.com
