Americans love frozen treats, and this may include late night ice cream, gelato, frozen custard, Mexican paletas, and more. Meanwhile, the food industry is a big one, and a lot of surveys and studies are tracking what people like to eat. The results show that Americans are always looking for ice cream catering, late night ice cream, or just the best ice cream flavors their local parlors can offer. And don’t forget paletas, exotic Mexican Popsicles. Paletas come in many different flavors, and a local ice cream parlor in Florida or Texas may have many new flavors a customer hasn’t tried before. What is there to know about the quest for late night ice cream, or trying out paletas?
Paletas
Most Americans know what a Popsicle is, but this is in fact an international idea. Many Mexican and Mexican-American dessert parlors offer paletas, and they are dense, rich popsicles with some flavors that American customers may find new and exotic. Some paleta vendors are a single employee rolling around a freezer cart, offering them to customers in a park. What kind of flavors are there? Some of them may be familiar, such as mint chocolate or strawberry or raspberry. But why not try out an almond-flavored paleta, or tangerine, honey, or butter flavored ones? Even green tea, grapefruit, carrot, and rum raisin flavor are out there. During the hot summer months, curious customers may look up “paletas parlors near me” and try out some fun Mexican flavors to beat the heat.
Ice Cream
Ice cream is a real heavy hitter in the desserts industry. Many studies show that Americans love cream more than ever in its 100+ year history, and June ranks as the top month for ice cream consumption. Nearly 85% of households have ice cream or similar desserts in their freezer, and according to the NDP Group, around 40% of Americans will eat ice cream in any given two-week period. Billions of gallons of ice cream are produced every year, and many vendors of ice cream are small and local only. They might offer unique flavors or condiments, too. Ice cream can be “hard serve,” or “soft serve,” meaning it’s lighter and not quite as chilled as hard serve ice cream.
How to eat it? The classic image of ice cream is a scoop or two piled on a waffle cone, and these are convenient to carry around and eat. As a bonus, the cone itself is edible and mildly sweet, its crunchy body contrasting nicely with the ice cream itself. Ice cream cones are a bit messy, though, and are prone to drips and even spills in some cases. And they don’t make for good leftovers containers, either. So, some ice cream customers would rather have ice cream in plastic bowls or laminated paper cups, complete with straws and plastic spoons. These are convenient and mess-free, and they double as leftovers containers for the fridge at home. The same is true of related treats such as gelato, frozen custard, and sherbet, which are usually served either in bowls or cups.
Customers may know a good ice cream parlor nearby, but tourists in another city may look up “good ice cream parlors near me” or “paletas parlors” or even “late night ice cream” if they are looking for ice cream shops open late at night. This might be a great idea for getting ice cream after a night out in the town during summer or a warm spring night.
Running an Ice Cream Parlor
A good ice cream parlor will have all of these options on hand. The ice cream parlor’s owner will have a working relationship with wholesale suppliers who can provide paper napkins, plastic straws and spoons, and paper cups, not to mention waffle cones. This way, a customer can get their ice cream or gelato however they like. The parlor may also have a wide variety of flavors and condiments on hand, and a sign or poster can show off pre-made combinations with their own nicknames. Customers can also choose their own combinations of flavors. And of course, the ice cream parlor will have ice cream machines on hand, and they require care. After work, they should be rinsed out, then taken apart and washed clean for another day’s work.
