What type of ice cream or Italian ice cart is right for you?

June 11th, 2011 by Neil Williams

What type of cart is right for you? This article is an excerpt from our FREE Cart Vending Guide – Click the book cover below for details on how to download for free.

Free Cart Vending Guide Book

There are a few different types of push carts to consider. Choosing the right one depends on what type of product you plan to sell. Other factors include your selling location and whether or not you will have access to electrical power on a regular basis. Pricing on carts varies greatly and is dependent on what you will sell. Once you’ve identified what your needs are you will be looking at one or a combination of the following: No refrigeration, dry ice push cart with heavy insulation. This is the least expensive option at about $1500. Typically used to dip Italian ice, for a limited amount of time (depends on heat index and how busy you are…..opening and closing the lid). Refrigeration cart that needs to remain plugged in to keep temperature. Can go below zero degrees F or can be used for chilling items like yogurt (special dual-temp thermostat must be installed). About $2500 Cold Plate Push Cart – Plugs in at night to charge cold plates and is good to sell for up to 12 hours without access to power. Most commonly used for pre-packaged ice cream or novelties, but can also be used for dipping Italian ice. Dipping ice cream out of this cart without a sink can be a challenge as most health departments will require a sink (see dipping cart next) About $3200. Dipping Cart – Optional sneeze guards, sinks, dip wells and dry storage areas. Most expensive option but also most versatile. Anywhere from $4k to $12k or more depending on level of customization. No-refrigeration dry ice cart This is the least expensive way to go. The obvious benefits are cost and the fact that they are lighter weight, making them easier to transport. These carts are primarily for those who are going to use the cart for relatively short periods of time when they go out to sell. Many Italian water ice vendors will use this no refrigeration option, without dry ice. Again, the low cost helps get put them in business for a lower cost, so they go with this option. Because Italian Ice is water based, it holds up pretty well for around 3-4 hours of scooping. Actual selling time will vary according to how busy you are and how hot it is outside. Dry ice works well in this cart if you are going to be selling a pre-packaged product (ice cream cups, bars, fruit bars, etc.) Dry ice for selling Italian ice is a little more of a challenge as it can make the product too hard and not optimal for scooping. So if you are going to use dry ice with when serving Italian ice, you need to go through a process of trial and error. Essentially, you need to make sure that you protect the Italian ice from getting to close to the dry ice. Just make sure you have a good amount of cardboard, or something protecting the Italian Ice. Try putting 10 lbs. of dry ice in the cart, give it a few hours and see how your product reacts to it. If it’s “unscoopable”, then you know you have too much dry ice in there…..so make the adjustment. Eventually, you will learn how much dry ice is needed for a typical selling day. If you are having problems finding dry ice, try Penguin Dry Ice ( HYPERLINK “http://www.penguindryice.com” www.penguindryice.com). They have retailers all over the country and you can put your zip code in their “search box” to find the nearest one to you. Dry ice can get expensive if you are selling on a regular basis, so we do not recommend you go with this option if you are planning to use the cart daily to sell novelties, etc. If you will be using your cart more than a few times a month for novelties, you should go with a refrigeration or cold plate cart. Watch a video on this cart by visiting TurnKeyParlor.com Refrigeration (plug-in) carts These carts are ideal if you will have access to electrical power throughout your selling day. Essentially, they are the same cart as the no-refrigeration cart, except that they have a refrigeration unit and will keep temperature while plugged in. Again, if you find yourself in a situation where you don’t have access to power, these carts are also very well insulated and you can get away with using them as a no-refrigeration cart with our without dry ice – depending on your product and projected selling time. These CLT refrigerated carts are ideal for those who will take the cart to the same location regularly or to different events and sell from one spot and have access to power all day. Simply set the digital thermostat at the desired temperature (-10 for novelties, for example) and you’re ready to go. Cold Plate Carts Cold Plate carts are our best sellers because of their versatility. Cold plates are built inside the cart and are filled with a solution that, when plugged in over night, will keep the cart temperature at below zero for up to 12 hours. Different solutions are used for different optimal temperatures. For example, ice cream novelties should be kept around -10 to -20 degrees F. But Italian Ice needs around +10 to +20. This wide range of temperature needs means you have to use a different solution in the cold plates to achieve the optimal temperature. Just make sure that we know what type of product you will be selling and what your optimal temperature will be so that we can build the cart with the appropriate cold plate solution and thermostat. The cold plate carts are heavier, making them a little more difficult to transport. But aside from that factor, cold plate is the best way to go to ensure that you will be able to sell for a full day, regardless of whether you have access to electrical power or not. Watch a video on these carts by visiting TurnKeyParlor.com Dipping Carts Dipping Carts come in many forms, from the most basic cart with a dip well to the most complex cart and canopy with a fully self contained stainless steel 3 compartment sink and stainless steel tank. Overhead canopies are great not only from a branding perspective, helping visibility, but also from a practical standpoint. The canopies provide a pull out shade barrier and have a dry storage shelf up above that will hold cups, etc. The first step when deciding what type of dipping cart you want is to check with your local health department and see what they require. They will need to know what type of product you plan to dip and whether you will be serving it inside or outdoors. It is much more difficult to get approval for selling ice cream and gelato outdoors due to the dairy content. Italian ice can also be a challenge to dip outdoors, but the health codes are much more lax because it is a water based product. Dipping Carts can be customized depending on your needs and the health department requirements. Custom racking systems can be built to fit the dimensions of your dipping containers, whether 3 gallon tubs, gelato pans or other containers. Dipping carts can be fitted with cold plates, in order to have the option of operating the cart without access to power. That said, running the sink requires power, so most of these larger dipping carts are only used in situations where there is consistent access to electrical power. Dipping carts with sinks and dip wells are not generally a good option if you intend on moving the cart from event to event on a regular basis. It can be done, and these carts are built tough, but at the end of the day, they are can be too bulky to make daily or regular transport a good idea. Some malls have certain color schematics and requirements. We can customize the cart to meet them. Transporting your Cart There are many ways to transport your cart. These include in the back of a pick-up truck, inside a van or with a trailer of your choice. Many people choose a trailer because they are lower to the ground and can make it much easier for one person to get a cart onto it. Lowe’s and Home Depot have the perfect trailers. They are primarily used by landscapers who carry lawn mowers and tools. But these are perfect for one cart or even two, and they can be had pretty cheap relative to other forms of transporting your cart. A 4’ x 6’ lawn trailer (as they are sometimes referred to as) can go for under $500. You can see these in the parking lot next to the Lawn & Garden area. Neil Williams President

KeyWord Farm, LLC www.TurnKeyParlor.com 877-817-5716 877-632-2210 (fax) [email protected] BLOG My Humble Beginnings in Paradise

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