A recent survey from Crumbl Cookies found that 55% of Americans said their most-eaten dessert is ice cream. For hotel guests, it could be the perfect ending to dinner or a snack after a day at the pool or in a conference room.
Ice cream vendor Mini Melts, known for its tiny, beaded frozen treats found in malls and convenience stores nationwide, also brings flavors like Cotton Candy, Cookies and Cream and Banana Split to hotels and resorts in grab-and-go carts, huts and automated kiosks.
The company recently signed its 100th hotel client, The Groves Resort and Waterpark in Winter Garden, FL, which sells the product in grab-and-go carts in the pool area and restaurants. Soon, it will be selling bulk Mini Melts offerings from two huts, according to Dan Kilcoyne, Mini Melts CEO.
Dan Kilcoyne is CEO of Mini Melts.
Mini Melts uses 14% butterfat in its recipes, which puts the product in the premium ice cream category, according to Kilcoyne.
“To be considered ice cream, 10% is the minimum butterfat,” he said. “Frozen treats fall below 10%. More butterfat is more expensive, yet it leads to a high-end, dense, rich, creamy-tasting product. For beaded ice cream, 14% is the maximum due to the minus-40-degree temperature storage to hold the shape.”
He added, “Mini Melts beads look like popcorn or Nerds candy— they’re all unique shapes and sizes—partly attributed to higher butterfat and its unique manufacturing process.”
The ice cream treats, which are flash frozen using liquid nitrogen, are a fit for hotels and resorts, because, Kilcoyne noted, “ice cream is such a great shared experience,” adding, “Our hotel partners can also leverage the impulse nature of our beaded ice cream while not having to take on large orders. Additionally, Mini Melts has programs for all resort sizes—everything from larger-serving huts for the pool; small grab-and-go freezers for gift and sundry shops; and automated kiosks to meet labor demands. We have a white glove program for all locations.”
Mini Melts delivers seven days a week from more than 23 distribution centers nationwide. Besides the aforementioned flavors, dairy-free Rainbow Ice is also available, with two new flavors, Brownie Blast and Cake Pop, coming soon.
The Mini Melts field team tracks deliveries in real-time via a company app and send photos and videos of all units onsite. All three types of units can be branded to the look and feel of the property, noted the CEO.
Mini Melts kiosks are monitored 24/7.
The Mini Melts automated kiosk, which has been deployed at 4,000 locations, is remotely monitored 24/7 through a cellular data connection.
“The kiosks maintain the same product quality as buying Mini Melts anywhere else,” said Kilcoyne. “The cellular data is connected remotely to see how many items have been purchased and what flavors are selling, and provide live insights instead of personally visiting machines to see what items need restocking.”
He added, “The kiosks are equivalent to having 4,000 storefronts because of the technology within. Mini Melts made one of the first kiosks in the ice cream industry, and it helped develop initial plans to include cellular data. Now, cellular data is widely available, but many still don’t use it. Mini Melts’ kiosks also now accept Apple Pay and Google Wallet.”
He also pointed out the kiosks eliminate the risk of cross contamination, as opposed to the grab-and-go carts and huts, where attendants are scooping other products, like nuts.
Mini Melts hotel clients include Kalahari Resorts, Gaylord Resorts, Foxwoods Resort, Margaritaville, Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Pool and the Rosen Centre, according to Kilcoyne, who said the company sees a quick path to its 200th property.
“We’re currently working with a number of new partners that should be coming on board with their own custom program very soon,” he said.
