Blog

Frozen = Fresh?

October 14, 2010 by Don Fox — CEO, Firehouse of America

I don’t consider myself a complainer of any sort. When you’re in the business, you should have sympathy for the operational challenges faced by all restaurants. But just this morning, I had an experience that sharply illustrates the differences between fast casual and fast food.

Now, for starters, I should point out that I’m not a restaurant snob. I use a few fast food restaurants. Though I am now a little more seasoned in years, I am busier than ever, and the convenience of using a drive thru is still something that fits squarely into my lifestyle. But I’ve had to change my diet considerably over the years, and I use fast food restaurants much less than I used to.

Thankfully, this one particular brand is known for their menu variety (I applaud them for their menu strategy).

The couple of locations I visit routinely offer efficient service, and by fast food restaurant standards, are fairly courteous and friendly.

One menu item that fits squarely into my diet is their yogurt parfait. It is also an outstanding value and I can get it fast. I also can presumably get it during any daypart (I enjoy it for breakfast, in particular).

There has always been one problem, however: the fruit ingredients in the parfait are frozen before assembly. I would say the chain bats about .500 in delivering a morning parfait served with fruit that is frozen rock solid (the Atlanta Braves could have used that kind of batting average this week). Crystallized, teeth chilling chunks of strawberries and blueberries. It is obvious that they do all of their assembly in the morning, and simply mix frozen fruit in the yogurt, and allow it to thaw in the parfait, with no consideration for when it will actually be ready to eat. And every time this happens, I am dissatisfied, and wonder to myself as a food service operator how on earth do they not see the need to alter their thawing and prep schedule to ensure proper delivery of the product.

Just a few weeks ago, I even wrote to the franchisor’s home office about it. Not to complain, but as a fellow restaurateur, to give them a heads up that they need to look at their procedures. Heck, I just want my parfait served correctly so I can take advantage of their convenience.

Fast forward to this morning. I pull into the drive thru, and it’s busy. The line must be at least 12 cars long, wrapped around the building. But speed is this location's forte so I don’t hesitate to take my spot in line. And as expected, the line moves steadily and efficiently. When I reach the drive thru speaker, I am greeted by a friendly voice, and I order my parfait. In fact, four of them, because I know how my day is looking and lunch is not going to be an option; I’ll stick the extras in the fridge for later. And then…not unexpectedly, mind you… the employee asks: “the parfaits are still frozen. Would you still like them?”

Arggh! I’ve already made an investment via my #13 position in line, and I have no time to go elsewhere before an 8 a.m. appointment. So frozen yogurt parfaits it is…again.

I pull up to the window to pay, and am greeted by a smiling cashier. He politely utters a classic statement that illustrates one of the key differentiators between fast food and fast casual:

“I’m sorry about that. We’re making the parfaits fresh, so they are still frozen”

Now, you’ll have to excuse me. It’s 9 a.m., and I am going to check on the readiness of my parfait. To paraphrase one of their old advertising slogans: Give me a break.