Ice cream parlors(American English) orice cream parlours(British English) areparlorthat sellice cream,gelato,sorbet,and/orfrozen yogurtto consumers. Ice cream is typically sold as regular ice cream (also called hard-packed or hard-serve ice cream), and/orsoft serve,which is usually dispensed by a machine with a limited number of flavors (e.g.,chocolate,vanilla,and "twist", or "zebra", a mix of the two). Ice cream parlors generally offer a number of flavors and items. Parlors often serve ice cream and other frozen desserts in cones, cups or dishes, the latter two to be eaten with a spoon. Some ice cream parlors prepare ice cream desserts such assundaes(ice cream topped with syrup, whipped cream and other toppings) ormilkshakes,or even a blend (known as a Boston shake).[1]

Gelatobeing served in a gelateria in Venice, Italy

History

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Gelato selections at a Sicilian gelateria

While the origins of ice cream are often debated, most scholars trace the first ice cream parlor back to France in the 17th century. In 1686, Francesco Procopio del Coltelli opened Paris' first café. TheCafé Procope,named by its Sicilian founder, introduced gelato to the French public. The dessert was served to its elite guests in small porcelain bowls.[2]

The first ice cream factory in Pennsylvania in 1851, and industrial refrigeration in the 1870s made manufacturing and storing ice cream much simpler.[3]The first ice cream factory was built byJacob Fussell,a milk dealer who bought dairy products from Philadelphia farmers and sold them in Baltimore. The mass production of ice cream cut the product's cost significantly, making it more popular and more affordable for people of lower classes. [4]

In the early 1800s, an early form of a U.S. ice cream parlor was existent in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that sold "all kinds of refreshments, as Ice Cream, Syrups, French Cordials, Cakes, Clarets of the best kind, Jellies, etc."[5]According to one source, the first U.S. ice cream parlor opened inNew York Cityin 1790.[6]

In 2024MINIMALin Taiwan became the first ice cream parlor to win aMichelin star.[7][8]

Product overview

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Gelatois a type of Italian ice cream with more milk and less cream than American ice cream.Sorbetis a frozen treat made from fruit, syrup and ice. No milk or cream is used.Frozen yogurtis a common low-fat ice cream alternative with a smooth texture that is similar to soft serve ice cream. All of these frozen products may be sold inice cream cones,cups,sundaes,andmilkshakes.Some parlors may also sellice cream cakes,ice cream barsand other pre-packaged frozen sweets. In addition tofrozen dessertproducts, some modern ice cream parlors also sell a variety of hotfast foods.[citation needed]

Types

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Entry to an ice cream parlor in the United States
A tram-like ice cream kiosk at theTurku Market SquareinTurku, Finland

Parlors vary in terms of size and environment. Some only have an order window and outside seating, while others have complete indoor facilities. Some parlors have drive-through windows.[9]There are even parlors that combine several of these methods. Some parlors remain open all year round, typically in warmer weather locations and urban areas, and others in colder climates stay open only during warmer months, particularly from March to November. For example, some ice cream parlors in Vienna, Austria close in the winter months.[10]

Some ice cream parlors in Moscow, Russia, offer alcoholic beverages along with ice cream.[11]

Ice cream parlor chains

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Because ice cream parlors are located throughout the world, there are both small, localfranchisesas well as large, global enterprises. Some of the most notable large, global ice cream parlors includeBaskin-Robbins,Ben & Jerry's,Bruster's Ice Cream,Carvel,Cold Stone Creamery,Dairy Queen,Dippin' Dots,Friendly's,andHäagen-Dazs.Yogurtland,Yogen Früz,andSweet Frogare notable frozen yogurt parlors.[citation needed]

Just as the size, style, and selection within each ice cream parlor may differ, so may its notoriety. Each July in the United States, in honor ofNational Ice Cream Month,several prominent publications rank the popularity of ice cream parlors throughout the United States. In 2014, Travel + Leisure, National Geographic, Business Insider, Food & Wine, and TripAdvisor published their top ranked ice cream parlors.[citation needed]

  • Travel + Leisure: America's Best Ice Cream Shops[12]
  • National Geographic: Top 10 Places to Eat Ice Cream[13]
  • Business Insider: The 10 Best Ice Cream Shops In The US, According To Pinterest Users[14]
  • Food & Wine: Best Ice Cream Spots in the U.S.[15]
  • TripAdvisor: Best ice cream parlors in the US, ranked by TripAdvisor users[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^Zee, Jon (January 7, 2019)."Kitchenall Product Reviews - What Kind of Ice Cream Freezer Do I Need for My Ice Cream Parlor? | Kitchenall".Kitchenall.Archivedfrom the original on February 19, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 19,2022.
  2. ^Avey, Tori (July 11, 2012)."Explore The Delicious History of Ice Cream".The History Kitchen.PBS.Archivedfrom the original on July 17, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 19,2015.
  3. ^"The History of Ice Cream".International Dairy Foods Association.Archivedfrom the original on February 19, 2015.RetrievedFebruary 19,2015.
  4. ^Upton, Emily (June 16, 2013)."The History of Ice Cream".Today I Found Out.Archivedfrom the original on February 19, 2015.RetrievedFebruary 19,2015.
  5. ^Beard, James (2008).Beard on Food: The Best Recipes and Kitchen Wisdom from the Dean of American Cooking.Bloomsbury Publishing US. p. 180.ISBN978-1596917156.Archivedfrom the original on April 19, 2023.RetrievedApril 12,2017.
  6. ^Avey, Tori (July 10, 2012)."Explore the Delicious History of Ice Cream".PBS Food.Archivedfrom the original on July 17, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 18,2015.
  7. ^Wong, Maggie Hiufu (November 6, 2024)."There's only one Michelin-starred ice cream shop in the world. And it's in Taiwan".cnn.CNN.RetrievedNovember 11,2024.
  8. ^Everington, Keoni (August 27, 2024)."Michelin Guide Taiwan 2024 restaurants announced".taiwannews.tw.Taiwan News.RetrievedNovember 11,2024.
  9. ^James, T. (2009).Mormon Money: And the WACKY WAYS SOME WISE GUYS, A Con-MAN, A Techno-Nerd and the FBI Want to Get to It!.iUniverse. p. 56.ISBN978-1-4401-3013-7.RetrievedFebruary 16,2015.
  10. ^Lupton, P.W.; Stephan, H. (2010).Six Days in Sicily.Books on Demand. p. 106.ISBN978-3-8391-4844-0.RetrievedFebruary 16,2015.
  11. ^Fisher, Dan (September 24, 1977)."Caviar splits may catch Ivan's fancy".The Milwaukee Sentinel.RetrievedMarch 7,2013.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^Austin, Tom; Campbell, Geraldine."America's Best Ice Cream Shops".Travel + Leisure.Archivedfrom the original on February 22, 2015.RetrievedFebruary 21,2015.
  13. ^"Top 10 Places to Eat Ice Cream".National Geographic.September 13, 2011. Archived fromthe originalon February 21, 2015.RetrievedFebruary 21,2015.
  14. ^Stone, Madeline."The 10 Best Ice Cream Shops In The US, According To Pinterest Users".Business Insider.Archivedfrom the original on July 24, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 21,2015.
  15. ^"Best Ice Cream Spots in the U.S."Food & Wine.Archivedfrom the original on February 19, 2015.RetrievedFebruary 21,2015.
  16. ^"Best ice cream parlors in the US, ranked by TripAdvisor users".Fox News.Archived fromthe originalon February 15, 2015.RetrievedFebruary 21,2015.
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