"Kids in the '90s may remember the simple joy of scooping into a bowl of tiny frozen beads. The invention of Dippin' Dots altered the cold dessert industry with its small spheres of flash-frozen ice cream. Instead of scooping into bowls of melting ice cream, these ultra-chilled orbs would stick to your tongue before disintegrating into mouthfuls of flavor. Despite the dessert's popularity, business complexities pushed this nostalgic treat to almost become one of those discontinued frozen treats relegated only to memory."
"In an attempt to restructure the business and keep the initiative running, Dippin' Dots was sold for close to $13 million in 2012. The new business strategy centered on partnerships and licensing. Soon, Dippin' Dots made its way into movie theaters and convenience stores, and the joy of eating frozen ice cream balls was kept intact. In addition to keeping Dippin' Dots alive in new venues, the technology used to make Dippin' Dots was sold to businesses in other industries, like pharmaceutical companies and plant-based food brands."
Dippin' Dots are tiny spheres of flash-frozen ice cream created by dumping ice cream into extremely cold liquid nitrogen. Curt Jones patented the process after applying his biotechnology background to create edible frozen beads in 1988. Franchising placed the product in amusement centers, but maintaining sufficiently cold storage for distribution proved difficult. A costly lawsuit led to Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2011. The company was sold for about $13 million in 2012 and adopted a strategy focused on partnerships and licensing. The manufacturing technology expanded into movie theaters, convenience stores, pharmaceuticals, and plant-based food brands.
#dippin-dots #liquid-nitrogen-flash-freezing #franchising-and-licensing #bankruptcy-and-restructuring
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