BY PRIYA BRANT LEY
We sat down with Joel Tharp, owner of Merill Beverage. For the past 24 years, Merill Beverage has provided frozen drink and dessert mixes to convenience stores, bars, restaurants, night clubs, and schools. In the world of frozen drink mixes, there are many companies to choose from but what sets Merill Beverage apart from the competition is the quality of their premium products which range from slushie mixes, cocktail mixes for bars, frozen cappuccinos, and even fruit juice slushie mixes that have made their mark in school districts. The fruit juice slushie mix is made from 100% fruit juice with no added sugar and has proven to be a great addition for students.
Getting into the world of frozen desserts was ultimately going to be a part-time venture for Tharp. However, it quickly turned into a full-time career after landing a contract with a school district during his first year of business. As frozen drink equipment became more accessible in the US, this helped grow Merrill Beverage’s clientele. Customers now had the machinery to create premium products for their venue, this leads to more business for Merrill Beverage and helped cement Tharp in the world of frozen desserts.
Merrill Beverage is continuously working on creating new flavors and concepts for their current and future clients.
Merrill Beverage is continuously working on creating new flavors and concepts for their current and future clients. Tharp noted that the future of technology in this industry is self-service equipment. Fully automated machines are making a rise in venues, he also noted that some machines even have a self-cleaning feature. This concept is ultimately very beneficial for very high volume establishments. To place an order and try a slushee from Merill Beverage visit slushee-usa.com. They are also available on eBay and Amazon!
Are you interested in opening your own frozen dessert venue? Here at Slice’s Concession, we have a wide assortment of frozen dessert machinery that can further enhance the experience of your venue. Whether it be a low volume countertop model to add a few additional menu items, or a full standing model to carry you through your grand opening and beyond. We are the number one distributor in the nation of used ice cream and frozen drink machines. We feature popular brands such as Taylor, Stoelting, and Carpigiani. We have machines with both single and three-phase capability, as well as air or water-cooled. Our experts will help guide you in picking the best machine for your venue. With an east coast and west coast office, as well as stellar reviews on both Facebook and Google, you will see why we are trusted as the best. Visit our website, or if you are in the area, set up an appointment to stop by!
