OPINIONFood

How we all came to scream for ice cream

Restaurant Rewind: 'Tis the season to break out the sprinkles and split a few bananas. Join us as we look at the origins of ice cream and how it evolved to the sales-driver it is today.

With summer just a few heatwaves away, the restaurant business is within a Maraschino cherry toss of prime ice cream season. Is there any better time to retrace how a treat that began as honeyed snow has morphed into an all-American restaurant staple?

This week’s episode of Restaurant Rewind is betting “no.” The installment looks back at the origins of the frozen treat and its twisty evolution over the centuries that followed. In what other account might Nero, Thomas Jefferson and Howard Johnson all play memorable roles?  

So scoop yourself a bowl of rum raisin, bury it in whipped cream and press Play.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Financing

Noodles & Company stock hits a new, all-time low

The Bottom Line: The fast-casual noodle chain was once dubbed the "Next Chipotle." But it has lost 80% of its value this year amid persistent sales weakness and compounding losses.

Financing

Shoppers apparently returned to stores on Black Friday

The Bottom Line: Holiday shopping season isn’t what it used to be as more than half of consumers get most of their gifts online. But they were more likely to shop inside stores last weekend.

Food

How one small burger chain is staying ahead of the curve

POS provider Toast pinpoints 15 burger trends impacting menus now and into 2025, and Nashville’s Pharmacy Burger is nailing most of them.

Trending

More from our partners