Melt Ice Creams is a husband and wife-owned and operated ice cream shop located in the Magnolia district, one of the most eclectic areas in Fort Worth, Texas.
The idea to start the business came to Mark Seher and his wife back in 2014 when they noticed their Fort Worth neighborhood didn’t have any sweet treat options. Not long after, they opened their first location on Rosedale Street, but quickly outgrew the small space. Their next stop was their current location on Magnolia Avenue, which opened July 1, 2016.
After experiencing great success, the owners were once again challenged with expanding the business to a larger location. This time, they were faced with the challenge of finding space equipped with a production kitchen or building a centralized kitchen that handles all of the manufacturing and distribution. They chose the latter and selected a unique location in Fort Worth’s oldest building, the O.B. Macaroni building.
“The building has been a food manufacturing facility since the 1890s and we’re elated that Melt will carry on in that tradition,” Mark said.
Choosing a Partner
The company took into account several factors while selecting a walk-in vendor. The most important was the need for a centralized kitchen that would allow them to open smaller retail locations in spaces not already equipped with a kitchen.
Before selecting a vendor, Melt reached out to industry peers and did a fair amount of online research on prices, lead times, the manufacturing process and the latest innovations in manufacturing. In addition, the company became very well-versed in the importance of using high quality foam in-place polyurethane versus inferior, cheaper alternatives.
Ultimately, Melt turned to KPS Global for help with its expansion in large part because of the performance and durability of the existing KPS Global cooler in its current retail location.
The Implementation Process
Melt also was impressed by the seamless experience of working with KPS Global. When asked to describe his experience, Mark doesn’t hesitate.
KPSG and Mike Thayer at Manufacturer’s Direct handled everything -design, manufacturing and installation- making my life easier on the path to purchase” stated Mark. “In addition, we were continually impressed with the responsiveness and knowledge of everyone we encountered.”
Despite being faced with challenges, the installation process was smooth. “The installers had quite a few challenges with uneven floors and walls to work around but, no obstacle stood in their way and, in the end, everything came together perfectly,” said Mark.
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