Dining-out isn’t just about the food, its an experience. Friends, families, and even co-workers love to spend some time together after a tiring day to relax and just enjoy each other’s company and some good food. And yes, no dining is complete without some dessert that adds a sweet note towards the end.
Speaking of desserts, while there are amazing recipes that are either region-specific or suit a particular tastebud, there are a few which are devoured across the globe and without barriers. Ice-creams or Frozen Desserts are one of those recipes with unrivaled popularity. Seldom do we come across someone who doesn’t enjoy an ice cream in one form or another—say a sorbet, gelato, or even frozen yogurt.
Enchanting young an old with their color, texture, and a plethora of flavors, ice-creams have also been a favorite among home cooks and chefs alike who love experimenting. While some of the experiments turn into the flavor of the season, some let us know what an ice-cream should not taste like.
For people in Metro Atlanta, when it comes to choosing their favorite flavors, one of them has to be among those served at Daddy O’Brien’s Irish Ice Cream Pub. Its not just your regular everyday ice cream that you’ll find at this place. The secret of this ice cream pub’s popularity is how it has perfected the art of alcoholic ice cream.
Many have tried but none have succeeded in creating an insanely delicious alcohol-infused ice cream product as Daddy O’Brien’s, which has become the alcohol-infused ice cream destination hot spot in Metro Atlanta.
From a basement to people’s favorite
Frank O’Brien, aka DaddyO, began creating alcoholic ice cream in his basement in 2014. His wife and entrepreneur, Lori aka MommyO, who loves to create successful businesses from nothing, recognized his unique talent and started selling their ice cream from a cart at festivals, food truck nights, and corporate events.
They instantly became the most popular booth with never ending lines of ice cream fans. Everyone who tasted their ice cream creations asked, “Where’s your store?” People were soon showing up at their front door to buy ice cream. It soon became evident that they needed a brick-and-mortar store to cater to the ever-growing demand. So, in 2017, they opened a restaurant/pub/barlour in Sugar Hill, GA.
Celebrate Life at Daddy O’
The concept of an Irish Ice Cream Pub was created out of the minds of this couple that has been together since high school and is totally unique. Frank O’Brien describes the atmosphere as, “To walk into our store is like walking into Ireland. It has a dark wood bar with stained glass windows, ornate black granite and bar ceiling, Jack Daniel whiskey barrel hi-tops, Church pews for booths, deep red and green walls, a stone fireplace, and curtains on the windows. It has a magical and homely feeling with leprechauns and lots of Irish decors. And the smell of the waffle cones in the air is like heaven! Daddy O’Brien’s is where friends meet, stories are shared, and ice cream memories are made.”
Every demographic is welcomed and treated like family at Daddy O’Brien’s. Since half of the pub’s flavors are Family-friendly, the kids are always a part of the mix. Folks come for a night out, date night, family night, lunch meetings, after sports games, fundraisers, and everything else worth celebrating. The place can also be reserved for events, birthday parties, and more. Exciting offers like half priced Beer and Wine days and weekly flavors add to the fun and overall experience.
The ice cream-only model offers homemade adult and family-friendly ice cream creations, sundaes, Belgian Waffles, Poffertjes (mini-Dutch pancakes), shakes, adult shakes and slushies, beer, wine, and cocktails. The restaurant menu also includes homemade Soups, Shepherd’s Pie, Bangers and Mash, and several Panini sandwiches.
Winning more than just hearts
After just a few months of ice cream making, DaddyO attended his first National Ice Cream Retailers Association (NICRA) convention and walked away with his first national award for creating Kentucky Salted Caramel in one of their competitions.
The next year, 2015, he came away with 3rd place for his Irish Pistachio and Honorable Mention for his T.A.C.O. flavor (Tamarind Apricot Coconut) along with multiple blue and red ribbons for other flavors.
In 2016 he hit the mother-load by winning 1st place in the Best Flavor of the Year competition with his Butter Beer flavor. And in 2018 he was awarded the coveted title of Grand Master Ice Cream maker.
Getting More Magicians On-Board
Every day or the other, someone would come up to the couple saying, “I wish there was a Daddy O’Brien’s in my city.” This gave them the idea of expansion through franchisees.
“For those entrepreneurs looking to get in on the ground floor of a hot new concept, Daddy O’Brien’s Irish Ice Cream Pub is an exciting opportunity. Just one taste of DaddyO’s homemade ice cream creations and you will want to get in on this ‘Cold Gold’,” says Frank. This is a new niche market and people are already showing interest, benefiting both the brand and the entrepreneurs.
Daddy O’Brien assists franchisees to choose to open an ice cream only model or a full-service Irish Pub/Restaurant model. “If I had a location in a great tourist area or a bustling downtown or live/work/play complex with lots of daily/nightly foot traffic, I would do just the ice cream model,” explains Lori. “If I were in a high traffic location, but worried about seasonality, then I’d go with the full-service restaurant. Obviously, the restaurant is a heftier build-out and staff load.”
Once entrepreneurs find an approved location, they just need to duplicate the look in the new build-out. Team Daddy O’Brien’s trains them on making the ice cream recipes so that the ice cream they sell is made in-house which is the greatest selling point for the franchise.
“Even though this is a high-end product and should be sold in upper/middle-class areas, there is great earning potential. Alcoholic ice cream is a niche market that is not going away. Daddy O’Brien’s offers a superior high- quality product. Your location will be the destination spot of your metro area,” Frank expresses.
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