Melt Ice Creams
Social distancing due to the coronavirus has local businesses reworking their business models on the fly. And while many in the food and beverage industry have reshifted their focus to takeout and delivery, others have gone on to do what anyone else does during a time of crisis — lean on their friends.
Such was the case with Melt Ice Creams founder Kari Crowe-Seher. With the temporary closure of two locations and another working limited hours, Crowe-Seher says her ice cream shop has experienced an 80% decrease in customers.
So she phoned a friend — chef Juan Rodriguez of catering company Magdalena’s, as well as grab-and-go shop Meyer & Sage and restaurants Ellerbe Fine Foods and Eno’s Pizza Tavern in Dallas. The result is what Crowe-Seher refers to as “pint partnerships,” and each spot now offers Melt pints among their to-go offerings.
“Why not? We have the capability of bringing her ice cream here, so it was a win-win for everyone,” Rodriguez says. “I was thinking about adding more stuff to the menu to help other brands. [Crowe-Seher] called me and said, ‘Let’s team up.’ And I said, ‘Absolutely.’”
As of 12:01 a.m. Thursday, the City of Fort Worth rolled out various restrictions on certain businesses, which included limiting venue capacity and closing sit-down dining areas.
Magdalena’s is also feeling the hit themselves, with weddings and events being postponed, but Rodriguez says launching to-go and curbside services have helped offset that loss. He credits the local restaurant community for banding together, sharing each other’s social media posts without concern over competition.
“We’re all in the same pickle,” he says. “Anything we can do to share each other’s information is helpful.”
And Crowe-Seher says she’s grateful for it.
“That’s the definition of Fort Worth — the hospitality in the community and the ability of those in this town to band together through challenging times,” Crowe-Seher says. “I don’t know if that happens everywhere. It often happens when there is a crisis, but I think it’s something that holds true for Fort Worth, whether there’s a crisis or not.”
