Also, the family did its homework. Before
opening the first SweetBerries, they
taught themselves everything there was
as a cold dessert similar to ice cream,
but with egg yolk in addition to cream
and sugar.
Frozen custards made with a slowchurn
process that keeps the air out.
The resulting product’s typically denser,
creamier, and smoother than ice cream,
said Osmond.
The treat’s popular in the Midwest,
particularly in Missouri and Wisconsin,
but was somewhat unknown in Florida 20
years ago. So, the entire family traveled to
St. Louis, MO to sample the famous Ted
Drewes Frozen Custard (and watched
the frozen custard-making process
from outside the windows, taking notes).
Next, they traveled to Milwaukee, WI and
learned the business hands-on at Leon’s
Frozen Custard, by volunteering there
for one week. “That’s where we really
learned how to make frozen custard,”
Osmond said.
Today, SweetBerries has its own custard
recipe. A local dairy delivers the mix each
morning. Each store houses a $40,000
machine, which churns the mix into
frozen custard. Since it’s made fresh
of the day. Any leftovers go into quart
containers, are stored in a deep freezer,
and are sold as takeout.
Whether it’s for lunch, dinner or frozen
custard, customers order at the counter,
are given a number, and their food is
brought to them. All three restaurants
Bradenton location has a wooden deck
in front and a covered patio in the back),
walk-up windows and no drive-throughs.
“So much of what we do is so fresh or
from scratch,” Osmond said, explaining
that a drive-through would take too long.
The Food
SweetBerries is known for their
sandwiches that were made famous
in cities across the United States.
There’s the New York Reuben, the New
the Philadelphia Cheese Steak, and
the Genoa Italian Sub. The Wisconsin
combines cheddar, provolone, and
Muenster cheese, grilled on white bread,
with or without fresh tomato. The Havana
Cuban is one of the restaurant’s top
sellers, as is the Kansas City Roast Beef.
“Everyone from Florida is from somewhere
else,” Osmond said, explaining his wife
Cindy’s idea to offer sandwich types
from across the country. “It’s worked
very well for us.”
Another top seller is SweetBerries’
homemade chicken salad, with chicken
breast, a hint of celery, pecans, grapes
and honey, on a croissant. Like the chicken
salad, the tuna and broccoli salads are
homemade, using family recipes.
30