Australian Convenience Store News: Granita - Grown up Granita is all the go

hether you call it shaved ice, slush or frappe, there is no doubt that granita is the go. It has the potential to add healthy dollars to the bottom line but, as the captain of the Titanic found out too late, when you're dealing with ice, it's wise to go carefully….

While it suddenly seems to be the flavour of the month, granita is not a new arrival in the beverage department.

The frozen drink concept arrived from Italy around 40 years ago but has, until recently, been almost exclusively for children, cordial-flavoured bases blended with ice and marketed under a host of different names.

Servicing the New Trend
But granita has grown up and now makes its appearance in coffee shops, restaurants and smart bars, appearing as anything from iced tea, coffee and chocolate mixes through to smoothies and the fruit-juice base for frozen ('slushy') cocktails - alcoholic and otherwise - and created by a number of specialty companies.

There are a number of Australian companies catering to this new trend in terms of supplying the machinery to do the work. It's generally accepted that Harbin, Curtin, JL Lennard, Avem and ACS West Vend are among the major players of the shaved ice business, with several niche suppliers around the edge which change regularly as new brands arrive and old ones disappear.

Harbin-Gartrell Australia trades as Harbin and is the exclusive importer/wholesaler of the GBG range of frozen and refrigerated drink dispensers. It also has close ties with companies which offer a range of 'slush' bases.

Harbin spokesman Simon Whittaker says the company 'knows' granita, because it's the major equipment supplier to the likes of the Wendys group, Hudsons coffee bars, Coffex Coffee, Woolworths Plus petrol C-stores and Caltex outlets.

"We've worked very closely with Hudsons to develop the adult slush market and it continues to grow well. Where once you would ask for an iced coffee at an establishment like this and they would make it in a blender, they now make it in a granita machine - and it's not just coffee any more.

"The coffee can come with all manner of infusions - the simple frozen teas are now frozen teas infused with fruit purees. There's really no end to the possibilities when the major components are frozen slush and some form of flavour.

"There's also the very important point that these machines are far more flexible in their use than the frozen carbonated beverage machines (FCBs) and cheaper to install and maintain."

Mr Whittaker says one of the down sides to granita machines so far is that they have not been auto-refill, but Harbin now has such a system on offer. "It makes it easier and faster to top up the system and make sure there's no downtime in terms of serving customers. It also gets around a lot of those food handling issues which are always lurking."

Andrew Murray, managing director of food service equipment specialists, Avem, swears by the Bras and Ugolini Italian equipment distributed by his company, because of their reliability and ease of use.

"If you're buying this type of equipment, the same rules apply as buying any type of equipment. You want the after-sales service and support: you need to know the maintenance will be there if it breaks down.

"The thing about granita machines, and this is where we have a bit of an edge which has been proven, is that our machines have a magnetic drive as opposed to a direct drive."

Mr Murray explains it thus: with a direct drive, if the barrel freezes up, the mechanism will keep trying to work and eventually ruin the gearbox because the cogs get stripped. What makes that scenario worse is that it can be a recurring problem. However, with a magnetic drive, once things start to get blocked, the electric current cuts out. Then it's easy to work out that something is wrong and fix it before any damage is done.

"It's a feature which certainly appeals to our big customers so if they're buying hundreds of machines - which some of them do - they tend to go for the ones that are more reliable rather than the ones which cost less up front and can be more expensive later on," Mr Murray says.

IMI Cornelius claims to be the world's largest drink dispensing company with an annual global turnover of around $915 million. The company is better known for its frozen carbonated beverage (FCB) equipment but also now offers a full range of granita and carbonated granita machines which are available as manual or auto-fill.

The Cornelius range has multi-cooling systems for the quick cooling of drinks and a patented double mixing system for product consistency. The Cornelius range also comes with the option of electronic or manual control for simple operation and individual bowl control.

While admitting the company is fairly new to the market with granita, regional account manager for Australia, Simon Lilly says that as a recognised leader in the beverage industry, Cornelius is rapidly becoming a substantial player in the segment. He agrees with Mr Murray on the need to look beyond the price tag.

"Like all equipment, there are variations in quality, service and back-up. Aesthetics and merchandising opportunities with the equipment must also be considered so potential buyers should try to understand the complete package, rather than just making a decision on initial buying price," Mr Lilly says.

If careful consideration of price - from all angles - is important, then one thing to be wary of is what looks like a 'free' machine, says Bob de Groot of Curtin Global Food Equipment.

"That sort of arrangement usually means you're locked in to a certain range of product. It might seem like a great idea at the time, but it limits you. And, if those products don't work for your customers, then you're not going to be doing very much business. It pays to remember that you don't get anything for free!"

One, Two & Three Barrels
Mr de Groot is general manager for Curtin which supplies an Italian granita machine called SPM. These come as a one, two or three-barrel option. He says the advantage is that each barrel has its own individual refrigeration system.

"It means that if you're having a problem with one barrel, the others can continue to operate and earn. It also means that you can set three different temperatures if you're running different products that require different temperatures to be at their best: This machine controls the consistency of the ice."

Mr de Groot says three barrels gives operators the option of changing products regularly, depending on customer demand and preference.

"These machines are easy to clean and that's particularly important if you're using a dairy-based product. You really have to clean the barrel out carefully every day. It's not quite so crucial with a sugar-based mix, but even so, the actual cleaning process is not difficult."

ACS West Vend has been the sole importer/distributor for the Italian brand Promek for over 15 years and has successfully built Promek's reputation for quality granita and cold drink dispensers. ACS also manufactures its own brand ('Slusheee') of specially designed granita syrups.

Manager Rino Pittello says that while granita has some all-year appeal, its strongest period is obviously the summer months.

"Our syrup production steps up enormously over summer, to around 3,000-5,000-litres of concentrate per month. It's available in both cartons of three four-litre bottles and 10-litre kegs."

Making you Money
He says it's a classic case of needing to 'make hay while the sun shines': "You need a reliable machine, because it's only when they're up and running that they're making you money. If they're off the bench and in a service department somewhere, they're costing you money."

Mr Pittello says it's not just an unreliable machine that can be costly; using the wrong product in the dispenser can prove just as costly.

"We cannot stress enough the importance of using a high quality, specialised granita syrup. Besides keeping the end consumer happy, the dispenser isn't being put through unnecessary stress which can dramatically shorten the life of the machine.

"The best dispenser for the retailer really depends on that individual retailer's needs. We distribute several models of granita dispensers, each with their own unique benefits," Mr Pittello says. ACS West Vend's range includes granita dispensers in one, two or three bowl units, with eight, 10 or 12-litre capacity bowls.

It's a very similar story with the Elmeco brand, also from Italy, which is distributed in Australia by J L Lennard Food Equipment. The 'First Class' machines come in three sizes - one, two or three-barrel - each with 12-litre capacity.

"They're a fully stainless steel machine and the lids on the top can be different colours, with a decal or logo if required," says general manager, Matthew Challinor. "We can also arrange for specially sprayed panels around the sides with logos - all part of promoting the machine, the outlet and the product.

"The machines have lights which highlight the product and a small footprint, so they don't take up a lot of space. However, they are very visible and produce a good return on the space they occupy."

Mr Challinor points out that the First Class machines are not limited to producing granita: they can also produce sorbet, yogurt and milkshakes. Aside from these bench-top models, J L Lennard also supplies the high-volume 54-litre-an-hour capacity Taylor machines from the US.

Pick the brand and combination of barrels that suit you but there's absolutely no doubt that these types of machinery are worth investing in because the profits are, in one expert's word: "enormous".

He suggested that for a simple cordial base, the product cost per cup would be around 15 cents, while the retail price to the consumer would be around $1.50 - $2.50 a cup. Alternatively, you might own a smart bar where the product cost per cocktail is 90 cents and the customer is paying $5. Either way, the end result is "a reasonable margin" and a machine that pays for itself fairly quickly.

Reliable, Easy-to-Use & Maintain
However, the important issue here, is that a margin can only be generated when the machine is working. So: which machine? That's where doing your homework is important.

The general consensus from our experts is to choose one that's proven to be reliable, easy to use and maintain (too many moving parts can cause problems when mixing ice). You also want a good warranty, easily available parts and a solid back-up program of support and service as part of the deal. While that can be a simple matter for city sites, stores in more remote areas have to be particularly careful they make the right choice or risk having a machine out of operation and not paying its way.

Other things to consider while making your choice would include your site and its usual demographic and therefore the type of material you will be putting through the machine to suit their tastes. It also pays to be realistic about seasonality, which could be as much about site as it is about the demographic and the product itself.

Those issues will also help you decide if you're buying a machine that runs one, two, three or four barrels and what the mix of products should be. It's also important to do your figures based on the 'footprint' of the machine or how much space it takes up versus the return on that space - and exactly where the space is.

"Make sure the machine is very visible. Have it on or near the front counter, or create a 'food bench' with your granita machine and perhaps some other food offerings so it's a focal point that attracts the customers," says Harbin's Mr Whittaker.

"It has to be a high-profile position to work to your best advantage," says J L Lennard's Mr Challinor. "Aside from any other considerations, it has to be a machine that attracts the customers to wherever you've put it, and there has to be easy access from operator to customer with a variety of product on offer."

The companies that offer the slush mix are obviously keen to encourage you to do a 'one-stop-shop' and buy their equipment and mixes. Other experts suggest the best option is to buy your own piece of equipment and then try a variety of different product mixes until you find the ones that work best for your customers' tastes.

"It's far better to own the equipment and decide what you want to sell, rather than having someone telling you," says Curtin's Mr de Groot. "That way, you can try out different things and if they don't work for your customers, you can try something else without having a particular arrangement that locks you in."

"Don't skimp on product when you're mixing a manufacturer's product by adding more water than recommended," says Cornelius' Mr Lilly. "You end up with a poorer quality tasting mix and risk expensive damage to the machine."

And the Last Word?
"My suggestion would be not to go for a single barrel machine, ever," says Avem's Andrew Murray. "Always consider having at least two barrels: You will sell three times as much out of a double-barrel machine because people like contrasting colours and some degree of choice."