Growing up I remember my dad picking my brothers and I up from school and taking us to the store and I always went straight for the ICEE machine. It was always a great surprise and now a wonderful memory. Today I enjoy creating memories with my own kids by going to Flash Foods for a cherry Flash Freeez to satisfy my craving. Who doesn’t love a large frozen drink on a summer day, especially on these hot days in South Georgia?

Did you know the first carbonated frozen drink was born in 1958 at a Dairy Queen in Kansas? The owner didn’t have a soda fountain so he would freeze bottles of soda and his customers loved it! A short time after that he realized it would be better if a machine was developed to dispense the product. He took his ideas to the Mitchell Company and by the mid-1960’s, 300 ICEE machines had been manufactured.

Flash Foods takes pride in continuously offering the most innovative products to our customers.  In 1987 when the offer was brought forward to put ICEE machines in our convenience stores. With eagerness and excitement the rollout began. Because, like I mentioned earlier, who doesn’t love a good frozen drink on a hot day in the South! With addition of the ICEE product line, plans were put in motion to create our own frozen brand. Our goal was to become a destination for our customers to stop at Flash Foods for an ICEE. The Marketing team began to brain storm and out came Flash Freeeez. This was the brand name that stuck around until 2002 in Flash Foods stores.

After 15 years the machines being used were in constant need of repair. This began a search for new frozen beverage options for our customers. Parrott Ice was brought in and lasted a few years but still wasn’t what we wanted as a frozen beverage experience for our customers. We knew we could do better. So we partnered with ICEE and began rebranding our Flash Freeez. The new product was revitalized. New machines, new signs and a cute little penguin mascot came along with this rebranding. This project started last summer and it is being well received by our customers of all ages.

This summer we wanted to celebrate the rebranding with a fun contest for all of our wonderful Flash Freeez customers. Our new penguin mascot needs a name so we are offering a contest on Facebook to name the penguin and win Flash Freeez for a year! We decided to include the kids in this contest by having a coloring contest for ages 4-12. Kids will win Flash Freeez and have their art displayed in their local Flash Food store. Check out our Facebook page and vote for your favorite name and visit our website for a coloring sheet!

I am happy that Flash Foods has such a wonderful product to carry on the tradition for myself and all of our great customers, giving us the opportunity to make new memories!