‘Shark Tank’ preview: Sub Zero Ice Cream combines science with dessert

There’s another all-new episode of “Shark Tank” coming up on ABC Friday night, and in previewing this one, all we have to say is that we hope some people out there have a serious hankering for some ice cream.

The product here on the surface is clearly something that sells well, but there is a twist in how it is made. To be fair, this is not the first time that we have seen somebody make ice cream with liquid nitrogen, as it has been done numerous time on “Top Chef,” which does at least prove that this is something that real chefs use to create a quick, tasty product. What does make Sub Zero Ice Cream stand out is the extent that they have gone to make their product something special, including making it in front of the customer within the span of a minute, and then even allowing it to be customized with all of your favorite flavors and mix-ins like you see at any specialty ice cream store. You can even determine just how frozen you want it!

In many ways this company has a lot going for it: they already have a number of franchises across Utah and parts of the west coast, have a nice website that shows their product off well, and despite Daymond John’s declaration blow that it tastes horrible, we know that with the right recipes this is a product that all sorts of clientele will enjoy. (Maybe he just got a bad mix, a flavor that wasn’t appealing to him, or maybe it’s just not his thing because everyone else liked it.)

The real issues that could come up with Sub Zero Ice Cream are pretty simple at the end of the day. For one, the company owners are asking for $300,000 for 12% of the company, which to us meant that they are valuing their business at almost $3 million. They do have a ton of locations, but they will have to work hard to sell this evaluation. Also, “Shark Tank” has featured ice cream products before, though the difference here is that the appeal of eCreamery (the show’s other product of this variety) was that it was more online-based. Here, most of the appeal seems to be watching the ice cream be created in front of you. Also, it helps that none of the sharks ended up biting on eCreamery so there will be no one who is out strictly on that basis.

Do you like the idea of ice cream produced by liquid nitrogen on a mass scale, or do you think that the sharks’ interest is destined to melt quickly? Be sure to share some of your thoughts below, and you can read some other highlights from this “Shark Tank” season by visiting the story over at the link here.