GLENDALE, Wis. — Wisconsin has been called the “unofficial frozen custard capital” for years. People flock to buy the sweet treat, but that doesn’t mean the industry isn’t feeling the pressure of inflation and staff shortages.
Kopp’s Frozen Custard in Glendale, Wis., is one of the many iconic custard destinations in the state.
Its manager, Scott Borkin, has worked at Kopp’s for 45 years.
“Well, when you put your heart and soul into something and you enjoy what you do, everything else comes natural,” said Borkin.
Borkin’s devotion is so deep, if someone accidentally calls Kopp’s custard “ice cream,” he said he will immediately correct them.
“It’s because the quality of ingredients of what we use, what custard is made out of, it will change your mind about eating ice cream,” said Borkin.
The costs of frozen custard’s high-quality ingredients — such as eggs — have seen big increases due to inflation.
“Well, inflation has impacted everybody; fortunately for us and for the rest of Milwaukee, we haven’t really gouged our prices a whole lot. We’re not known for that,” said Borkin.
The cost of ingredients for other menu items — such as burgers, sandwiches and sides — has risen, too.
Borkin said he’s kept prices down by being diligent about not wasting any food during prep. He also relies on the high volume of sales year-round.
He said Kopp’s is still busy even in sub-zero weather during the cold Wisconsin winters.
“This summer we actually have been able to hire a little bit more than last summer, but everyone is struggling,” said Borkin.
Avery Shepherd has been a Kopp’s customer since he was a kid. He said he’ll always support Kopp’s because he believes is an important destination for the state of Wisconsin to be proud of.
“You want people to come from out of town and enjoy it. That’s important to Wisconsin,” said Shepherd.
Shepherd said Kopp’s is special to him because of the fun times he spent eating chocolate custard with his mom when he was young.
Borkin said despite inflation and worker shortages, Kopp’s will always survive and be there for its customers. It’s a legacy that Elsa Kopp started in 1950 and has been carried on ever since, by her son, Karl Kopp.
“We are just going to keep going business as usual. Karl set up a game plan on how the business should be run. We are just following that game plan. We haven’t been wrong’ they’ve been in business for 70 years and we are still going strong,” said Borkin.