THE SODA FOUNTAIN.
Your soda fountain, and everything attached to the fountain, should be above suspicion as to cleanliness. Your counter top, glasses, crushed fruit jars, spoons, etc., should be perfectly clean.
Add a small amount of common soda or some of the well-known washing powders to a bucket of water and keep under your counter to wash your ice cream soda glasses in, afterwards rinsing them.
Don’t hire a cheap boy to run your fountain; a boy may be cheaper than a man, but people have confidence in a man that a boy cannot inspire.
Use all the ice possible; it don’t pay to skimp on ice.
Every morning wash all your glasses and all of the fountain fixtures with good soapsuds.
Always serve cream with all the syrups that you can; never ask a customer if he wants cream; give it to him whether he asks for it or not. Of course, use some judgment; don’t serve cream with lemon ginger ale, and such syrups.
Always keep a gallon or half-gallon bottle of each kind of syrup in your reserve stock. This should be labeled and kept in your cellar or some cool place.
Fruit juices cost more than extracts, but it pays to use them in your soda water. Use a fruit juice such as you will find advertised in the rear of this book and your customers will come again.
If a customer breaks a glass don’t accept pay for it; look pleasant; it was an accident.
Have stools in front of your fountain counter; but you must be careful lest you have loafers.
It is a good idea to have two or three tables, or as many more as is necessary, to accommodate your trade, and chairs for them, to serve ice cream soda. This is popular with ladies.
Always serve a small glass of ice water with your ice cream soda.
If it is possible, make your own ice cream; then you avoid getting good ice cream one day and poor the next. If you want something very fine for fountain trade, use our formula No. 1.
Don’t sell ice cream soda for five cents just because your competitor does; give them something good and charge them ten cents; you will find your customers will be willing to pay that if you give them good soda. Always keep a good line of crushed fruits; do not use preserves. Get your crushed fruits from some good reliable house that makes this a business. See advertisement in rear of book.
Have your fountain clerk dressed in white coat and apron; never allow him to wear soiled linen.
Do not cover your fountain top to prevent it from getting dirty; it takes but little time to wash it, and it is too fine a fixture to hide by covering it up.
Have your silver polished frequently; it gives your fountain the appearance of cleanliness.
Egg drinks can be made very popular and profitable by exercising care in their mixture.
Be liberal in your soda advertising, as it is the best paying part of your store during summer seasons, if properly attended to.
The following recipes are figured on the basis of one gallon: