Sidle up to the milkshake bar
It is one of the tastiest ways to spend your calories. And now Toronto has a new, dedicated place to get a milkshake.
When Carl’s Jr. opens its provincial flagship at 272 Queen St. W. on Wednesday afternoon, it will be the only store, among the chain’s 3,500 global locations, to have a bar specialized in shaking up the frothy ice cream drinks. “We thought we needed to do something unique,” says Kent Graber, one of the owners of the Queen West store.
While restaurants across the city have variations of the milkshake — also known as a frappe — on their menus, they aren’t the star of the show.
Even though Carl’s Jr., a Californiabased chain, is focused on the mighty burger, the downtown Toronto restaurant has made the milkshake a focal point.
Why? Two reasons, says Graber. The first is space. With more than 4,600 square feet to fill in the former HMV store and no way to convert some of it to a drive-through window, management needed a yummy alternative.
Second, says the seasoned restaurateur, Canadians love ice cream. Since Carl’s Jr. already makes milkshakes, which are really just drinkable ice cream, the hand-scooped milkshake bar was a no-brainer.
The ice cream is sourced from Markdale, Ont.-based Chapman’s, Canada’s largest independent ice cream manufacturer. The 2 per cent milk is from Toronto’s Neilson Dairy. The flavourings are made by Francebased Monin.
It’s $4.59 (plus tax) for 16 ounces of death-by-sweet-dairy, available anytime between 7 a.m. and 4 a.m.
Sidle up to the milkshake bar, which spans much of the restaurant’s western wall, and choose from about 20 flavours, including the usual suspects — strawberry, chocolate, vanilla — and the not so usual: caramel apple granny, orange dream, salted caramel and salted pecan, to name a few. You can also customize any flavour of your fancy.
Watch staff whip it up. The result is simply a tasty milkshake — creamy, milky, thick and sweet. Got an idea for Sourced? Email mhenry@thestar.ca.