12 Red Flags At The Ice Cream Shop You Should Never Ignore

Ice cream is the perfect way to cool down on a hot summer day, so it's no surprise that everyone loves it (other than Ross from "Friends"). People in the United States love ice cream so much that as per an estimate by the International Dairy Foods Association, the average American eats about 20 pounds, or 4 gallons of it each year. While some prefer getting it from a grocery store, others would rather go to the best local ice cream shop for varied flavor options. But, have you ever been to an ice cream shop and instantly felt something was off? As it turns out, some can be full of certain red flags that aren't worth ignoring.

After working in a restaurant with a massive ice cream display, I feel it's my duty to talk about these red flags. Some of them can be subtle, while others are a lot more obvious. Either way, I guarantee that once you're done reading this article, you'll know which ice cream shops are worth your time and money, and which ones you need to run away from.

When you walk into an ice cream shop, the first and most basic thing you'd expect is for it to be sparkly clean. But, what if you are instead greeted with dirty shoe marks on the floor, sticky counters, tables littered with plates, and even an overflowing trash can? You surely know where I'm going with this — yes, this is indeed a major red flag. If the shop doesn't look too dirty, but the display is sticky and is splattered with ice cream everywhere, that too, isn't a good sign. Think of it this way, if the employees at the ice cream shop aren't even bothered to keep things clean, do you really think they will follow any basic cleaning or hygiene standards when serving you the ice cream? Most likely not.

Plus, a dirty shop is a telltale sign that the staff is possibly nonchalant about keeping their kitchen and storage areas clean, and even worse, the ice cream maker might not have been cleaned properly. All these things add up and can cause the onset of harmful bacteria growth in the ice cream, hence, it's best to just steer clear of such shops.

It's common for many ice cream shops to only have a few scoops that they rotate regularly for serving. To keep these scoops clean and reduce chances of cross-contamination, they should be rinsed under warm tap water after each use and dried off. However, some employees take the easy route and rinse them in a tub of warm water instead. Worse still, the scoops might remain in that tub until they need to be used again. This is a red flags for three big reasons: It's unsanitary; it could make your ice cream taste off; it could leave an icy layer on the ice cream.

Not only does leaving the scoop in water result in cross-contamination, which could make your vanilla ice cream taste like chocolate, but it's also a breeding ground for harmful bacteria, which can lead to foodborne illness. Additionally, if the scoop isn't dried off before being used again, it will leave water on the ice cream, which freezes into a thin, icy layer. Therefore, if you see ice cream scoops sitting in a pool of murky water, you should just run out of that shop right away.

If you look around the ice cream shop and notice it doesn't provide any information about the products beyond their prices, that's a definite red flag. The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) mandatorily calls for food to display appropriate labels with the nutritional content and ingredients. This information is particularly important for consumers with dietary restrictions due to health concerns and allergies, like dairy, eggs, and nuts.

If the ingredient and nutritional information isn't readily available on the display, ask an employee as they should have this information behind the counter. If they don't, this should cause concern. If an ice cream parlor chooses not to be transparent about these things despite their requirement, not only do you not know what you're eating, but it also makes you wonder what else they're hiding.

It's natural for ice cream shops to use chemical-based cleaners, and a little lingering smell of the products isn't a bad sign. But, if you walk into a shop and are instantly hit with a highly potent chemical smell that's making you uncomfortable and also possibly giving you a headache, that's definitely a red flag. With chemical cleaners, a little goes a long way. Using too much can be a sign that the ice cream shop generally smells bad and they are basically trying to mask it with the cleaners.

But, it is also worth noting that sometimes the lingering chemical smell at an ice cream shop can be a result of deep cleaning done by the staff. Deep cleaning requires using a larger quantity of cleaners, which can lead to a potent smell. If you'd like to assume that the strong chemical smell is because of deep cleaning, look for signs to see if they have actually done so. Check the overall premises of the shop properly. Does it look tidy or are you able to spot dirt and grime everywhere? If the latter situation is unfortunately the case, it's time to reconsider buying an ice cream from there.

Ice cream should have a smooth texture, so if you see scoops at the display in a shop appearing grainy or full of ice crystals, those are red flags you shouldn't ignore. This consistency is a consequence of drastic temperature fluctuations. One of the most important ingredients in ice cream is water. When the frozen treat is churned the water turns into small ice crystals. These little ice crystals melt when the ice cream does, which happens if the ice cream isn't stored at the right temperature or during transportation. 

However, once the ice cream is brought back to its ideal temperature, the water freezes again. This time, however, it turns into large ice crystals, consequently making the texture of the sweet treat gritty and unpleasant to eat. Aside from having a less than desirable texture, such extreme temperature changes can spoil the ice cream, too, which could lead to illness.  If the ice cream doesn't look smooth and cream, you might want to skip getting a scoop from that shop.

All employees serving ice cream should be wearing hairnets and gloves as part of basic hygiene standards; they act as a physical barrier and protect the ice cream from things like broken nails or strands of hair. If you notice the staff scooping out ice cream while wearing neither, run for the hills! That said, it's okay for the servers who don't directly handle the frozen dessert to work without a hairnet or gloves on.

Here, I'd also like to add that it's completely fine if employees are wearing the same hairnet the entire time you're at the shop. But when it comes to gloves, they should ideally be changed regularly, like after handing out each order. This is because they are likely to pick up bits of frozen dessert when a flavor is scooped out. Wearing new gloves reduces the chances of one flavor mixing up with another. Moreover, the staff also shouldn't be handling money and ice cream with the same gloves on. This is problematic because currency notes and coins are full of contaminants that can easily spread to the ice cream.

Some ice cream shops have an open toppings bar to let customers freely choose and add what they like. But, you should be concerned if the counter has uncovered toppings and sauces spilled everywhere. This is a red flag because if any sort of food isn't covered properly (even those sugary sprinkles), it can spoil much faster. It also turns those toppings into a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. Moreover, if those sprinkles, nuts, and sauces are scattered all over the place, it's a clear sign that the staff isn't cleaning the station regularly.  

Many ice cream parlors offer fresh fruits as toppings, too. If these fruits aren't kept covered and are later consumed by a customer, they can be at risk of foodborne illness. Sometimes, the bar may be properly sealed but everything stored in it could still look stale or even moldy. This means the employees don't keep the sauces and toppings covered all the time, or even worse, are serving stale and low-quality products. Either way, if the toppings station seems unhygienic or off in any way, it's best to get your ice cream fix from someplace else.

If you get a scoop from an ice cream shop and it sadly tastes artificial or almost chemical-like, that's a massive red flag. It's the ice cream shop's duty to deliver what they are marketing. If they've explicitly mentioned that their ice cream is made with completely natural produce (which most ice cream shops do claim), but the frozen treat tastes nothing like that, it's best to take your money elsewhere. 

A strange aftertaste can also mean that the shop is trying to mask the use of low-quality ingredients with excessive flavorings. This is sadly a common practice at mediocre shops, as they are often trying to cut costs by skimping on premium ingredients. Another telltale sign that the ice cream flavors are packed with all things fake is a very bright color. Since synthetic flavor mix-ins cannot give ice cream the desired color as natural ingredients do, some manufacturers add large amounts of food coloring to the frozen dessert. This is a way to make the color match the flavor. So, if all the ice creams look almost neon colored, don't even bother trying a sample. 

The crunchy texture of ice cream cones complements the soft ice cream perfectly, making them an important aspect of the whole experience. That said, if an ice cream shop is handing out soft cones that also taste stale, you're better off leaving that place. Soft ice cream cones are a red flag as they denote that the employees aren't storing them properly. What's even worse is if the cone is stale, it could also mean that the ice cream shop is trying to cut costs. That is probably why they aren't bothered to throw out the old stock of cones and are instead handing them out to customers.

In most cases, premium ice cream shops make fresh waffle cones daily. Of course, it may not be feasible for every shop to make cones, so they may outsource them. But even in that case, they should at least source fresh ones and store them properly so that the customers get the best quality. Since this could just be plain negligence on the ice cream shop's part, you should instead consider spending your money at a different place.

Most ice cream shops occasionally introduce new flavors to offer something beyond the usual options. If an ice cream shop doesn't launch new flavors regularly and has the same ones every time you visit, that is definitely a red flag. This could mean that the owner doesn't care too much about customer feedback, since at least a few of them could have requested newer flavors. It also indicates that the shop isn't willing to keep up with new food trends.

Sure, there are a few flavors that are too experimental and hence, you usually don't see them on the menu at any parlor, even once in a while. But, if it's spring — which means strawberry season, the shop should at least offer a delicious frozen dessert made with the fresh fruit. Not doing so shows severe lack of initiative, even with seasonal flavors. Considering that, you might as well go to a different place to satisfy your cravings for new flavors. 

While this isn't too common, if you come across an ice cream shop that reuses sample spoons, you shouldn't buy anything from there. Such appalling practices mean that the place is not concerned about the customer well-being. They could also be cutting costs severely, resulting in them reusing those spoons and being extremely unhygienic.  

This particular red flag is subtle and can be difficult to spot, but not impossible. If you don't want to take the risk yourself, keep an eye out for what the employee does with the sample spoon they offered to the customer right before you. Ideally, if there is no trash can right there, the customer will give the spoon back to the staff, and they should throw it out immediately. But if you instead see them washing the spoon or cleaning it with a napkin, run out as fast as you can.

Since it's an ice cream shop we are referring to we can give it the benefit of the doubt if it has one odd fly buzzing around. However, if you notice an entire colony in there, that's a major red flag. Moreover, the ice cream place could unfortunately also be infested with even worse pests like cockroaches and rats. This a clear sign that the shop is indifferent about its basic hygiene standards and probably doesn't have a regular pest control protocol.

Besides being aesthetically appalling, all these creatures are problematic because they carry all the bad bacteria that can lead to foodborne illnesses. Flies are pretty notorious for sitting on unsanitary surfaces and imagine if one of them landed in your ice cream! Cockroaches and rats also thrive in dirty environments. While you can easily see cockroaches roaming around the place (which is clear evidence to leave immediately), rats are a little more difficult to spot. You should look out for droppings and check for signs of nibbling, especially on the chairs or couches in the sitting area. These are all indicators of rat infestation, making the place completely unsanitary.