Nielsen's Frozen Custard: thicker than concrete.

• Author: Qliphant, Aisley
• Position: READERS' CHOICE

Good, hard work and family values were what brought Steve Nielsen to the frozen custard business in 1981. "What he wanted was a family farm," says Dave Nielsen, director of franchising at NIELSEN'S FROZEN CUSTARD and Steve's son. "He wanted to teach his kids how to work. He [also] wanted to stay in Bountiful, so he decided to open frozen custard shops."

The Nielsens' first frozen custard stand opened in the Crossroads Mall in downtown Salt Lake City and quickly grew to family-owned stores in Bountiful, Salt Lake and St. George, with several franchises in Idaho, Nevada and Arizona. "Every city we've opened in, we've been named the best ice cream in that respective city," says Nielsen.

During this growth, Steve Nielsen took the standard frozen custard mixing machine and improved upon it, patenting his modifications specifically for his frozen custard stands. "We have several patents on our machine. We feel that it makes the best product in the world," Nielsen says. "Each store has the custard machine in it and we just pour it in and start the machine ... The machine has such great freezing capacity it can take a liquid product and freeze it in 16-17 seconds. Some of the more quality ice creams are at 50 percent air, whereas [ours] are at 10 percent air. That's why it's such a thick, dense product."

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