New ice cream parlor disappoints, improves quality

Display cases filled with delectable treats and chocolate covered cones make the recently opened Baskin Robbins a new favorite for locals. Located at 6761 N. Milburn Ave., this new Baskin Robbins is the first of its kind, currently the idea is being applied nationwide after being tested in Fresno.

As the largest inland city in California, Fresno has served as a test market for various products over numerous years. According to Nichols Research, Fresno contains a variety of over 80 different nationalities, with large Hispanic and Hmong communities. A more famous product, the Taco Bell Doritos Locos Taco was tested in Fresno before being released nationwide.

The store itself, is very bright and colorful. On one wall, shirts for sale are displayed next to a neon glowing sign. A mural-esque painting covers the back wall. The end wall contains a case of ice cream cakes and along the length of the store are the ice cream displays and toppings.

The new store now features a wide variety of pre-frosted cakes, in a fancier style than in most Baskin Robbins. When you walk in, the store feels modern and classy, although it seems to contradict itself between the mural and the glowing sign. Although showy, the store just doesn’t seem extremely different. After reading multiple articles online, I was unhappy with the overall effect of the store. 

The following tweet contains an article from Nation’s Restaurant News highlighting some extra features of the new Baskin Robbins.

.@BaskinRobbins unveils next generation shop in California https://t.co/qg5nNsl8HS @FastFoodMaven #restaurantnews pic.twitter.com/SDInCvzeOT

— Restaurant News (@NRNonline) November 28, 2018

They also added a line of frozen treats that were decorated and displayed in the front of the store. Along with fruit bars, they also offer chocolate-dipped bananas and other chocolate-dipped ice cream treats.

One new addition was a toppings bar, they had at least 15 different types of toppings available including sprinkles, cereals and chopped-up candies. The ice creams themselves were no different, just classic flavors with the flavor of the month. The place was clean as opposed to most other Baskin Robbins. The building also included bar-like seating and an outdoor patio with tables and umbrellas.

One thing that disappointed me was that all the frozen treats were made with vanilla ice cream. There was not very much variety except for types of sprinkles or nuts. A lot of the items seemed to be very similar just in a different shape/style.

While I was there my family got regular ice cream but with some of the fancier chocolate covered cones. They said that the cones tasted no different, it was just the visual appeal. I got a chocolate-covered polar pizza, which is just vanilla ice cream on a brownie base and then covered in the chocolate and sprinkles.

We also ordered a cake roll with chocolate cake and ice cream, half dipped in chocolate. They also offered plain ice cream bars, chocolate covered bananas, and fruit bars.

The polar pizza was disappointing; it was hard and difficult to eat and just seemed plain and uninteresting. The cake roll was extremely similar. If I didn’t know what each individual dessert looked like, I would have thought they were the same thing.

Essentially, the new Baskin Robbins is just flashier with improved quality. The improvements, although good still don’t make the place high-quality, they have just upped the standards to meet the high-standards of superior, locally-owned stores.

The new Baskin Robbins is located at 6761 N. Milburn Ave, and can be reached at (559)-374-5300.

For another food review read, Little Fat Dumpling offers quick Asian food to Fresno. For another article read, Feather continues to compete, looks to engage with community events.

Vijay Stephen can be contacted via Twitter and email.

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Slideshow Images Below of Baskin Robbins

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