Demand on increase for Andy?s Frozen Custard

For the past three years, readers of the Springfield News-Leader named Andy's Frozen Custard as the best place to go to get ice cream or a frozen dessert.

In 1999, 417 Magazine recognized Andy's for serving the best frozen dessert in Spring-field.

Andy's has built up quite a following since John and Carol Kuntz founded the business in 1986, which they named after their only child Andy. The first Andy's was located in the Lake of the Ozarks region. In 1987, however, the Kuntzes decided to move to Springfield, and they opened another shop at 3147 E. Sunshine.

A year later, they sold their shop at the Lake of the Ozarks, and in 1990 a second location was added at 2726 S. Campbell. In 1999, a third location opened at 2119 N. Glenstone. It is managed by Randal Schulze, who also is a part owner.

"We really needed someone we could trust to handle the third location when it opened," Andy Kuntz said. "We've never regretted taking on a business partner. We would have spread ourselves too thin if we had tried to do it all ourselves."

Although John and Carol Kuntz still are active in the business, Andy Kuntz oversees most of the day-to-day operations at all locations. Several of the company's 35 employees who work at these locations have many years of tenure with the company.

"We pay our employees competitive wages, and full-time employees get health insurance benefits and paid vacations," Andy Kuntz said. "We don't have a lot of employee turnover, either, which is unusual in the food service industry."

Longevity within the company has helped promote good customer service, and employees often address customers by name and remember the names of their favorite desserts, such as the Pretzel Carmel Crunch, the Choco-O-Roco, the Ozark Turtle and the Woody P. Snowmonster, which was in-vented by and named after local radio personality Woody P. Snow.

Kuntz is quick to point out that each dessert contains fro-zen custard not ice cream. The custard is made using a 59-year-old recipe and is stirred by a handmade custard machine, which leaves virtually no air in the product.

According to Kuntz, this re-sults in a smoother, denser and creamier product.

"I'd put our frozen custard up against the best premium ice cream out there," he said.

To ensure freshness, each batch of custard is melted back down into liquid form and remixed and refrozen if it's not used within 45 minutes.

Some customers, however, prefer to buy a pint, quart or half-gallon of frozen custard to take home and eat at their leisure.

According to Kuntz, the demand for frozen custard has increased in recent years, and more and more customers are buying containers of frozen custard to take home. In fact, the Kuntzes recently began selling a "travel pack." The pack, which sells for $34.98, consists of a small ice chest filled with dry ice and one gallon of frozen custard.

Given the demand, it's not surprising the Kuntzes would consider opening another location. According to the Kuntzes, any new location would follow Andy's traditional 1950s-style theme and offer both walk-up and drive-through service.

"The 1950s walk-up motif has helped us stand out from other restaurants in the area that sell frozen custard," Andy Kuntz said. "In the summer, people will come here for dessert and just sit out on their cars and visit with their friends."

In addition to their business, the Kuntzes are active in the local community. Andy Kuntz is a member of the Wine and Food Celebration committee, which helps promote and fund Ozark Public Television.

The Kuntz family also has adopted several local elementary schools.

In addition, they are strong supporters of the arts. Currently, the family is helping co-sponsor an upcoming performance at the Juanita K. Hammons Center for the Performing Arts.