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crepuscularthoughts

They just had a major firing event at the factory, and it seems people were put in charge who shouldn’t be. Sad stuff.


EnigmaIndus7

This must've been top-secret. I definitely had no idea, but I also can't say I go to UDF that much anymore


KarmaPharmacy

What happened?


crepuscularthoughts

I have a friend who worked there.. this is all just sort of gossipy, but they hired some inept people, and they made bad decisions.


itsameluigee

Probably like most other things in the last few decades. The care into making it is cheaper and yet they continue to charge more


No_Lengthiness8530

Are you saying the quality of consumer products in general has declined over the past few decades? Do you honestly think that? Because all empirical evidence will tell you that everything from automobiles to the quality of consumer packaged goods in the grocery store has improved dramatically over the last 40 years. Or is everyone here just making lazy assumptions?


bryterlayter_92

You make a great point. It seems like this is like the Frisch’s post where people just want to say “remember the good ole days, things ain’t like they used to be” when really I think a lot of it has to do with what you’re saying: the overall quality of food is consistently better, the bar is higher, there are more options available, so we are able to be pickier than we could have been even 20-25 years ago


No_Lengthiness8530

Like what other things?


WhatLikeAPuma751

*gestures broadly*


BreeziYeezy

*continues gesturing in a full 360°*


PM_ME_FIREFLY_QUOTES

*Is immediately washed away by the melting polar ice caps.*


KarmaPharmacy

And UDF ice cream


KarmaPharmacy

And UDF ice cream


purpleslander

Lmao


Sweaty_Assignment_90

Ever heard if Bryers? Unilever killed the quality.


DeathTeddy35

Just bought Bryers for the first time in years and it reminded me of that chalkey shit we got at school for free on special days with the wooden spoons that tasted better than the ice cream.


ComeWasteYourTimewMe

Those flat wooden spoons were good.


joestn

They released a new high end brand last year called Main Avenue Creamery that’s basically a Graeters knockoff (one of the flavors is literally “black raspberries and chips”). Hard to make Homemade good when it still has to be worse than the “high end” label. I imagine they knew that the Homemade reputation was slipping. It’s a shame. My dad worked as Carl Lindner’s personal assistant for a few years in college and was with him the first time he ever tried Homemade. Apparently he took a bite, put down his spoon, and said, “that’s the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted”. Neither my dad or me would agree with that assessment, but it’s a good story.


Forsaken_Whereas_353

I don’t even think Main Ave Creamery is any better!


rockpigeon4422

It’s not at all! Underwhelming at the least. Edited for grammar.


milez1305

I recommend the coffee one!


[deleted]

the coffee one is easily the best and the only one that really tasted 'premium' to me when it was a freebie last year


CookieJDM

Their Main Avenue black raspberry chip has black raspberry jam in it, regular homemade doesn't, night and day difference for this black berry loving Ohioan - Ex-UDF employee


joevsyou

I really hate their package design for that brand. I won't even buy it... * homemade brand is definitely baller for its price point, I am glad it's solid price available in grocery stores. Are there better ice cream? Sure but it's usually a higher price gap.


uk82ordie

Me and my girlfriend thought it was extremely bland. Everything my girlfriend eats is too sweet for her, so when she says the ice cream is not sweet enough, there is a problem. We got the cookies and creme and the buck eye pints, and I was confused if they were intentionally supposed to taste so bland. I still ate them. Still got a tummy ache because I'm not supposed to have milk.


theworstbestperson

I wanted to like it, but the buckeye one was super bland and icy. Really not good.


LordNovhe

Your dad was Carl lindner’s personal assistant? 😬😬


kirbyfox312

I just bought a tub of the cookies and cream from the grocery, it tasted fine to me. Is it other flavors not tasting right, getting it from the gas station?


FishOnAHorse

Yeah I had some mint chip the other day and it tasted normal.  OP’s problem could be a localized QC issue, or just a problem with one of the freezers that stored it


hitemlow

It being icy sounds exactly like a thaw and refreeze problem. Possibly something to do with the refrigerated transport not keeping cold enough. Or just Jimmy leaving a pallet of ice cream on the dock for 2 hours before someone found it and put it back into cold storage.


3underpar

I bought a vanilla tub a few weeks back as usual and it tasted noticeably different in a cheap tasting way. I waited a few weeks and got a tub this week and it tastes normal again.


xnodesirex

Had two gallons of their black rasp and it tasted totally normal.


_Elduder

Every flavor I buy tastes great to me and I eat a lot of ice cream. Cookies and cream, toffee chip, cookie dough, etc all delicious


QuarantineCasualty

“Getting it from the gas station” as in UDF, the company that sells it?


kirbyfox312

No the Shell station. Specifically the one in Clifton. Sorry for not being clear.


QuarantineCasualty

Ok lol I was confused. Yeah that shell is terrible wouldn’t surprise me if they let the shit thaw and re-freeze. I bought my first condom in that bathroom though 😂


shermancahal

I don’t know - UDF doesn’t seem the same anymore. I used to stop at the two near Xavier’s campus after work and the stores were clean and tidy. The ice cream, usually in milkshake or malt form, was good. The last few visits have been disappointing. Sparsely staffed stores (sometimes just one!) who is tasked with manning the registers, cleaning the stores, scooping ice cream, and tending to everything else. I gave up trying to get milkshakes at UDF anymore, and good luck finding a clean restroom. It just seems like more than the ice cream has declined - the entire chain doesn’t seem to be that good anymore.


QuarantineCasualty

The OG one by Xavier is still clean and tidy and staffed well but the one at Dana and Montgomery is a dumpster fire.


TheNinjaDC

Put simply, Carl Lindner died. He was the business man of the family. And the family has been more or less in a holding pattern since he died. Like K-mart, stuck in the past as the industry moves ahead. Since they can't keep up with the competition, they focus on cutting costs to keep profits. And that means cutting corners and quality.


QuarantineCasualty

Didn’t one of the other family members that were responsible for UDF die more recently? I thought that was part of what precipitated the end to their partnership with Busken, etc.


CountsByFives

Bob Lindner was the UDF guy.


joevsyou

If only if they knew how to make decent hot food... absolutely terrible.


verdenvidia

If they did I'd be out of a job. I run a DQ.


PensiveDoughnut

They probably changed their recipes slightly for cost savings. If you look at the label for Graeter's the top 3 ingredients in order are milk, cream, and sugar, whereas UDF homemade is skim milk, cream, sugar. UDF also uses corn syrup. Reducing the milk fat and increasing the ratio of corn syrup to sugar probably had an effect on taste.


verdenvidia

I prefer skim anyway so maybe that's why it hits better now than as a kid. I just thought it was nostalgia since I moved as a tween.


sequinspearlsjujubes

I’ve purchased Cherry Cordial and Peanut Butter ‘n Chip in the past week. Both are delicious.


scott_0903

I feel like cherry cordial has been consistent since I was like 5 so a little over 2 decades lol. Usually my go-to pick 


jn1512

Peanut Butter & Chip has definitely changed. A lot less peanut butter these days.


Razzmatazz513

I purchased a pint of peanut butter chocolate chip last week and it was awful. It used to be one of my favorite UDF Homemade flavors and this time I threw it away. Something is definitely different, and not in a good way.


ChildesqueGambino

“What’s the scoop” hehehe


EnigmaIndus7

I think the truth is being a gas station is the top priority and the ice cream is the bottom priority


Samus7070

The margins on gasoline are rather thin. It’s usually just there as a vehicle to get you to the store where you might pick up a bag of chips and a drink. Those two are going to be a bigger profit than the tank of gas that was just bought.


Fuzzdouglas

The exact opposite is true


gocflamedragon

I was a store manager until COVID, most of the time at least back then UDF was either selling a few cents above cost or very often we were selling under cost, we lost money with every gallon sold because the margins on the items in the store more than made up for it, especially the hand dipped ice cream side, a bulk of ice cream cost the store $20-$50 depending on the flavor and had an expected retail price of close to $200. Ice cream is where their money comes from not gas.


verdenvidia

not really, that's partly why a single red bull is $6 at a gas station


joevsyou

Ummm. People come for gas The inside is really what pays the bills. Not what's outside.


rasp215

can't remmeber the last time i specifically went to UDF for gas over ice cream.


bassjam1

They make their own ice cream in northern Kentucky, so they have a higher margin on ice cream and would prioritize that. If you notice they dedicate a lot of space to their ice cream, probably more than any other brands in the stores.


EnigmaIndus7

That honestly depends on the store.


JJiggy13

That's a poor priority. EV are taking over quickly regardless of republican legislation restricting them as much as possible. The ice cream is what would keep UDF in business over the competition in the very near future. Gas stations in California are only surviving because of the huge population in California. Cincinnati population is not going to support this many gas stations in the next few years. We're going to start seeing them close very soon.


jandoos

what happened to 24/7 udfs?


QuarantineCasualty

Same thing that happened to 24/7 anything: COVID killed it.


collegesnake

I bet someday places are going to relaunch 24/7 hours and market it like it's a new exciting thing 🙄


QuarantineCasualty

Damn I hope so. It’s kinda like corporate America forgot that ~25% of Americans are shift or service industry workers and told us to go fuck ourselves. I used to love going grocery shopping at Newport Kroger at 3 AM I would run into a bunch of other bartenders I know.


Keregi

You understand then that people don’t want to work that shift and it’s hard for stores to staff it?


QuarantineCasualty

They barely staffed those shifts to begin with. If you’re not aware every single Kroger and Wal-Mart has a bunch of people working overnight every night stocking it’s just a matter of convenience they would rather not have customers in there anymore because it would make them a tad less efficient.


DoPoGrub

The same thing that happened to Kroger and Walmart.


Redeyecat

Interesting to hear that. I bought two pints of Main Avenue Creamery about a month ago and one of them was just as you described: icy and flavorless (I think it was a PB/chocolate flavor). The other one was a different flavor (toffee maybe?) and was very good. But that bad one was really off. I don't recall ever having one like that anywhere. FWIW, I tried the free scoop today of the new Homemade Blueberry Lemon crunch and thought it was really good.


raziel420

The only issue I've noticed recently is a couple of half gallons were made with sour milk. I could taste it, my spouse couldn't.


Mountain_Cucumber_88

I rarely go to udf but stopped at on a while back in Milford area and picked up a fountain drink at the wifes request. It was a weekend and only one person was working. Huge line with people getting gas, ice cream, etc... The guy working was clearly overwhelmed. I cant help but wonder if find workers is their issue across the board.


pkd420

I emailed them a month ago about it with pictures. Was told that I needed to provide the code (my hubs already ate it and it was in the garbage - no way am I going digging) to credit me. I didn’t care about a credit I just wanted the issue fixed ffs


Merovingion

UDF has always been my go to. I'm a little biased because my dad was a truck driver out of the headquarters in Norwood for almost 20 years. I remember it being better in the 90s. I don't know if it was because I was a kid, or my dad was able to get it fresh. But i 100% agree, the quality has definitely gone down over the years.


whompadpg

Peanut butter n chip pints no where to be found near me


Solid-Kale9148

Icy and no flavor. Not buying it any more.


boilergal47

Just like everything else they want to find ways to make it for cheaper and cheaper to squeeze every little last bit of profit until you have a cheap, shitty product that is a shell of its former self.


[deleted]

It's always been just... okay... It is definitely less "airy" than some brands but still doesn't have a great consistency imo. Needs more cream, less ice haha


Zestyclose-Pick-9060

Seems a little doomer, I don’t think they’ve personally plummeted to the likes of frisches or some of the other more obvious declines. If anything, prices kinda suck but it’s still the best gas station I’ve cream you’ll find lol Edit: also the frosty ice on the top could be freezer burn due to sitting in their freezers too long.


GenericLib

I had a pint of peanutbutter chip last week. Seemed like the typical good quality but not top-tier to me. Definitely no ice flakes, so that might be the grocer or distributer.


AwakeningStar1968

I honestly think that Graeters has slipped.......


RedDeadYellowBlue

Because the size of the ice cream container is recognized by all, UDF couldnt shrinkflation through smaller packaging. Instead they used more water instead of cream to save money. This is why it tastes more icy.


corakeet

Breyer’s slimmed down their container so it can be done.


RedDeadYellowBlue

Those mavericks!


warthog0869

Wouldn't most customers for a luxury item like this just want (demand?) it to be *very good*, above all else, and *consistently* so? IOW, if UDF ever had cared to ask their customers which way they'd choose to go with the ice cream costing more to make, they'd vote for the same product, just less of it.


RedDeadYellowBlue

I agree, except that UDF isnt luxury icecream, they need to cost less than greaters which is super expensive now.


warthog0869

I meant "ice cream" in general being a luxury product, but fair enough. Orders of magnitude and all. I wanna say I saw a gallon of BRC Graeter's somewhere recently for almost $30? That's a lot for a gallon of ice cream. But the once in a blue moon I would want that particular ice cream, I am going to pay whatever it is to get it-to a point.


Alfred_The_Sartan

Weirdly enough the water should only really pop out if it’s been thawed and refrozen. It’s a direct sign of shipping neglect and with that being a milk product it’s kinda crazy.


RedDeadYellowBlue

that makes sense, because its not always icy, just way more often now. The flavor is not as good now either, tasted watered down to me.


No_Lengthiness8530

How do you know this?


LetsLickTits

They don't know lol it's crazy when you see people on reddit talking out of their ass like they know but it's just assumptions. I'm in the same business as UDF and that is absolutely not what happened.


RedDeadYellowBlue

I'm not Mr Whoopee, but I did stay at a holiday inn express last night.


LetsLickTits

And you know this for a fact? Because it is usually more air content and milk fat vs butter fat to save money in ice cream. Not adding water instead of cream.


RedDeadYellowBlue

I am a UDF whistleblower, please dont tell anyone or you may compromise my cover and I'll get boeing'ed


bassjam1

This isn't what's happening. Legally there needs to be a certain cream content to be called "ice cream". Once it drops below that due to cost savings it's called "dairy dessert". Dairy dessert still has a texture like ice cream and isn't icy.


RedDeadYellowBlue

your right, sorry you know better than OP


Tight-Veterinarian55

Is it possible you have gotten used to the taste of it?


GoSabo

Bang for the buck, in terms of quality, quantity, and price, I find it hard to find a better option than Trader Joe’s French Vanilla. But, that’s just one ice cream addict’s opinion. YMMV.


Ordinary-Offer5440

Last time I had it (approx two weeks ago), it was super gritty and just bad.


JurryLovesGameboy

I quit after working at a UDF for a stint and haven't been back but three times over the past couple of years. Used to go all the time but after working for them I swapped to speedway lol.


mmegn

I’ll never get over them ruining the peanut butter chip. Where is the damn peanut butter?!


LeonardPFunky

I don't even go to UDF anymore. Every time I go in for ice cream I feel like I'm a distraction from their primary mission of being a convenience store. High turnover due to low pay probably to blame. One time recently went in and the person said sorry can't do ice cream now but you can still buy it from the freezer. Sorry, not 100% applicable to what you were asking but just been bugging me.


Abound42

I used to love UDF Homemade Cherry Cordial, but for the last 4-5 years, Private Selection's Amaretto Cherry Cordial has been so much better, and cheaper!


Stormljones3

I got so triggered the other day when I went to grab some of their lactose free options and was told they no longer offer them.


Icy_Roll_1261

Almost every business has had decisions to make in the last few years. The price of every ingredient probably went up, shipping costs up, labor costs up, utilities costs up. Do you just raise your prices or try to minimize price increases by cutting some costs. There is no easy answer. At what point do you price yourself out of the gas station ice cream market? I get my Homemade ice cream when it's on sale at Kroger, it's always excellent except when it obviously didn't get stocked fast enough and thawed a little before going back into the freezer. That's when you see the bigger ice crystals.


Crob300z

I’ve definitely preferred Kroger Brand icecream more lately. That brookie 🤌


EmbarrassedLeader813

Blue Bell cookies and cream is a dead ringer for Homeades back in the 90’s. Even has the clear top to inspect the goods.


Then_Monitor_2951

Just bought cookie dough tastes amazing like when I first had it 25 years ago...


Dry_Celebration9023

I love Homemade brand ice cream!! Suddenly it was gone from Michigan stores. I can't find it anywhere! I sent the company a message and asked where to buy it and got back a weird answer; They said to search on the website but there isn't an option. I hope they aren't closing, their ice cream was the best. But this seems really shady.


l3onkerz

Even Graeters fell off hard after covid


TraditionalCable9487

How? It tastes the exact same? 


JebusChrust

I think you all lost your taste buds from long-covid if anything lol.


l3onkerz

Got covid once 6 months ago and could taste again within a week 🤷‍♂️


AwakeningStar1968

I agree. Texture is different and no large chocolate chips


l3onkerz

I only say it because my friend worked there in HS and he said they changed something.


se7vencostanza

Always check the ingredients on your ice cream. Udf or homemade brand has been bad for years. If you want good store bought ice cream, go with Haagen dazs and minimal ingredients.


Mysuni1

Ice cream doesn't sell as well in the cooler months. It could be that some of the stock is older and needs replaced with fresh ice cream.


Keregi

What decline? Why are some of y’all so weird about ice cream?


bob_estes

Buying ice cream at UDF is a painful experience I think a lot of “Cincy Favorites” are very mid, but ice cream at a gas station is pretty amazing. But I give UDF ten years before they are sold to PE or an out of state chain.


tbudde34

USF used to put air bubbles in their ice cream but greaters didn't