Dippin’ Dots vending machines are a familiar site at many destinations: You probably haven’t walked through Six Flags, zoo, or water park without stopping by a a glass-encased box selling the frozen confection vying for passerby attention.
And while one might think that bespoke food items, like Dippin’ Dots, wouldn’t receive the same type of customer fervor like a Supreme drop or someone eagerly anticipating the release of a new sneaker, it turns out that there are folks who are really that into the dessert, like this TikToker named Maddie (@capybaragirl5).
She uploaded a voicemail from a local Shell gas station employee who called her to let her know that banana split Dippin’ Dots were back in stock at the station’s convenience store. Her viral clip about their exchange resulted in 618,000 views on the popular social media platform.
@capybaragirl5 sonny is a real on fr. forgot to cover the number before😭 #dippindots #shell ♬ original sound – maddie
Maddie begins her video by looking into the camera and writing in a text overlay: “not the guy at the local shell leaving me a voicemail that my daily banana split dippin dots are back in stock”
Then she plays the voicemail: “Hey Maddie this is Sonny calling from Bloomington Shell Gas Station I just got the delivery for Dippin’ Dots banana split, if you wanna stop by you can stop by today or maybe tomorrow, thank you…”
The end of the video shows her holding a package of the dessert, indicating that she was indeed excited to hear the voicemail and get the item she clearly loves.
One might think that something as innocuous as Dippin’ Dots ice cream wouldn’t be ever be the subject of controversy, however, it turns out that the company was embroiled in a legal dispute with Mini Melts, another brand offering a similar micro-ball frozen dairy dessert product.
In 1992, Dippin’ Dots filed and completed a patent for the way it prepares its ice cream. Four years later is when Dippin’ Dots filed a lawsuit against Mini Melts, but in 2007, the United States Patent and Trademark office ended up ruling that the process behind the creation of the dessert was “obvious” and not “proprietary.”
In 2011, Dippin’ Dots filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection after the company couldn’t come to terms with Regions Bank.
After the brand was purchased by different owners since then, it has most recently been acquired by J & J Snack Foods for a whopping $222 million.
While the company has seen its fair share of monetary issues over the years, the well-known snack food purportedly does around $330 million in sales every single year, a significant figure for the ice cream of the future. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that the product appears to have a die-hard fan base, like Maddie, who loves the stuff so much she has someone from her local gas station calling her about the latest Dippin’ Dots drop.
There are also various products listed online that don’t seem to be associated with the brand that speaks to a collective enthusiasm folks have for the product, like this “I love Dippin’ Dots” T-shirt that’s being sold on Amazon, along with other Dippin’ Dots related products.
As of April 26, there were a reported 121 Dippin’ Dots locations in the United States, according to Rentech Digital.
The brand’s website indicates that in addition to these dedicated store locations, there are also tons of other places that folks can find its offerings: “You can also find Dippin’ Dots in thousands of locations across the country, from amusement parks to zoos – and just about everywhere in between!”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Dippin’ Dots via email and Maddie via TikTok comment for further information.
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Source: https://www.dailydot.com/news/shell-gas-station-calls-woman-about-dippin-dots/
