PLANTATION, Fla. (Jan. 11, 2023) – Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream (Chill-N), the made-to-order nitrogen ice cream pioneer, announced today the opening of its newest franchise location in Plantation, Florida. Located at 341 N. University Drive, Suite S1-700 in Plantation Walk, the new Chill-N is owned by new franchisee Gerardo Rocha, a Chilean investor and entrepreneur and former airline pilot. In celebration of its grand opening, the Plantation Chill-N will be giving away free small ice creams with two Mix-N’s on Saturday, Jan. 14 from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. (limit one free ice cream per guest).

Gerardo Rocha is a Chile native and current resident of Santiago. His family has deep ties to the area, with his father founding one of the largest private educational systems in Chile, Santo Tomás, which has more than 110,000 students across the country. Rocha served as a cadet in the Chilean Air Force from 1992-1993 and became a pilot for LATAM Airlines for over a decade. In 2007, he and his family moved to the United Arab Emirates where he was a pilot for Etihad Airways. After the passing of his father in 2008, Rocha returned to Chile where he took over his father’s role at Santo Tomás and began restructuring the university while simultaneously serving as a reserve officer for the Chilean Navy. Through his franchise agreement with Chill-N filed under a E-2 visa program, Rocha plans to move to the U.S. with his family in the near future.

“I’m very excited about this opportunity with Chill-N and to be able to return to the United States, which I have always wanted to make my home after spending a year living in Michigan as an exchange student during high school,” said Gerardo Rocha, owner of Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream Plantation. “I find the concept of nitrogen ice cream unique and quite futuristic and I’m eager to become the best possible franchisee following the brand’s proven model. We’re excited to open this much-anticipated location in Plantation and expand the brand’s cult-like following to a new South Florida community.”

Here’s how Chill-N works: customers choose a portion size, then an ice cream base (milk, yogurt, or alt-milk option – coconut, almond, or oat) and then a flavor. Then the fun begins with the addition of premium toppings including candies, cookies and cereal, fresh fruit, sauces, nuts, and even Cuban coffee – because, of course, our Miami roots. Each scoop of ice cream is hand-crafted to order and flash frozen on the spot using liquid nitrogen at a startling -320° Fahrenheit. Chill-N’s unique freezing process results in a fresh ice cream that is ridiculously rich and decadently creamy. 

“We’re thrilled to finally be opening a Chill-N in Plantation in the new Plantation Walk development, an area we’ve been targeting for quite some time. This area has been experiencing tremendous growth over the years and our product offers something unique that can be enjoyed by residents and visitors year-round,” said Daniel Golik, founder of Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream. “We feel fortunate to welcome Gerardo to our expanding Chill-N family and leverage his vast experience as our concept continues to grow.”

Since the first Chill-N opened in Pinecrest in 2012, the family-run concept has developed a cult-like following and steadily grown across South Florida, with the new Plantation location marking its 10th in the region. The brand continues to identify South Florida as an ideal market for development, with year-round warm weather and high consumer demand, and has plans to open a new location in Pembroke Pines in the first quarter of 2023 along with locations in Nashville and New Jersey. Leveraging this early momentum at the top of the year, Chill-N is also projected to open first-ever locations in Orlando, Florida and Hilton Head, South Carolina by year-end.

The new Plantation Chill-N is open Monday – Thursday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday – Saturday from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. To contact the store, visit chilln.com.

About Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream

Founded in 2012 in Miami, Fla. by South Florida native Daniel Golik, Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream is one of the first liquid nitrogen ice cream concepts in the nation. The first store opened in the Village of Pinecrest and today the brand has nearly a dozen locations across the region and in Texas, with an additional 15 stores under development. Each serving of ice cream is flash frozen before customers eyes while utilizing the brand’s high-output technology, software, and hardware to produce a faster and more consistent scoop. The proven business model and investment in automation reduces labor costs and allows owners to focus directly on customer support and community engagement. For more information on franchise ownership or to find the nearest location, visit chilln.com.  

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