PITTSBURGH To scoop competitors, ice cream maker lets buyers select flavors

The company is seeking a niche market outside its delivery range.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Brandy espresso, pie crust, chocolate cashews -- or dulce de leche, ginger candy, spumoni? Mike Mandell of the Reinhold Ice Cream Co. says no matter what your flavor is, he'll make it and ship it.
A new online offshoot of the ice cream maker founded in 1890 allows anyone with imagination and a hankering to create their own ice cream flavor -- a fantasy come true for sundae shop zealots.
A visit to www.customicecreamcreations.com allows consumers to become the creative mind behind the flavor, picking the fruits, nuts, candies, chips or chunks of their choice. The ice cream arrives in about four days -- with a personalized label.
Mandell said he has been unable meet some ingredient requests, like goat cheese. But Charley's Cheesecake Chocolate Peanutbutter Pretzel Coconut Angel Flake Pistachio can be a reality for anyone who wants it to be.
"This woman from Miami said she would be interested in a strawberry basil and also a sunflower flavor," said Mandell. Though he said such flavor sensations aren't necessarily his taste, "this is about the customer, so there it is."
Sports fans can match ice cream to team colors, or, as in one recent order, a bride-to-be can get yellow cake batter and vanilla ice cream to match the wedding dress.
Seeking a niche
Feeling the squeeze as larger companies swallow up or merge with competitors, the third generation ice cream maker is seeking a niche audience outside the delivery range of its 19 trucks.
"The bigger regionals are buying up smaller dairies to extend their product lines," Mandell said. "To be a small dairy and ice cream manufacturer, you have to be specialized."
Pittsburgh-based Reinhold is currently sold in Ohio, West Virginia and the western half of Pennsylvania.
Consumer trend experts say companies are increasingly giving the customer the power to choose, from pick-your-own color M & amp;M's to Levi's made to order. The former is still a strong seller, but the latter failed and has been discontinued.
Customers must order at least three and a half gallons of ice cream, about 70 servings. The cost, with shipping via FedEx, is about $80.
That's about three times the cost of standard ice cream at Reinholds, but less than the average ice cream shop compared on a per-scoop basis, Mandell said.
Will it work?
Whether custom ice cream by Reinhold, a company with about $14 million in annual sales, is a hit could hinge on the target market, said Phil Lempert of SupermarketGuru.com.
"You're going to have to have a lot of freezer space for that much ice cream but this could have huge potential for parties and a lot of caterers," Lempert said. "Even if someone has the space, there is the chance that the buyer gets bored after the first one or two pints, and they're going to say, 'Oh my God, why did I buy this."
Reinhold's other inventions include a high-calorie protein shake used at several Pennsylvania hospitals and a microwaveable milkshake, sold frozen but prepared in 30 seconds at home.
Of the company's latest innovation, Mandell said, "If you want a Greek theme and you want baklava in there, I'll put it in there."