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A GOLD Coast ice cream parlour has tasted sweet success, with ambitious expansion plans for its scientific concoction.
Touted as the first of its kind in the city, Negative210 opened in January as part of the rejuvenated Chevron Renaissance in Surfers Paradise.
Unflavoured cream and an assortment of ingredients are added to a mixer and flash frozen using liquid nitrogen at minus 210 degrees, creating a billowing "smoke" effect.
Owner Ash Beard and his business partner recognised a niche market during a night out, and later travelled to the US to study the technique.
"We thought what a great idea it would be to have on the Coast, because there's nothing like it here," Beard says.
"The speed it takes to produce is one of the benefits, but with speed comes a softer and fluffier taste.
"It doesn't give ice crystals the chance to develop, as opposed to 12 hours in the freezer where the ice can get hard."
Negative210's claim to fame has been the "world's hottest ice cream" which combines chocolate and powdered chilli, including the Ghost chilli and Scorpion chilli varieties.
Daring diners must sign a waiver before attempting to eat it and it has even spawned a "when hell freezes over" nomination challenge to complete a full serve on Facebook.
Other flavours include George Can'tStandYa with pecans, chocolate chips and caramel fudge, Granny Panties with passionfruit and biscuit crumble and Seven Months Pregnant with peanut butter, pretzels, chocolate chips and fudge.
The latter is proving to be a favourite with patrons, according to Beard, however the menu is often seasonal and can be rotated every few weeks.
"They're named after whatever comes to mind really, things that make people laugh when they order," he says.
The original plan was to open the store in Burleigh, however following a contract hurdle Negative210 secured the street-facing location in Surfers Paradise.
"Centre management wanted to place the store down one of the alleys, but we said this concept wouldn't work down there," Beard says.
"Our only request was that it had to be a streetfront shop and with the tram going past every seven minutes it's great."
Beard hopes to open another two locations this year, including a store at Pacific Fair.
Picture taken from Facebook.
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