More than 50 suppliers were on site, representing everything from frozen yogurt mix and toppings to snacks, Joy cones, beverages, packaging (Karat, Frozen Solutions), Mustache Mike’s Italian ice, and soft serve machines. Southwest Traders welcomed two recent additions to its catalog: Leo Leo Gelato, an authentic Italian gelato maker from Paso Robles, CA, and Bitchin’ Sauce, known for its vegan, gluten‑free dips and sauces.
Mix suppliers included Dannon YoCream, Honey Hill Farms, Socially Responsible Food Group, The Frozen Bean, Kent Precision Foods/Dole, and Rainbow’s End. Honey Hill Farms demonstrated how creative you can get with the soft serve machine’s middle handle — for example, swirling Sea Salt Caramel Pretzel with Blueberry Tart to create a “Trail Mix” flavor. Rainbow’s End showcased three l new offerings: Dubai Chocolate gelato made with pistachio butter (rich and indulgent), Strawberry Passion tart (bright and tangy), and Blueberry Lemonade sorbet. Socially Responsible Food Group brought soft serve açaí, vanilla oatmilk soft serve, and two playful flavors, Horchata Churro and Nutty Buddy. Customers are asking for Greek/high protein frozen yogurt.
Bossen/Burs
As always, the show was a great place to score samples, discover new products, and take advantage of event‑only specials. Many shops walked away with prizes such as toppings, gift cards, spoons, and more, and Southwest Traders hosted its own raffle as well.
A fun tradition continued this year: froyo shops arriving in their branded shirts. It made spotting familiar faces — and discovering new shops — even more enjoyable. We’re already looking forward to the next Southwest Traders Product Show.
Southwest Traders, based in Temecula, CA, is a leading foodservice distributor serving yogurt shops, ice cream shops, coffee shops, boba shops, and more.
