Specialty tabletop specified and supplied by Singer Equipment Company

Specifying team: Jacqueline Leifholt, Rick Snyder

Hershey certainly knows how to serve up some family fare with a fun spin, and hints of chocolate.

When Hershey Entertainment & Resorts envisioned adding new food and beverage offerings to Hershey’s Chocolatetown they contacted Singer Equipment Company to make their concept a reality. This summer, Hershey opened three new culinary experiences where fun meets chocolate – The Chocolatier Restaurant, Bar + Patio, Milton’s Ice Cream Parlor and The Sweeterie Confectionery Kitchen.

A beautiful mix of Elite Global faux wood pieces were chosen for their timeless design aesthetic and easily customized to compliment the overall concept of Fun to Table. The restaurant showcases everything from Hershey’s iconic pinwheel displayed on the Ferris Wheel sampler platter and Kisses-shaped cast iron skillet to Libbey glassware, which has the logo featured on the rim of the glass while still leaving room for decadent toppings, and Cal-Mil candy tubes displaying the hundreds of options available to guests.

Hershey’s team of experts had some insight on their partnership with Singer and took some time to answer a few questions about this expansive project.

What is special about the new opening at the park? Why is this opening significant, especially now, from a foodservice perspective, post-COVID?

We debuted our new Hershey’s Chocolatetown region, a $150 million expansion representing the largest capital investment in Hershey Entertainment & Resorts history, in summer 2020. This year, we opened three new culinary experiences inspired by the vision of chocolate entrepreneur and founder, Milton S. Hershey, in Hershey’s Chocolatetown for guests seeking fun and chocolate.

As part of the overall design of Hershey’s Chocolatetown, we wanted to develop new F&B offerings that represent the place where fun meets chocolate in more ways than ever before - and we feel The Chocolatier Restaurant, Bar + Patio, Milton’s Ice Cream Parlor and The Sweeterie Confectionery Kitchen do just that.

The Chocolatier is our all-new, full-service restaurant, bar and patio open year-round. It is the largest restaurant in Hershey and provides guests with an experience they can only get at Hersheypark. The space features nods to past and present elements from the Hersheypark ride collection, one-of-a-kind views of neighboring attractions, and a second story patio with a bar that provides panoramic views of Hersheypark. Guests can enjoy classic family fare with a fun spin and hints of chocolate, cocktails crafted with unique ingredients like Hershey’s candies and cotton candy, and a signature dessert menu filled with Hershey’s chocolate-inspired treats — all without needing a Hersheypark ticket to dine. This is significant as it allows us to target a wider audience of not just park guests but also locals, concert attendees and those who love great food and an unbeatable atmosphere.

- Vikki Hultquist, General Manager of Attractions and Entertainment

What do you want guests to know about the history behind Milton’s, and what sets the new outlets apart?

Like so many aspects of our destination, our cultural and historical connection to Mr. Hershey, chocolate, and fun is unique to us. The goal with our three new culinary experiences in the new Hershey’s Chocolatetown region is to celebrate the life and legacy of our founder, Milton S. Hershey, by continuing to bring people together for happiness, fun, and of course, chocolate.

Guests will see that in Milton’s Ice Cream Parlor, which is inspired by Milton S. Hershey's early ventures in sweetness that came before his famous chocolate factory. The new space features decorative touches thoughtfully selected to reflect the architecture of the Hershey Chocolate Company Soda Fountain and Candy Shop - a business on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia that Mr. Hershey opened after selling his caramel company in 1900 to focus on chocolate. These include the diamond tile work on the flooring, inlaid mirrors behind the counter, wainscot details on the ice cream bar and Bentwood chairs for guest seating. There is also a history wall that tells the story of Mr. Hershey’s first successes as a Chocolatier.

- Robert Gordon, Managing Director of Food & Beverage for Hershey Entertainment Complex

What was most important to you when selecting the signature tabletop pieces for Chocolatier?

We chose wood for its timeless design aesthetic that could easily be customized to compliment our overall concept of Fun to Table. The restaurant showcases everything from our iconic pinwheel inlaid in those tables and displayed on the Ferris Wheel sampler platter to Kisses shape cast iron skillets and beautiful sandwich boards emblazoned with the Chocolatier logo.

- Brian Dailey, Managing Director of The Downtown Restaurant Group overseeing The Chocolatier Restaurant, Bar + Patio

Why was Libbey chosen as your primary glassware brand? Tell me more about “Operation Milkshake".

The Libbey glassware products we chose for The Chocolatier have a light, minimalist aesthetic that pairs well with the unique design of the restaurant, bar and patio. The Chocolatier features nods to past and present elements from the Hersheypark ride collection, including Comet and Tilt-A-Whirl booths, The Carrousel Bar with replica horses, lighting that reflects the skylines of some of our coasters, and more. We wanted the modern glassware to complement those only-in-Hershey elements with a nod to our history. Having the logo featured on the rim of the glass while still leaving room for the decadent toppings was a must-have feature that Libby delivered.

Hersheypark is the only amusement park in the world focused on fun and chocolate - and we wanted to deliver on that experience by offering a signature dessert menu filled with Hershey’s chocolate-inspired treats. Our incredibly talented pastry team led by Corporate Pastry Chef Cher Harris came up with the inspiration behind the over-the-top milkshakes at The Chocolatier. Guests can choose from four milkshakes - Over The Top Hershey’s Chocolate, Reese’s Peanut Butter, Hersheypark Happy Birthday Cake and Strawberry Twist. The milkshakes are made with 100% local dairy housemade vanilla ice cream served at Milton’s Ice Cream Parlor.

- Brian Dailey, Managing Director of The Downtown Restaurant Group overseeing The Chocolatier Restaurant, Bar + Patio

What was the inspiration behind the design of the custom Lodge skillet?

The cast iron skillet was a product that allowed us to leverage our connection to the intellectual property of The Hershey Company’s iconic confection brands. We were able to customize the skillet in the shape of a Hershey’s Kiss - a symbol found throughout Hershey’s Chocolatetown in the form of a Kisses Bell in four-sided pitched roof tower on the front of the new Ticketing building in Tram Circle, Kisses-shaped lights lining the new arrival experience, the iconic Kisses Fountain, and more. To us, the Kisses-shaped skillet is the perfect piece to serve some of our classic family fare with hints of chocolate, as well as signature dessert items at The Chocolatier. Guests have already commented on the unique and innovative presentation.

- Brian Dailey, Managing Director of The Downtown Restaurant Group overseeing The Chocolatier Restaurant, Bar + Patio

The ferris wheel is another super fun, whimsical custom item your team had created with Singer. Does this piece represent the whimsy of being at Hershey?

Absolutely! When we were developing the concept for a shareable appetizer that provides a taste of fun for everyone, the Ferris Wheel immediately came to mind as it is a favorite ride for guests of all ages at Hersheypark. We were able to transform the tabletop basket from Singer into a Ferris Wheel by adding the iconic pinwheel with its bright colors in the center, just like our actual ride. The pinwheel has become an iconic symbol for Hersheypark over the last 50 years. The bright and whimsical design exudes a feeling of Hersheypark Happy, which is something we wanted to incorporate into The Chocolatier. It is already our best-selling item as guests enjoy the five appetizers in a design inspired by a Hersheypark ride.

- Brian Dailey, Managing Director of The Downtown Restaurant Group overseeing The Chocolatier Restaurant, Bar + Patio

How would you describe the experience working in partnership with Singer Equipment Company for supply fulfillment? Why do you choose Singer as your partner?

Partnership means something very specific to Hersheypark. The Singer team truly embodies our idea of a partner by not only delivering world class products, but more importantly delivering world class service. These food and beverage spaces began in 2019 and are greeting guests for the first time in 2021 and never once in that 2 year journey did Singer’s commitment to supporting our project waiver. We were confident that they would deliver on our supply needs while remaining true to our Fun to Table concept - and that they did!

- Brian Dailey, Managing Director of The Downtown Restaurant Group overseeing The Chocolatier Restaurant, Bar + Patio

As we approach 4th of July, and procurement gets trickier, we’re seeing a renaissance of American made. What does “Made in America” mean to Hershey?

Hershey would not exist without Milton S. Hershey and frankly, not enough people know his story as a successful entrepreneur who gave his fortune away to help children in need. His values and legacy are at the core of our company and the experience you cannot find anywhere else.

His story is absolutely representative of the American dream. Milton S. Hershey was a businessman, a builder, and a philanthropist, but first, he was a Chocolatier with a big idea. He dreamed of making chocolate affordable for everyone. In pursuit of that vision, he created a beautiful town for his employees that caught the nation’s attention. Hershey, Pennsylvania was filled with a modern chocolate factory, homes, schools, businesses, and 150 acres of community leisure grounds that would later evolve into a premier family theme park.

Over the past 115 years, Mr. Hershey’s modest plans for picnic grounds have transformed into a world-class family amusement park that draws guests from across the country. Our new Hershey’s Chocolatetown region illustrates the sweetness of a visit to Hersheypark and a story you can only discover in The Sweetest Place On Earth.

- Vikki Hultquist, General Manager of Attractions and Entertainment

Looking to start your next project with Singer? Send us an email at marketing@singerequipment.com to get started today.