Frozen custard counter opens in downtown Detroit

A new soft serve frozen custard window is up and running on John R Street in downtown Detroit.

Huddle Soft Serve is the latest concept from Gather's Lea and Kyle Hunt, and the window will offer vanilla, chocolate, and twist frozen custard for $4, The Detroit News reports. It can be enhanced with toppings like sprinkles, sea salt, or mini chocolate chips, and served in a cone, cup, or waffle cone. The window will also make floats with Faygo Rock & Rye, Vernors, Coke, and root beer.

Huddle takes over the window from Chickpea in the D, which moved around the corner to 110 Clifford St. and is now ChickP Detroit.

Huddle joins a short roster of metro Detroit frozen custard purveyors. Custard is typically denser, glossier, and richer than ice cream. To legally qualify as custard, the frozen dessert must contain at least 10 percent butterfat and be at least 1.4 percent egg yolk solids by weight, though many far exceed those thresholds. There's also less air in custard, which is what makes it dense enough to bend plastic spoons despite its creaminess.

Also important is the serving temperature — custard should be served at slightly higher temperatures than ice cream, which amplifies the sweet and salty components while rendering the custard extra soft and creamy.

Huddle will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. It's located at 2 John R St., a half block off Woodward.

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