After almost a week of soft serve withdrawal, students returned to the Fresh Food Company in DSU Monday night to find the ice cream machine operating once again.

Jamarian Carver, Fresh supervisor, said the ice cream machine was down for a little under a week at Fresh. He said many people were excited to find out the machine was running again. 

Carver said he felt bad for the students during the past week who used their meal swipes at Fresh without realizing the machine was down, especially since many come to the restaurant for ice cream.

“A lot of people do come in here just for the ice cream,” Carver said.

Based on what the mechanic told him, Carver said the issue was that the machine was essentially pumping air into a gap in the tubing, which caused it to over-freeze. Over time, ice cream built up inside the machine and caused the gears to get stuck as well.

Carver said the machine eventually just “popped,” or exploded one day, causing ice cream to spew everywhere. He said nobody was around the machine when it broke, though.

“In general, I think the machine is just overused,” Carver said in response to why the machine broke in the first place.

Carver said the machine is used a lot throughout the week at Fresh, and it must be cleaned every night to keep it in good condition. As long as the machine stays well-maintained, though, patrons can continue feeding their cravings with sugary sweetness.