Chill-N Ice Cream Lake Nona — Restaurant in Florida

I'm genuinely disappointed with my recent visit to Chill-Nitrogen Ice Cream in Lake Nona. This used to be one of our favorite spots due to its variety and quality, but last night's experience fell far short of our expectations.

We arrived at 10:57 pm, just three minutes before closing time, only to find the employees already in closing mode, visibly annoyed by our presence. Despite their disapproving looks, we politely asked if we could still order. Reluctantly, they agreed, and we promptly placed our order since we already knew what we wanted.

The most frustrating part was the slow service. Out of the three employees present, only one was preparing the ice creams. Meanwhile, the employee who packed our order (a blonde female) kept glaring at us and later slipped a note into our bag. This note, which we discovered this morning, said, "It's common courtesy to tip when you come after closing :) just thought I should let you know!"

I find it incredibly unprofessional for employees to take the time to add a handwritten note insisting on a tip for simply doing their job. We did not arrive after closing; we were there before it. The employees seemed more interested in closing early than serving us. If there are issues with staffing or wages, that's something to discuss with management, not to take out on customers.

Customer service was severely lacking. Their hostile attitude made us feel unwelcome and uncomfortable, which is not how anyone should feel while buying ice cream. Naturally, given such treatment, tipping was out of the question.

If Chill-Nitrogen Ice Cream expects customers to leave tips, they should focus on providing excellent service rather than leaving passive-aggressive notes. Next time, if they prefer customers not to arrive near closing time, they should communicate this professionally, not through covert notes.

I hope management addresses these issues promptly to maintain the reputation this place once had. As it stands, I'm hesitant to return based on...

I’ve been a regular customer here and have always enjoyed great service and delicious ice cream. However, my experience on Sunday, April 6th at 2:00 PM EST was disappointing.

A employee that i had never seen was working at the front, and when I mentioned an offer I had seen on the website, she appeared confused and did not enter the offer into the system. Although it was only a $1 discount, it was still not the level of service I expected.

I ordered a quart of Nutella with brownies, which I usually get with a yogurt base—a detail I forgot to mention, and she also forgot to ask which base it was, even though they normally inquire about it. When I reminded her about the yogurt base, she gave me a negative look and later explained that there wasn’t enough Nutella to make the yogurt-based version at that time, which seemed odd at 2 PM given their closing hours. She offered a substitute: either use the regular ice cream base or select another yogurt flavor to remake the batch.

After discussing the options with my wife in the car—since I want to avoid extra fat due to a health condition—the worker insisted that I should have mentioned the detail and placed the blame on me for the confusion. Although she mentioned an additional charge for the extra Nutella if I chose the same flavor with a yogurt base, I eventually agreed to move forward so I could leave(they did not charge it at least).

When we finally received the ice cream, it was already melting—unlike the consistently good quality I expect with their regular size orders. Additionally, no bag was provided, so the melted ice cream ended up all over the car seat. The brownie pieces were so large that they didn’t seem properly mixed into the ice cream.

Overall, this experience fell short of the standards I’ve come to expect (especially with lying to a customer to achieve something) I hope the owner takes note so that future service can...

This used to be one of my favorite spots. I’ve spent a considerable amount of money here because I genuinely enjoyed the ice cream and often brought other people along. Tonight was no different, except the experience left a lot to be desired. I placed a pickup order, as I usually do. When I arrived, I greeted the staff but was met with silence. That alone was disappointing, but I let it go. Then I noticed my order wasn’t ready. Without explanation, the blonde girl called out, “Are you Uber?” I said no, I was picking up my personal order. I was then told they didn’t have strawberries or fresh berries. That would have been fine if it hadn’t been repeated multiple times in a slow, condescending tone just because I misunderstood the first time. I stepped outside to ask my sister if she wanted to order anything else, since the missing items were for her. She has a dietary restriction, so she couldn’t just choose anything as a replacement. While I was checking with her, my pint sat on the counter untouched, and I was met with blank stares from the staff, no offer to help, no update, no acknowledgment. Just silence. I don’t usually write messages like this, but the lack of professionalism and BASIC customer service tonight was genuinely upsetting. I hope this is addressed, because this kind of behavior can easily drive loyal customers away or lead to a much worse interaction if it happens with the wrong person.

With that being said, the ice cream is still good if you’re willing to overlook the consistently crappy attitudes from the employees who clearly have no interest in being there.

Edit: After reading the owner’s responses to other reviews mentioning poor customer service, it’s clear this isn’t a one-time issue. The fact that it’s still happening despite promises to address it is ridiculous. Take accountability and reevaluate who’s representing...