Since its first location opened in Siesta Key Village in 1993, Daiquiri Deck has been a laid-back, sun-drenched sanctuary where locals and tourists alike can unwind and enjoy the warm Gulf breeze and an icy cocktail. But behind the scenes of this popular beach bar, a quiet revolution has been brewing. Driven by a passion for creating the perfect frozen concoction, the Daiquiri Deck team has meticulously refined their process for making their signature drinks. What started out as a mission to craft a better product has now become a patent-pending system that’s poised to transform the frozen cocktail industry.  Any restaurant or bar that sells frozen beverages at a high volume might have a similar setup to Daiquiri Deck, with a row of gleaming silver machines churning colorful slush concoctions. What sets Daiquiri Deck apart is the way they fill those machines. “The filling system started when we only had one location in Siesta Village, and the driving force behind it was the safety of our team and the experience of our customers,” says Daiquiri Deck president and co-owner Matt Grover. “To refill the machines originally, someone had to carry a five gallon bucket to the machine, hoist it up to their shoulder and pour it into the top of the machine. There are several reasons why that’s detrimental. First, it’s very easy for someone to throw their back out or get hurt. And second, it’s a very sloppy process. It’s very easy for the mix to pour all over the top of the machine and into the internals like the belts, the microswitches and the valves. That dramatically decreases the life expectancy of not only those parts, but the machine itself.” Brett McIntyre is the director of facilities at Daiquiri Deck and has been instrumental in engineering a new filling system. There have been several iterations over the years (Grover estimates this one is version 6.4). Instead of pouring drink mixes into the machines, the mixes are stored in stainless steel vessels in a walk-in cooler and drawn to the machines through a refrigerated trunk line, similar to a long-draw draft beer system. In addition to being more efficient, this system allows for drink quality to be more consistent at a high volume, which has helped take the Daiquiri Deck brand to unexpected levels.  “We’re a proud partner of the Tampa Bay Rays and you can find us at Tropicana Field. We are a sponsor of the Valspar Open for the PGA and other professional sports have also shown interest in partnering with us,” Grover says. “We’ve had a major international hotel chain approach us because they want to turn their pool bars into Daiquiri Decks, and we’ve had high interest in developing a franchise program. This interest is all because of the filling system, which would not have come to fruition without Brett and all the people on our team who have brought so much to our energy and culture and approach.” The sky is the limit for Daiquiri Deck, and success couldn’t taste any sweeter.