A legacy built on relationship, quality, and consistency

On a breezy day in South Boston, the air is filled with the aroma of freshly cooked burgers, hot dogs, and the sweet scent of thick shakes and soft serve ice cream cones. The Sullivan family, owners of Sullivan’s Castle Island, and local distributor Taylor New England sit down to discuss how their enduring collaboration has allowed this iconic Southie destination to maintain high-quality service and products, beloved by locals and visitors alike.

A Partnership Rooted in Family

Sullivan's relationship began with Taylor in 1986, 35 years after Dan Sullivan Sr., opened a concession stand promising great food for a great price. 

Dan Sullivan Jr., second-generation Sullivan’s owner, recounts, “In the mid 80s we decided we needed to get some type of a shake machine…so we could handle more people as our business was growing.” He reached out to fellow family-owned local distributor Taylor New England, and a 40+ year relationship was born.

Commitment to Quality  

Dan and his son Brendan Sullivan, current president and owner of Sullivan’s, attribute much of their success to a commitment of “getting good products” that dependably deliver great results.

“Our food is comfort food, it’s what people grew up on in their childhood, and they relate to that, so if we can provide a service and a product that is just as consistent year after year, people come back for it,” clarifies Brendan. 

From ingredients to kitchen operations, menu to atmosphere, every detail matters. 

“We go out of our way…I'll compare items and I want the best item - that’s what my father did…so we get the best item. The whole point of Taylor was they had the best machines, they took care of us… ‘let's see if it's going to work for you,’ and it has.” - Dan Sullivan Jr.

Proactive Support 

Taylor New England has continued to deliver consistent support, service, and relationship to help expand Sullivan’s legacy well into the present-day. Since the 1980s, the companies have worked together on three generations of equipment. 

This strong relationship is built on mutual respect and open communication. Joe Herbert, Sales & Marketing Director of Taylor New England, explains “The right thing for our business is doing the right thing for our customer’s business. By putting in the right piece of equipment, we eliminate so many headaches down the road.” 

He emphasizes the importance of having “huge open lines of communication,” stating how important it is for the distributor to understand what type of product the customer wants to sell so the right solutions are suggested; it’s “never forcing anything on them.”

Reliable Service 

As Sullivan’s business continues to grow, seeing upwards of 2,000 tickets per day in the summertime, there is no room for downtime. 

“The machines work great. They do what they're supposed to do, and if we ever have an issue we call up Taylor and they come and fix it, Brendan says. He also acknowledges how Taylor has provided a loaner while waiting for a new machine order to come in, stating that Taylor “just takes care of us in ways that other companies don’t.”

“They do such a high volume, you know, thousands of customers in the weekend, cone after cone and shake after shake and they need it to be thick - they need it to be good quality and I think those machines definitely hold up for them,” Joe Herbert Jr. mentions.

Brendan agrees: “You need to have consistency. We've been in business for 70 years for a reason; we offer great food at quality pricing… I think Tayor does a similar thing on a different level…where they offer a great product -  it is consistent; it works time after time, year after year. We just have that kind of relationship with Taylor where they’re a good company, they take care of us, we take care of them, and because of that it’s just a great, great partnership.”

To learn more about Taylor and Sullivan’s relationship, be sure to watch both episodes of our latest Good Things Start Here docuseries.