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Guest Blog and image from the helpful folks over at Slices Concessions. At one time or another, we’ve all seen a wonderfully successful ice cream shop & thought to ourselves “I can see myself owning a successful shop”. Ice cream parlors are a great destination for families, tourists, and ice cream enthusiasts. At first, the […]
Guest Blog and image from the helpful folks over at Slices Concessions.
At one time or another, we’ve all seen a wonderfully successful ice cream shop & thought to ourselves “I can see myself owning a successful shop”.
Ice cream parlors are a great destination for families, tourists, and ice cream enthusiasts. At first, the thought of opening a brand new business might seem daunting, but having a small helpful guide may make it a bit easier for you. For opening any new business you can access local resources such as your local Chamber of Commerce or SBDC. For info specific to opening an ice cream shop, it is best to go to people who help ice cream entrepreneurs all over the country.
If you have any questions about the following steps on How to Open an Ice Cream Shop please contact this blog’s authors at Slices Concessions.
1 Planning & Imagining
The first step in the process of opening a new business is planning what type of frozen dessert business you want to run. There are many different types of frozen dessert shops varying in ambiance, pricing, location, and target market. From a high-end frozen dessert shop offering all types of sweet confections to the classic mom and pop shop, you have to plan for what type of shop would be the right fit for you and your target market.
2 Learn from your Competitors
Before you start an ice cream shop, we recommend visiting a few in your area and learning from them. See what type of ice cream equipment, décor, and customer service they provide to the people that walk into their store. Don’t forget to include any other businesses that sell some type of ice cream (Restaurants and convenience stores that sell ice cream & frozen treats are still competing for the same customers you’re targeting).
While we don’t recommend you talking to other ice cream store owners in your area (though some might be friendly & might welcome the challenge of a competitor) you can always travel to another city, and introduce yourself to the owners of that store. You will be surprised by how much information business owners will share with you, because once upon a time they were in your shoes!
3 Location! Location! Location!
The best location for your frozen dessert business would be a place with lots of foot traffic, an easily accessible and visible location. Preferably close to schools, family restaurants, or children’s stores. These are the best locations for your shop because children and young people make up a considerable amount of our customer base. For more location-related info watch this video.
4 Develop Your Menu
Develop your store’s unique offerings. Why should customers love your store? Why should they rave about your newest ice cream flavor to friends & family? Give them those reasons by putting in a little time to develop new flavors & offer classic flavors as well. You will find more detailed menu options in this video.
5 Hire Motivated Employees
Customer service is a crucial part of making a good impression on new customers. Good candidates would be energetic and responsible individuals that have great customer service skills and have a passion for ice cream. Keep in mind that as the owner you influence your staff. Being a positive and energetic person yourself is number one. If you can’t find a reason to smile at work, then your staff won’t either.
6 Invest in Quality Equipment
This is one of the most important aspects of your business. Make sure to invest in quality ice cream or frozen dessert equipment (batch freezers, soft serve machines, dipping cabinets, blast freezers, etc). Suppliers like Slices Concessions have years of experience helping hundreds of business owners start their own ice cream operations. Not only can they connect you with the equipment you need, they can also plug you into a network of like-minded entrepreneurs and suppliers. Check out this video for more info about the equipment you will need.
