10 Must-Haves for Successful Scooping
Are you thinking about opening your own ice cream parlour? Are you a newly opened ice cream parlour? Are you simply wondering what you need for successful scooping? You’re in the right place! Learn about 10 must-haves to make your shop successful!
- Research
Before starting anything, you have to do your research. This research likely brought you to this article, which is a great start! You need to research what products you’d like to offer. Are you going to specialize in hard ice cream, milkshakes, sandwiches or something totally different? Research what’s popular to understand what your potential customers will like and what price they’re willing to pay.
- Equipment
You can’t scoop ice cream without the right equipment! Other than the ice cream, you need to have the equipment to scoop a perfect cone. These include dip wells, reliable scoops, appliances if you’re looking at offering milkshakes, as well as parlour equipment such as seating and tables. You also have to think about signage. We offer great sign packages to promote your products! Will your parlour be a visit or an experience? What will set you apart from your competition?
- Freezer
Ice cream equipment relies on your freezer. Your ice cream freezer is important to ensure you have room for your cabinet, it’s kept at the right temperature, and it’s reliable. The perfect temperature for scooping is between -18°C and -20°C to ensure smooth and quality scoops. We have a partnership with Celco for your freezer needs! We offer freezers up to 12 tubs facing and 11 storage underneath with free product.* We’re happy to help set you up for success!
- Location, Location, Location
Other than the location of your ice cream in the freezer, your physical location matters too! Have you found the perfect spot? Is this a local tourist attraction? What might bring customers to your shop? Every shop has something different to offer!
- Flavours
What flavours do you plan on offering? What flavours do your customers like? Is your parlour a specialty parlour serving only sherbets or will you have something for everyone? Check out our Top 20 Ice Cream Flavours to make sure you’re not missing out on the “must-have” flavours! You can always add and remove flavours as you update your cabinet!
- Toppings
If you’re offering sundaes on your menu, you need to have toppings! Classic toppings include sprinkles, nuts, whipped cream, and syrups. You can also offer premium options like fresh fruit, candy, chocolate, brownie bits, the options are endless! Toppings can turn a good sundae into a great sundae. Toppings can also add your personal touch to every scoop. This could be adding a cherry, waffle cone pieces or a cookie to each scoop.
- Marketing Plan
What’s your marketing plan? You need to do market research to understand what your customers like and don’t like but you also need to market to those customers to get them to visit your shop! Marketing can be free using social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter or you can invest in setting up a website or a mobile app to order online! Check out our pages here or here, and check out our website! Your marketing plan could involve contests or giveaways to build your fanbase. How are you planning to spread the word so customers visit your shop?
- Creativity
Like every entrepreneur, you need to have creativity. Creativity in your marketing plan, your products, your shop design and layout, and your ability to adapt to unexpected situations (Hello Pandemic!). Having a creative marketing plan will help bring customers to your shop, instead of the shop down the street. Creativity in your products, how you top them or how you serve them will keep customers coming back for more. Creativity in your shop’s theme can make your shop a destination and can give you some free advertising if people share their photos on social media.
- Point of Sale
This seems obvious but how are customers going to pay for your products? Will you be cash-only, cashless or a combination of both? There are lots of options on how you accept payment. Do your research to understand which will work best for your shop!
- Passion for Ice Cream
Last but not least… You need a passion for ice cream! How can you sell something you aren’t passionate about? Your passion can make or break your business. Here at Central Smith, we are passionate about our products and strongly believe we offer exceptional customer service and the highest quality products.
If you’re a new parlour looking to set up shop or if you’re an established parlour looking for new products or equipment, reach out to us! Call or email us today to find out how to take your business to the next level!
mike@centralsmith.ca
(705) 742-5867