There’s no denying that Americans love ice cream. The average American will consume ice cream 28.5 times this year. Additionally, in any given two-week period, according to research by NPD Group, 40 percent of Americans will eat ice cream.
If you’re passionate about ice cream and other sweet treats, a great way to share that passion is by opening an ice cream shop. While you can offer a wide variety of great ice cream flavors, you can also become a one-stop sweet shop that offers frozen yogurt, milkshakes, malts, floats, flavored ice and other sweet treats plus all the materials that go with them like paper drinking straws for milkshakes.
Ninety percent of U.S. households regularly indulge in a sweet, frozen treat, so your chances of selling lots of ice cream, especially in the summer months, are very good. Opening up a shop that sells ice cream and other frozen treats has many benefits including:
- Freedom: If you’re considering opening a one-stop sweet shop in the near future, doing so can give you a tremendous sense of freedom. It gives you the flexibility to turn your business vision into a reality. You can set your own hours, create your own menu and design your business the way you want. Ultimately it’s your project and you get to be your own boss.
- Making Money: There’s nothing wrong with pursuing your passion and doing what you love, but the most important goal of most businesses is to make money. If you’re good at it, you can make a lot of money. There’s no sure-fire way to turn huge profits. If there was, many ice cream shops would have the same market share as places like Baskin Robbins and Coldstone. You don’t have to be on the level of giants like that, but with an effective business plan you can still make money.
- Making A Difference: During the summer, countless Americans stop into their local ice cream shop, order up their favorite ice cream sundaes and cones and sit down to enjoy a sweet treat. Getting ice cream is a popular family activity in the summer and your local sweet shop can become the happening spot in town, where people can enjoy themselves and help support the community.
An ice cream shop is a place to socialize, a place to meet, a place to relax. From the sweets smells of waffle cones and ice cream to the eye-catching art that is an ice cream sundae to the welcoming environment, ice cream shops are very inviting and an ice cream shop can quickly become a community staple. - Sharing A Passion: Do you love a particular ice cream flavor? Do you an ice cream lover who loves to experiment with different flavors and try new things. Is there a new twist you can bring to a classic frozen treat that you think customers will love?
If you love ice cream and frozen treats, opening an ice cream shop is a great chance to share your passion with your customers and create a shop the way you want. From the décor down to equipment, you will be able to bring out your creativity and hopefully pass that passion on to your customers.
On the equipment side, you’ll have a choice over everything from the color of paper drinking straws to the size of your to go cups to fun dessert cups you might want to offer to kids. Maybe you want paper drinking straws that go with the décor of your shop.Maybe you want small paper cups with lids. Perhaps you want paper ice cream cups with the name of your business to help it stand out. Whatever you choose, be it paper drinking straws, ice cream machines, cups, spoons, etc, you want to make sure you have all the necessary tools to be successful.
When it comes to opening an ice cream shop, the sky is the limit. Armed with a good business plan, plenty of passion and loads of creativity, you can turn your average frozen treat shop into the hot spot to be in your town.