10 + 1 deadly sins in the ice cream parlor (Update 2023)

Today it's going to be controversial - and that's on purpose. Because if you're like us and spend the whole year in a wide variety of ice cream par lors all over Germany and beyond, you'll unfortunately also notice that (too) many ice cream parlors, ice cream shops and ice cream kiosks make the same, unnecessary mistakes over and over again. Mistakes that annoy customers, leave a bad impression and thus also lead to less turnover at the end of the year. And all of these mistakes would be more or less easy to avoid - if you recognize them. But we have not only put together ten tips for you, we have also included a very special point that you may never have heard before.

We have also deliberately "not minced our words" in this article. Yes, we have exaggerated a little and want to provoke a little. But of course we don't mean any harm.

1. poor ice and espresso quality

The most important thing in advance: the customer is not (any longer) stupid. He can distinguish good ice cream from bad ice cream. They can taste the difference between real strawberries in ice cream and red dye flavour paste. He becomes sceptical when the pistachio ice cream is bright green and tastes like bitter almond. He doesn't like sandy, chunky, hard as nails or too soft ice cream. He has learned that not everything that is brown, pitiful and without crema in the cup is an "Italian espresso". And he mercilessly uses the guest's most powerful weapon: he goes next door to the competition - where the ice cream is creamy, tastes of strawberry and pistachio, where the espresso still has a crema and the cappuccino is served with latte art hearts.

How can you avoid this mistake?

It's simple: pamper your customers and offer them quality! Use good and high-quality raw materials - you can taste the difference. Don't run your expensive high-tech espresso machine with the cheapest coffee you can find. Make your pistachio ice cream with real pistachio paste, not cheap dye bitter almond paste. Deal with your ice cream recipes and make sure you balance your ice cream flavors correctly. Just offer the customer what you would like to have yourself.

2. unsuitable staff

A visit to the ice cream parlour is always a bit of a holiday. The guest pays not only for the sundae and the cappuccino, but for a few minutes of "time out from everyday life". And who wants to be served on "holiday" by grumpy-looking, unmotivated or even unfriendly staff? Or by seasonal staff with no knowledge of German at all? Please do not misunderstand: We Germans love southern ice-cream vendors - there's nothing better than being greeted with a beaming "Ciao bella/bello, come stai?" while enjoying an ice cream or espresso. But when every question is met with an apologetic shrug of the shoulders, you feel a little lost as a guest. Of course: capable, reliable and affordable staff is extremely hard to find. But it is worth it!

How can you avoid this mistake?

In times of general staff shortages, this is of course a huge challenge, we realize. But it can be done - with two simple tricks. Motivate your employees as best you can. Treat them well, pay them properly, keep them logged in over the winter (because in the current situation, who needs to go "clocking in" in the winter), and send them regularly to training courses such as ice cream and barista seminars. This will also benefit your quality - see point 1. And very important: Set a good example! Be friendly to your guests and give them a smile - because you are the figurehead of your business.

3. Unloving ice cream presentation

Nobody needs ice cream! You only buy ice cream because you feel like it - because you see the ice cream, think of joie de vivre, summer and strawberries and say to yourself "Oh come on, screw money and calories, this simply has to be! And that's exactly how the ice cream has to be presented. Visible: in a great display case with an optimal view of the ice cream and perfect lighting, and not in an old, cluttered display case with broken neon lights. And appetising: nicely decorated in clean bowls, not flat, uncharitable and with chunks of brown chocolate, red strawberry and green kiwi in the white lemon ice cream. That should go without saying? But unfortunately it is not always.

How can you avoid this mistake?

Decorate your ice cream appetizing, attractive and fresh every morning. Never put the old trays from the previous day in the display case the next morning without cleaning them first and making them a little pretty again. Clean your display case regularly and thoroughly: front window, glass shelf and the inside of the display case. And above all: Replace an old, unattractive and/or no longer properly functioning display case in time - a modern, high-quality display case offers a much better view of the ice, preserves your ice better, has a nicer light and also saves money because it works much more energy-efficiently.

4. Flavor signs directly in the showcase

Let's stay with the ice cream display case: In very many ice cream display cases, you see large ice cream type signs stuck in the middle of the ice cream bowls, often "decorated" with the large logo of the raw material supplier. Sure, the signs are highly visible, often decorative and cost nothing. But still, as sorry as we are: take them out! Why? First of all, the ice shields massively disrupt the flow of cold air and thus destroy the even temperature in the display case - just as a stone in the water also slows down the flow in the stream. Secondly, the signs are unhygienic - only ice belongs in the ice, not signs! And third, we want to buy "artisanal ice cream" and not immediately see what industrial raw materials are in it - or have you ever ordered a chicken breast in a restaurant served on a plate with a big "Wiesenhof" logo? No? Exactly!

How can you avoid this mistake?

Either attach the ice cream type labels to the front of the display case - actually every display case provides a suitable place or holder for this. Or place the flavors in a clearly visible place outside the display case: on a decorative board, on a slide box above the display case or in any other clearly visible place - the main thing is that it is not directly in the ice cream. And if you really don't want to do without the variety signs in the ice cream: Then please write or design your own, individual signs, and don't take the advertising signs of the raw material suppliers. After all, it's your ice cream!

5. showcases too rarely cleared out

And again ice cream display case: Yes, it is an unpleasant extra work to clear the ice cream every day from the display case into the ice cream storage cabinet. But it still needs to be done, unfortunately - preferably every day! Why? First, only in an ice storage cabinet is the ice truly hermetically (i.e. airtight) stored - and therefore ages much more slowly there, because the penetration of moist outside air is prevented (although this point can be improved by new, specially sealing display cases). Secondly, a display case should be cleaned regularly and preferably daily - because in normal everyday sales, small chunks of ice fall next to the trays in the gaps, and these can only be cleaned when the display case is "warm". This brings us back to presentation (point 3). And thirdly, it saves money - because an ice showcase has a significantly(!) higher power consumption than a closed ice storage cabinet.

How can you avoid this mistake?

Yes, you will not like to hear the answer, but it is unfortunately so: the best is and remains to clear out your display case in the evening. If you really can't or don't want to do this every day, then at least use a display case that preserves the ice cream as well as possible, allows as little air as possible from outside into the display case, and cools as efficiently and energy-efficiently as possible. Use closed Pozzetti display cases (by the way, these are also available with glass covers so that the ice remains visible), display cases with a special night mode like the BRX Vista, or at least a display case with sliding windows that seal as well as possible. This does not solve the problem of cleaning, but it preserves the ice much better and saves you a lot of energy (and therefore money) in the long run.

6. ice cream is too cheap!

In many ice cream parlors, the scoop of ice cream is too cheap! Offering a scoop of ice cream for € 1.20 or even less is simply no longer in keeping with the times - with current raw material, energy and personnel costs, you simply can't offer high-quality ice cream for € 1.20 and earn money with it at the same time. Maybe you're thinking "But that's all people are willing to pay!". We counter: Yes - they are!

Good ice cream is simply worth more! The cost of goods has increased in recent years, good products cost money, and besides: if something is too expensive, it's coffee - not ice cream! Why? Because the cost of goods for coffee and a scoop of ice cream is about the same (approx. 15 Ct.), but an ice cream lab plus display case costs many times more than an espresso machine - and your skills as an ice cream maker should also cost something!

In addition, Germans eat an average of 25 scoops of ice cream per year. If the scoop costs 20 cents more, that's five(!) euros for the whole year. Don't be afraid to sell your product below value! Or simply offer two types of ice cream: "normal" ice cream at a low price, and "premium ice cream" (special types, nicely decorated and with good ingredients) for € 0.50 more. Bet that you will soon sell more premium ice cream than "normal" ice cream?

How can you avoid this mistake?

That is self-explanatory: Make high-quality ice cream - and charge a fair price for it that allows you to earn money with it. And if someone complains about the price: take the time to explain to him or her why you have to and are allowed to charge this price. Just ask your customer if he or she would prefer lower quality for a lower price. Most of them will understand. And if someone really doesn't understand? Then you'd better do without the one customer who doesn 't appreciate your quality.

7. lack of hygiene

Hygiene is the be-all and end-all in gastronomy - as a matter of course! A matter of course? Unfortunately, you still see espresso machines where the steam lance/ autosteamer has been stuck with milk for hours. Spaghetti ice-cream presses from which the frozen vanilla ice cream runs out. Soft ice cream machines with overflowing drip trays. An ice cream display case that hasn't been cleaned for days. Red-brown-white lemon ice cream with leftover chocolate and strawberry. The famous "drip rags" for the portioners, lying grey-brown on the display case at the end of the working day. The ice-cream trays from the day before, which were "freshly" put into the display case in the morning with the leftovers from the day before. And, and, and... The guest always sees this kind of thing - he just doesn't always say it. It only takes a little effort and the ice cream parlour shines fresh and clean at all times - and the customer gets an appetite for the ice cream.

How can you avoid this mistake?

This is really easy: Take the necessary time and pay attention to hygiene and cleanliness. It's not fun, but it's part of your job!

8. dusty furnishings

Many ice cream parlors and cafés have facilities that are already 15 years old or older. The essential modules still work, and sales are actually still quite good (maybe they're even declining a bit and no one knows why?!). So why spend money on a new facility? Quite simply: Because you can see the age! Where do you prefer to go yourself - to a modern, beautiful, high-quality café, or to an "old joint"? Yes, there are the famous "cult cafés" with furnishings from the 1950s. But how many of them actually exist? Most of them are just old, dusty booths, not "cult classics". And the basic rule is "act from a position of strength," or: invest before the customers stay away. Because at some point, the vicious circle starts: The customers stay away, the technology breaks down, and then there is no more money for the investment. And by the time you see the, beloved, "iconic" ice cream parlor with the great 50s charm is "permanently closed" .

How can you avoid this mistake?

Don'twait so long to remodel your business that customers stop coming and the vicious cycle described above begins. A good rule of thumb is: When you think to yourself"Well, it actually still fits" (with emphasis on the"actually"), then it's a good time to tackle a renovation. By the way, it doesn't always have to be a completely new interior. A"facelift" can also make a big difference: a new ice cream display case, new front paneling and fresh chairs, and the store will have a fresh look again - and the customer will want ice cream again.

9. the loss lies in the purchase

In the purchase lies the profit! The cheap coffee for € 9.90 a kilo or the pseudo-pistachio paste for eight euros a kilo (consisting of dye and bitter almond flavoring) do it too! Most people can ' t taste the difference anyway ! But is that true? We say: No! Because customers now know very well what is good and what is not. And that is exactly why the calculation is not correct!

Let's assume that an ice cream parlor with an annual turnover of € 250,000 manages to save 10% on the purchase of raw materials by using cheaper products, but loses 3% in sales as a result (because it no longer tastes quite as good). Save 10% and lose 3% - a good deal?! Wrong, you have earned about € 3,000 less(!!!) due to the missing turnover. And if you invest 10% more in goods and gain 3% in sales? Correct, now you have earned about € 3.000 more money! Don't believe us? Contact us, and we will be happy to calculate it together!

And this applies to everything: Better to buy better (more expensive!) coffee and sell one or two more espressos for it. Better to produce better ice cream and sell a few more scoops for it. Better to have satisfied customers who come more often, bring their friends with them and give you top ratings on Google, Facebook and the like! Saving money on the product is the wrong thing to do!

How can you avoid this mistake?

Be aware that the profit in the ice cream parlor is not in the purchase, but in the additional sales . Therefore, always focus on quality first. Of course it makes sense to negotiate a good price for your raw materials, e.g. by buying larger quantities or ordering in advance in the fall before the next price increase. But never save at the expense of quality - this can cost you quite a lot in the end.

10. who buys cheap, buys twice

So saving on the product doesn't make any sense - so what about the technology? Would you rather spend €10,000 less on the equipment and make one or two compromises? Would you rather buy the smaller ice machine and save money? Better to keep the old ice storage cabinet (or the old ice display cases) for a few more years? Basically yes, but saving money the wrong way can be surprisingly expensive! Why? We have already talked about the importance of a great presentation and a coherent interior above (points 3 and 8). But you should also calculate financially: Saving € 10,000 on a furnishing means over 10 years: You save € 1,000 per year, which is just under € 85(!!) per month. Would you rent another, inferior store for € 85 less rent (which, by the way, you have to pay for longer than 10 years)?

Have you calculated what the cheaper ice cream machine costs more(!) if you can only produce one bowl per cycle instead of three and you (or your "expensive" employees) have to stand in the ice cream lab three times as long as necessary every day for the next few years? That the old ice storage cabinet consumes € 150 more in electricity per month and the new one thus finances itself in less than 2 years - not to mention the environmental impact (the same applies to the ice display cases, by the way)?

Have you thought about what happens when the "cheap" ice cream or soft ice cream machine gives up the ghost in the middle of the season, but the replacement part from the Far East has a delivery time of 4 weeks and the untrained service technician has no idea about the machine afterwards?

Don 't just think about saving - think about what it will cost you!

How can you avoid this mistake?

Don't just look at the price. Get advice from professionals who really understand your concept, your individual situation and your personal requirements - and then recommend the best technology for you . Remember that fast service and spare parts supply costs a little money - but can save your business in an emergency. In the long run, you will save a lot of time, work, hassle and money with the right, high-quality machines and a professional partner .

11. (Too) many varieties, (too) little variety

And here is our special tip:

Many ice cream parlors work according to the principle "A lot helps a lot!" and outdo themselves with the number of ice cream varieties: 24 varieties are not enough, 36, 40 or even 60 ice cream varieties are better. But many types of ice cream also have many disadvantages: First, ice cream "ages" over time and deteriorates in quality - and of course, rarely will all 60 flavors be able to be as fresh as 16 or 24 flavors are. Second, many flavors are much more costly to produce than a few flavors: you can produce about six flavors of ice cream per hour - whether with a large or small ice cream machine (one flavor - one cycle). For 60 flavors you have to produce at least 10 hours - the same amount of ice cream, but only 24 flavors you can produce with a large ice cream machine in only four hours! In addition, you have to stock the raw materials for 60 flavors - that costs capital. And the customer? Standing in front of the ice cream parlor, first deciding whether he should prefer quince buttermilk or elderberry buttermilk, while the line gets longer and longer.

Try the exact opposite: fewer varieties, but change some of them every day - so that customers stop by every day ("Let's see what's good today...") and buy ("Mmmmh, today there's lime-mint - I have to buy that right away, tomorrow there won't be any more").

Conclusion on the most common mistakes in ice cream parlours and cafés

Especially in everyday business, you can always make mistakes that you are not necessarily aware of as such. We help our customers with our years of experience in ice cream parlors throughout Germany to find and eliminate these errors. And we would be happy if you also help us to make the ice cream world a little bit better and share the article diligently!

Here's to a great ice cream season!

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