Do you need training to open an ice cream parlor?

Perhaps you have often wondered how easy it would be to open an ice cream parlor. There are ice cream parlors in every city and most of the time they seem to be full of visitors, at least that's the impression you get in the summer.

And what do you need to know, except maybe how to make ice cream. So, running an ice cream parlor can't be all that difficult.

But are you allowed to open an ice cream parlor without any training at all? We asked ourselves this question and wrote an exciting article on this topic.

Do I need training to open an ice cream parlor?
You don't need any special training to open an ice cream parlor. However, it is an advantage if you have already completed training or gained experience in one of the areas such as gastronomy or confectionery.
Even if no training as an ice cream specialist or other training is required to open your own ice cream parlor, you should still not disregard or underestimate the required prior knowledge.

Because to run a successful ice cream parlor, a lot of know-how and prior knowledge is necessary. As is often the case, it is not as simple as it seems at first glance.

What should you definitely know in advance?

5 skills you should definitely acquire

1. deal with the clientele properly

The main goal in dealing with your clientele is that they are satisfied with the products and service you offer.

Even if questions or problems arise, you should always be friendly and help your customers as much as you can. In this way, you can build up a relationship with your customers so that they will also stop by the next time they are hungry for ice cream.

2. quality controls and compliance with hygiene regulations.

It should be clear to everyone that quality is an important point. So that you can maintain this, you should carry out regular checks.

In ice cream production, there are various areas in which quality controls should be carried out. This ensures that all quality requirements are met and, at the same time, any requirements from authorities or ministries are adhered to.

On the one hand, you should control certain tasks such as cleaning the equipment or checking the inventory. However, regular checks should also be carried out on documentation for compliance with specifications.

Especially in the food industry, there are important regulations that must be observed. These include, for example, the correct designation of ice cream types in accordance with regulations. Vanilla ice cream may only be designated as such if it contains natural vanilla flavoring.

As a consumer, it is not possible to distinguish in terms of taste whether the artificially produced vanillin provides the vanilla flavor or whether it actually contains expensive vanilla flavoring of real vanilla. In order not to deceive the customer, ice cream with artificial vanilla flavoring, for example, must be labeled as vanilla-flavored ice cream.
A distinction is also made between the terms milk ice cream, ice cream, fruit ice cream and cream ice cream, or cream ice cream or egg ice cream.
Ice cream, for example, contains at least ten percent milk fat and can be produced either industrially or by hand.

Milk ice cream, on the other hand, has a milk content of at least 70 percent and is the most common type of artisan ice cream.

These are just a few of the regulations that you should take care to comply with.
Also not to be neglected are hygiene regulations and the training of the staff regarding hygiene and the infection control law.

3. troubleshooting and maintenance

In a company with machines and equipment, errors can occur from time to time. You should therefore learn how to deal with them so that they can be rectified quickly. To keep your machines running smoothly for a long time, you should have them regularly maintained and overhauled.

But you should also expect mistakes in other areas and learn to deal with them with the necessary composure.

4. observe safety precautions

A very important issue is compliance with and regular review of safety precautions.

You should know what regulations apply to your operation and be prepared for emergencies.

5. keep the quality of the product high

You should put the quality of your product at the top of your list.

This includes constantly improving your recipes and always trying to offer your customers the best of the best.

Make sure you're using high-quality foods and not skimping on the wrong ends.

How can you acquire the knowledge you need?

To acquire the necessary knowledge even without previous training, you can attend various training courses on hygiene and health regulations.
This is even required by law for all those who work with perishable foods and want to sell them.

Here you can find out more about the mandatory training courses.
You can also attend courses at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce to further your education in the commercial field or to complete internships.

The training for ice cream specialist

If it is not enough for you to acquire your knowledge regarding the production and sale of ice cream through courses or seminars, you can also train to become a confectioner or ice cream specialist.

This usually takes three years and takes place in companies that produce and sell artisan ice cream. To train as an ice cream specialist, you need a secondary school leaving certificate and can then continue your training to become a specialist or business administrator in the hospitality industry.

However, you also have the option of becoming self-employed directly after completing the training.
Content of the training
During the training, you will learn everything about gastronomic service on the one hand, but also everything about the professional production of ice cream.

You will be educated about health and safety in your operation and learn to operate the machines and equipment used to make ice cream.

Other important topics that will be of great use to you when you later become self-employed are the introduction to merchandise management, economic basics for running an ice cream parlor, and all other processes that take place in the office.

The most common reasons why ice cream parlors fail

For an ice cream parlor to survive in the long term, it must bring in enough sales and, ideally, make a higher profit from year to year.

In advance, we have already listed some reasons that lead to a successful ice cream parlor. Now we come to the points that you should avoid at all costs, so that your ice cream parlor lasts in the long term.

- Inadequate planning

A little thought or lack of planning can derail your project in no time.

That's why you shouldn't neglect planning, especially at the beginning, and invest enough time here before rushing into a business without a hand and a foot.

- Unfavorable choice of location

No matter how appealing your offer can be and how delicious your ice cream is, if you open the ice cream parlor in the wrong place, you will still not be able to attract enough customers.

That's why you should urgently carry out a location analysis before choosing a suitable site. You should analyze the competition in your catchment area, the size of your catchment area and whether there are any walk-in customers there.

You should also consider the purchasing power and make sure that the ice cream parlor is in an easily accessible location.

In addition, a high level of attraction from other attractive stores or offers in the area can have a positive impact on your sales. So when choosing your location, be sure to check if there are other retailers in the area.

Another important point that you should include in the location analysis is the rental prices.

- Wishes or preferences of the target group are ignored

Of course, it is important that you yourself are convinced of your product. However, you should not forget that your customers must also be convinced of your offer.

Even having a unique selling proposition and thus standing out in competition with other ice cream parlors does not automatically guarantee you a high turnover.

So it's no use for you to try to score with fancy ideas, while they are not accepted by your customers.

To avoid making this mistake, you can start regular customer satisfaction surveys and also ask your clientele about their needs and preferences.

- Poor financial management

If you don't keep track of your finances, you won't be able to make competent decisions regarding investments or financing.

You should therefore make a point of using a professional accounting program and keeping your books conscientiously. This way you can keep an eye on your profits and expenses and notice early on if your profits are falling or even if debts are accumulating.
Also, always remember that the ice cream parlor is a seasonal business - include in your financial planning that you will never make the same profit in the winter months as you do in the summer. Plan for appropriate reserves.

- Misdirected or insufficient advertising measures

If you don't take care of gaining visibility and attention early enough, you will have a very hard time opening an ice cream parlor, especially at the beginning.

But even if you advertise but don't address the right target group, you won't achieve much success. How are customers supposed to find their way to your ice cream parlor if they don't even know it exists?

So, from the very beginning, focus on targeted advertising and make your ice cream parlor known with a grand opening event. You can draw attention to yourself not only with posters, newspaper ads or flyers.

Never underestimate the power of the Internet when promoting your ice cream parlor.
Social media platforms can also be used for advertising purposes.

If this world is too foreign to you yourself, you can always hire an expert who knows about ad placement on social media and marketing strategies.

- Mistakes are not used for learning

Whether something goes badly or particularly well, you can always learn from it. Every experience allows you to adapt your business and bring out the best.

Mistakes are never final, but allow us to grow from them.

- The fear of failure

As an entrepreneur, you should be prepared for anything that might come your way during the course of your self-employment. This also includes failure.

You should not be afraid of failure. You can expect failure without fearing it. Think of it as a normal part of your business, because it's necessary. It's even good for your business. Failure allows you to learn from it. It will even help you make the right decision next time.

It's important that you don't equate failure with retreat. Only those who dare to do something can fail, but also only those who dare to do something can succeed in doing so.