What tips should you be sure to follow before opening an ice cream shop?

Have you been dreaming of opening your own ice cream parlor for a while? Does this dream never let you go and you are looking for a way to make it come true? Then this article is made just for you!

We'll show you who to turn to if you're stuck, need new ideas, or just want to get the most out of your ice cream shop.

What tips should you follow if you want to open an ice cream parlor? If you want to open your own ice cream parlor, then you should make sure that you take into account all official regulations and think about a working concept. In addition, you should know the advantages and disadvantages, the calculation and the necessary investments of self-produced ice cream and weigh whether you produce your own ice cream at the beginning or prefer to buy the ice cream at the beginning.

Make sure your employees are friendly, responsible and self-reliant, and don't underestimate the effort and impact of advertising.

If you already have a specific concept in mind and a business plan on paper, then you can directly initiate concrete steps.

But here you can learn more valuable tips on the way to your own ice cream parlor, what you should pay attention to and what mistakes you should avoid at all costs.

7 helpful tips on the way to your own ice cream parlor

1. the concept of your ice cream parlor

A good concept for your ice cream parlor means an easier start, satisfied customers and a turnover that can be increased quickly. Because once your customers know what they can expect from you, you can promote customer loyalty through targeted promotions.

Another tip is to make sure you think ahead about what type of specialty ice cream you want to sell. Do you want to start selling frozen yogurt, typical ice cream, gelato or vegan ice cream?

Because not all ice cream is the same, and there are also strict regulations for the designation of your ice cream. Even when naming your offer, you should pay attention to a few things.

The different types of ice cream

Would you like fruit ice cream and call it that, the ice cream must contain at least 20 percent fruit.

Ice cream must consist of at least 10 percent milk, while Cream ice must consist of half milk.

At Milk ice cream the milk content must be as high as 70 percent.

But also the world famous Gelato also has to meet a number of specifications. Even though many believe that gelato is simply another word for ice cream due to its similar composition, there are clear differences when it comes to milk fat content and storage. Another type of ice cream is the so-called Sorbet. Sorbet must contain a fruit content of at least 25 percent. In the case of sour fruit, the proportion may be lower and must be at least 15 percent. Another difference is that sorbet does not contain milk, cream or egg, and sugar is also largely dispensed with.

Parfait is made entirely without stirring and freezes standing up. It is served in a semi-frozen state and basically consists of cream, egg yolk and sugar and the ingredients for each flavor. In the classic ice cream parlor you can hardly find parfait.

Frozen yogurt (by the way often also "half-German frozen yogurt by the way) has become increasingly popular in recent years as an alternative to ice cream. Abbreviated FroYo, it consists of a mixture of yogurt and milk ice cream and is normally lower in fat than the creamy ice cream varieties.

Vegan ice cream has also become a popular alternative to conventional milk-based ice cream. Since vegan ice cream has to do without dairy products and egg, coconut fat is usually used as a base. This is combined with almonds, soy, lupins, nuts or oats. Palm oil is almost never used. Due to the non-animal ingredients, one usually cannot avoid using thickeners, stabilizers and emulsifiers.

But the overall concept includes not only your offer, that is, your menu, it should also include the interior style.

You should think about what makes your ice cream parlor special, how it can stand out from other ice cream parlors and thus stand out from the crowd. You can get creative, but at the same time you should make sure that you don't offer anything too extravagant.

Maybe you can follow certain trends or always include some fancy ice cream flavors in your offer, so it never gets boring for customers who like to try.

You can experiment with your ice cream selection and other offerings even after you've opened, testing what goes over well with ice cream lovers and what doesn't.

As far as your interior is concerned, it should be designed to make your clientele feel as comfortable as possible and fit your concept and target audience. But it's not just the interior design that makes you feel good, your staff should always be friendly and approachable to customers.

2. seasonal or open all year round?

The biggest and most lucrative sales of ice cream basically take place in the summer. This raises the question of whether it might still be worthwhile to run your ice cream parlor in the winter as well.

As it gets very cold everywhere in Germany in winter, demand for ice will drop significantly in the cold months.

Nevertheless, both ways can make sense: If you make enough money from your ice cream parlor in the summer, you can just run it from March to October and take a vacation in the winter. In this case, however, remember to build up enough reserves for the winter.

You can also sublet your store during the winter months - to a gingerbread seller, a milliner, a warm sock store, or whatever else sells well in the winter. This will save you the rental costs in the winter - and if you own the building yourself, you'll have some rental income.

If you yourself want to open your store all year round, a special winter offer such as hot drinks and warm pastries is recommended. It is essential to make a realistic estimate of your expected turnover in advance.

This way you can estimate whether you can generate the expenses for employing your staff and the costs for operating the machines.

3. be sure to follow the regulations in your region

Before you can open an ice cream parlor, it is important that you comply with the legal requirements. This means that you have to officially register your business. To do this, you apply for a trade license at the trade office, which costs 20 to 60 euros depending on the region.

One tip that will make a lot of things easier for you is to contact the IHK if you want to be sure that you don't make any legal mistakes. In this informative video you will learn how the IHK can support you in opening your own ice cream parlor.

After that, you will have to do a lot of paperwork. You have to take care of insurance, a restaurant permit and a hygiene certificate. You should also contact the tax office to get a tax clearance certificate.

Of course, it is also important to seek support for all tax issues and to apply for a tax number. Likewise, a business insurance policy should be taken out, a certificate of competence acquired and structural changes should definitely be registered.

Some more permits and requirements are coming your way now. You can follow this checklist with all the important points, so that you are on the safe side before you open your own your own ice cream parlor.

Another tipthat can help you finance your ice cream parlor is to apply for a start-up subsidy. If you were receiving unemployment benefits before you started your business, you may be entitled to a start-up grant. You can apply here for more information.

4. is it better to make the ice cream yourself or buy it?

Once you have decided what kind of ice cream you want to sell, the only question left is whether to make the ice cream yourself or buy it.

There are several pros and cons, as well as helpful tips to take to heart if you're thinking of making your own ice cream.

If you decide to make the ice cream yourself, you have a lot of leeway when it comes to flavors and varieties. You can test and customize your ice cream yourself and create your own individual recipe.

However, if you're not particularly talented at trying out new recipes and don't enjoy spending a lot of time in the ice cream kitchen, you're better off buying your ice cream. What is very much in favor of making your own ice cream, however, is that it is cheaper in the long run to make it yourself.

In addition, there is the possibility that you can deliver your ice cream in larger quantities to other ice cream parlors or restaurants. However, you should not underestimate the cost of materials and the initial cost of making your own ice cream.

So you should weigh well before you decide on one of the options. Maybe you just start with store-bought ice cream and once you've made enough profit, you invest in ice cream machines and equipment.

5. invest in high quality equipment

Once you have decided to make your own ice cream, you should start looking for the right machines and equipment. You can buy them used or new, depending on your budget.

One important tip we can give you for this is not to fall for cheap products. Good and durable ice machines cost a certain price. In fact, many "bargains" don't save you money at second glance, but actually cost you more: low-value equipment uses more electricity and water in production (and both are getting more expensive!), takes more time (either your own valuable time, or you have to pay staff for it), and breaks down much more often and quickly.

For example, a very well-known and leading manufacturer of ice cream machines for delicious Italian ice cream is Carpigiani. Due to the constant development of its ice cream machines, the company is hard to beat in the selection of machines, ease of use, sophisticated technology and their safety. Carpigiani machines can produce absolutely high-quality ice cream, soft ice cream and much more.

Since you will probably have to buy the complete equipment of machines at the beginning, there is also the possibility to start with factory reconditioned or used equipment. Carpigiani machines are known for their durability and high hygiene standards, and for this reason can be bought used in factory-refurbished condition without hesitation. This will save you a lot of money in the beginning, which you could spend on important things like advertising costs.

A company with a lot of experience in this field is Krä Eistechnik.

With 70 years of experience, Krä Eistechnik is an absolute expert when it comes to the successful opening of ice cream parlors, ice cream cafés or the installation of soft ice cream machines.

With around 2,500 successful ice cream parlor projects, the company can draw on an extensive repertoire of experience and support you in planning and opening your dream ice cream parlor.

The experts at Krä not only consider the design with all its details. They also think through all the processes that take place in an ice cream parlor and integrate walkways and all processes into the planning.

This not only gives your ice cream parlor a cozy and modern design, it also structures it as functionally and efficiently as possible. Krä Eistechnik is also there to help you with any other questions you may have. You can find used equipment from Carpigiani, for example, here at Krä Eistechnik. If the machine you are looking for is not listed, it is worthwhile to send an inquiry to Krä Eistechnik. Maybe you will find the right used machine after all.

If you have informed yourself comprehensively about everything, already have the financing in your pocket and everything legal for the beginning is also clarified, then you can turn to experienced service providers for everything else, who will help you with the planning and implementation of your ice cream parlor.

6. find good employees

An additional tipthat everyone is probably aware of, but which sometimes slips into the background, is to pay attention to suitable employees. Reliable and responsible employees are also important for ice cream parlors the be-all and end-all for a successful business.

Because especially in a business with direct customer contact, it is important that all employees are friendly and polite.

After all, you want your customers to feel comfortable and welcome. You can find employees through a job advertisement, which you post at universities, bus stops or stores.

Of course, you should always get consent in advance before handing out flyers.

7. how to drum up publicity most effectively

If now the opening can finally take place in the foreseeable future, then it is time to vigorously beat the advertising drum. After all, you want everyone, absolutely everyone in the city to notice that soon the trendiest ice cream parlor with the most delicious ice cream in town open will open!

Depending on your target audience, you can focus primarily on popular social media channels and use the right hashtags or fancy reels to get the opening of the ice cream parlor with the right hashtags or fancy reels.

Of course, old-fashioned flyers and posters also make sense, because not everyone hangs out on social media platforms.

You can ask neighboring businesses as well as any billboards in the area if you can put your posters or flyers up there.

On opening day itself, it's important that anyone who happens to pass near your ice cream shop learns about your new opening.

Start offers and promotions with which you advertise in advance on the distributed flyers and posters. These could be coupons and discounts, but also raffles.

You can let your creativity run wild, but you should always keep in mind who your target group is. Because the actions and the advertising should of course be tailored to these groups of people as much as possible.

To do this, you can make the entrance to the ice cream par lor extra eye-catching and send out one of your employees to go around town that day telling people about the new opening and the promotions taking place.