To open to an ice cream parlor these days, you have to sell frozen yogurt, that’s really all there is to it. People are so concerned with being healthy and eating correctly in this day and age that if you do not incorporate frozen yogurt into your shop supplies then you will be isolating a whole demographic of people that would otherwise bring you a lot of business. There’s nothing more refreshing than a nice scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt on a hot summer’s day. While there are not many places that offer just these items anymore though. They are usually incorporated into other places. Other than the shop supplies for the frozen desserts that you will need to invest in, there are a few things to thing about when opening a frozen dairy shop.
- Temperature
One of the main things that most frozen dessert stores seem to miss is the comfort level of the shop itself. Even if it’s hot outside, people don’t want to sit in the cold in order to eat their yogurt or ice cream. They want to be able to sit in an environment that is a comfortable temperature. Setting the air conditioner to freezing just because it’s hot outside does not mean that people want to freeze when they come in. While you don’t want your store to be just as hot as outside, you still want it a little bit warm in order to encourage people to eat your frozen goodies. This will also encourage customers to stay and enjoy their dessert inside. If they can stay inside then chances are they will end up paying for a refill just so that they can stay longer. Frozen yogurt and ice cream are addictive and especially if it is a ‘serve yourself, by the ounce’ type of situation then they very well get a second or third container. Many times people when text their friends or family where they are and if they are still sitting inside their loved ones will tell them to bring them home one as well. - The Unique Element
While you want different flavors available in order to accommodate many different kinds of people but you don’t want to overwhelm people. If there are too many choices then they may end up giving up because of the pressure to choose and get nothing. This includes the toppings. With the toppings you have more opportunity to choose which shop supplies will be included in your bar but you still don’t want to many but flavors of ice cream and yogurt should be limited to a certain amount instead of just including everything. This way people aren’t standing around trying to choose and irritating other customers who happen to be waiting behind them and already know what they are going to get. People can sometimes be indecisive, even at the grocery store. When there are whole aisles of ice cream and frozen yogurt, customers just tend to stare until they go for their usual choice. It’s a hard thing to break through and make a new choice and it usually only happens when there’s a smaller amount of choices to pick from. - Design
If you want customers to stay and eat in the shop then you’ll want to have comfortable places to sit like booths and cushy seats. Furniture and decor are just as important as the temperature. Attractive and family friendly pictures are very crucial to enticing families with children to come in and stay for awhile. Children are the best customers because their eyes are always bigger than their stomachs and they love to fill up the cups all the way. If you are charging by the ounce this will be very beneficial to your business.
Of course you will need to consider budget, finances, loans, shop supplies, location, logistics and much more but these are three things that are not really thought about in the beginning. If you can get these factors balanced and in place right from the beginning, it will be a lot easier to start building a good customer base. And we all know customers = business and business = success.
