4 Great Tips For Opening and Running a Successful Ice Cream Shop

Just because it's the middle of summer doesn't mean it's too late to start and open up your very first ice cream shop. Whether you're adding an ice cream bar to your existing restaurant to earn some extra cash, or you want to put all your energy into running a full-time establishment, you'll have a blast serving frozen desserts to all your new customers. 

As one of the most beloved foods in the world, ice cream and soft serve is sure to attract eager customers. But how do you stand up to the competition? Here are some things to consider that will help your new ice cream shop stand out from all the rest: 

• Offer plenty of soft serve ice cream -- Heaping scoops of hard ice cream is great, and you can certainly offer it to your customers. But there is nothing like enjoying some delicious soft serve ice cream and extra toppings on a hot summer day. Many customers actually prefer soft serve. In fact, when given a choice, consumers will choose soft serve seven out of 10 times over hard ice cream. Combined with delicious toppings, you have everything you need for a self-serve ice cream sundae bar.
 
• Use quality soft serve machines -- You can find a great Taylor soft serve machine for sale that will help your shop churn out all kinds of tasty soft serve products all day long. You won’t even have to break the bank if you’re just starting out, as well. You can find a refurbished Taylor soft serve machine for sale that works fantastic -- you just have to know where to look! Even better, these machines require less labor than typical scoop and serve ice cream operations.
 
• Get creative with your toppings -- Since there are so many ice cream shops out there these days, you’re going to have to do something to showcase your originality and compete with the rest. Offering eccentric flavors and toppings can really put you over the edge. Toss in some wacky toppings like breakfast cereal, candy pieces that not everyone knows about, marshmallows, melted peanut butter, hazelnut spread, and anything else you think your customers will enjoy. You can even appeal to health conscious consumers by offering a variety of fresh fruits and chopped nuts.
 
• Don’t sleep on the classics -- Though you’re going to need plenty of creative flavors and toppings to really standout, you’re still going to need to have the classic ice cream toppings and flavors readily available for your customers to enjoy. It’s difficult to enjoy wacky flavors and toppings each time you eat ice cream. Most customers are eventually going to want the tried and true flavors of chocolate and vanilla (or twist) in a nice waffle cone.

If you are ready to turn your ice cream shop into the talk of the town and want to find a high-quality Taylor soft serve machine for sale, contact Soft Serve Parts right away. We have everything you need to start serving delicious soft serve in no time.