As an old fashioned yet one of the world’s most favorite treat, ice cream is not only a welcome delicacy served on special occasions but is an insatiable craving for anyone a sweet tooth. This frozen confection is popularly sought out, especially during the hottest days of summer. You may be applauded and supported for your efforts upon announcing your plans to open up your ice cream but may be lost for design ideas and a solid layout plan. It is crucial to create a structured business plan and follow through with it. The goal is to tempt by passers inside your shop which can be achieved with the right ice cream shop interior design ideas.
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Delicious Design Ideas for Your Ice Cream Parlor
Secret Ingredient to Success
Ice cream parlors are venues that make and sell a range of ice creams, gelatos, frozen yogurt and sorbet to customers. Ice cream, in general, is presented and sold in three varieties:
- Soft serve with chocolate and vanilla being the primary flavors
- Hard packed
- Gelato with a wider range of flavors or as many as the parlor can provide
All these frozen products are sold either in ice cream cones, cups, milkshakes and sundaes. Some parlors also sell ice cream cakes, ice cream bars, other pre-packaged frozen treats and even hot fast foods. But there are two key ingredients that these shops use to design their space: theme and ambience.
Making excellent ice cream does not guarantee success for your ice cream shop. Hence, the design itself is one of the key elements of success of an ice cream parlor. It has to create an environment of which that is cozy, inviting, and functional and clean. Therefore, you have to display your venue in the best possible way to attract customers that can make your products stand out through the skillful use of the perfect combination of the right restaurant furniture, lights, and colors.
Taking a Scoop of the Ice Cream Business
Apart from being one of the world’s most popular treats of all time, ice cream also presents a sweet business proposition. With enough dedication, capital, creative ice cream parlor decorations, and the right supplies, your dreams of operating a successful ice cream shop may be closer than you realize. But there are several factors to consider before you announce your grand opening. Will you take the traditional route and serve ice cream by the scoop? Or will you adapt to newer trends such as frozen yogurt? You may decide to sell ice cream from a vendor or you may craft your own artisan flavors. You may also include a number of food items and drinks to pair with the ice cream you sell. When contemplating about starting your own ice cream business, there is what to consider turning your venture into a success. Likewise, you need to decide what type of business you will run before you design a layout plan or determine what kind of equipment you will need:
- Start-up capital
- Market research
- Independent operation or franchise
- Developing a concept
- Store location
- Designing a menu
- Labor and training
- Business license and/or permit
Regardless to how simple or elaborate your ice cream parlor is, you will need a lot of supplies. Depending on how condensed or exhaustive your menu is, your list of equipment needs may exponentially grow. Storage is especially important. How you decide to store dry and cold food items and with what are up to you. But at the very least, you should have airtight storage bins and shelves. You will need refrigeration as well. If you own a small shop, then reach-in coolers are essential. Walk-in coolers and freezers are necessary for larger venues. If you offer baked goods, you will need an oven and/or a waffle cone maker to make your own cones. Serveware is crucial for storing, organizing and presenting cups, bowls, utensils, napkins, and a number of dispensers.
Ice Cream Store Design and Layout
Much like any venue, the design and layout of an ice cream store is one of the key strategies of its success. Much effort and manpower is needed for the shop’s configuration and layout. A layout is often used to influence a customer’s behavior with product placement, interior design, color scheme, logo and ambience. A layout also gives retailers a clear overview on how much revenue they are generating per square. When used properly, this piece of information can evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their ice cream parlor design. New owners of ice cream shops need to understand that having a niche which customers can relate to and appreciate are one of those things that encourage repeated visitations. Owners generally want their customers to feel relaxed and comfortable during their visit and they do that by transferring the same sentiments to the food items and products they are purchasing.
Other factors, such as POS (point of sale) arrangement, fixture colors including that on ice cream parlor chairs, and space are elements that make a strong impression among customers. Customers walk into a an ice cream shop, look at the variety of ice creams, then pay for the one they choose. Therefore it’s important to create a seating area that does not conflict with these activities. Restaurant chairs and other seating should be placed further away from the counter.