If you have the wall space, and if your city permits, then one of the greatest things you can do for your community and your business interests is hire a local artist to do a customized mural for you. This particular mural at the Big Chill in Toronto, Ontario Canada is at an ice cream shop that is the favorite of parents and kids in...
Have you ever heard the saying: “The Devil is in the details?” That is what branding is all about. This picture of the patio The Big Chill ice cream parlor in Toronto shows patio furniture that has been meticulously painted to match the pastel colors of the ice cream sold inside. Each slat and rung of the chairs and the table in this picture is...
If you are running an ice cream shop you already know that there is one item that your employees cannot do without and that is some kind of dispenser for your ice cream cones. You need this item because without it your cones will crack, crumble, chip, break and get landed on by flies. The only answer is to keep the cones stacked in some...
If you are selling gelato in your ice cream or gelato specialty shop then you might want to be aware that the latest trend in product display is to drop an entire piece of fruit onto the surface of the gelato. For instance, in the photo above there is a large green apple on the green apple gelato, big ripe raspberries and strawberries plopped...
The perfect iced cappuccino machine is likely going to be made in a hopper in a specialty machine such as the one by Bunn above. In fact, the Bunn dual hopper machine above is a classic one with a decaffinated vanilla cappuccino and a regular caffienated ice version both offered. These gourmet ice machines are also sometimes called “granita” machines which is Italian for crushed ice....
Sometimes it is hard to get that gelato or ice cream selling when the weather gets colder. This is particularly true for ice cream and gelato parlors that have a real winter. So just how do you keep that product selling when nobody is really in the mood for a chilly dish of frozen dessert? The answer is to offer the classic Affogato, just as...
If you are in the ice cream business it is important to maximize every inch of your advertising space including your store window. In this photograph of a Toronto Sicilian ice cream parlor you will notice that the owners have made use of the windows by putting stickers of their other offerings such as a Sicilian Breakfast and a Sicilian Cannoli. The decals used to...
If you are thinking of opening your own soft-serve shop you might be wondering if you would be able to afford opening a Dairy Queen Franchise. This type of franchise is harder to get because it is known as a Mega-Brand franchise. Applying for a Diary Queen Franchise is hard; like trying to get into a select university that only accepts wealthy people. There are...
You have probably heard that old cliche …”Please, pretty please, with a cherry on top?” It comes from the old tradition of serving ice cream in a glass with a cherry on top. Even milkshakes were served with a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry on top in old ice cream parlors. Today’s soft serve cones also come with something a little extra these...
In the last five years one of the most popular franchises to own in the soft serve dessert industry is a Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt shop. This shiny, pristine store with it’s contemporary look, pink soft yogurt and plethora of natural toppings is a big hit wherever it opens. In fact, you could say it is a guaranteed money maker. However, like most franchisors, Pinkberry just...
