How to Open an Ice-Cream Store

There are many types of ice cream your store can offer.

People of all ages love ice cream, and ice-cream stores have been popular, profitable businesses to own for many decades. Nowadays the types and flavors of ice cream you can sell are nearly unlimited; some ice-cream shops even specialize in outrageous and unusual flavors. Opening an ice-cream store requires more than just great recipes and a love of the treat to be successful. Careful planning and review of your state's food-safety guidelines will be necessary before you open your doors.

Instructions

1. Choose a niche for your ice-cream store. For example, you can decide to sell vegan ice cream, frozen yogurt, gelato or all-natural ice cream. Choosing a niche will help your ice-cream store stand out from the many others that are available for customers to choose from in your area.

2. Obtain the licenses needed from your city and state to operate a food business, particularly a restaurant. Most states require that you obtain a food-enterprise permit, food-handler and food-manager certificates, and a tax identification number. You will also need to get an employer identification number (EIN) from the IRS.

3. Lease a building that is suitable for use as a restaurant. You may need to make renovations to the building in order to bring it up to your state's requirements. The building size you need will depend upon whether you want to sell the ice cream "to go" only, or offer space for customers to sit.

4. Purchase the equipment you'll need from a supplier such as Ice Cream Equipment World or World of Gelato. If you are not going to make your own ice cream, you will need to buy it from a company such as Berliner Specialty Distributors or Old Meeting House. Aside from an ice-cream freezer and stand to serve it from, you may need to buy tables and chairs, napkins, scoops, cups, cones and plastic flatware.

5. Apply to have your ice-cream store inspected by your state's health department. It will check to see whether your store meets the state's health guidelines and whether you have all the permits required to open.

6. Advertise your ice-cream store by developing a website or blog; placing ads in local print or online business directories; handing out coupons to nearby businesses such as pizza parlors, bakeries and movie theaters; and distributing press releases to local media outlets.

7. Join an association for ice-cream business owners such as the National Ice Cream Retailers Association to keep up on industry trends and network with other store owners and suppliers.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't want to worry about planning the concept of your store, you can purchase an ice-cream franchise. You will need a good credit rating and a significant amount of capital to do so.

References

• Ice Cream Profits: Starting an Ice Cream Shop
• National Ice Cream Retailers Association: Starting a Business