Open An Ice Cream Parlour - Business Ideas

Updated: September 16th, 2022
Open An Ice Cream Parlour

Please note that the data provided in this article are estimates and may vary depending on various factors, and should not be considered as perfect or definitive.

Ice cream is something that people of all ages equally enjoy globally, making it a profitable business to venture into.

This frozen dessert industry has registered massive growth in recent years, a trend that shows the industry’s potential.

If you are looking to start your ice cream business, follow these steps:

  • Decide whether to make your ice cream or to source from established ice cream brands
  • Write an effective business plan for the ice cream shop detailing the goals, strategies, and plans
  • Fund your business idea
  • Choose a spacious shop in an area with plenty of foot traffic
  • Offer different ice cream flavors

Opening an ice cream parlor is not easy work. However, if you do it right, it is rewarding and can be a lot of fun.

Opening an ice cream parlour requires a great deal of effort, dedication, and most importantly passion.

If you're interested in how to sell ice cream, or selling ice cream online, you can use this page as a guide for everything you'll need to know.

Key Stats

market size
$62.3B
starting costs
$18.9K
gross margin
43%
time to build
270 days

Startup Costs

Min Startup Costs Max Startup Costs

Equipment & Supply Expenses

$66

$1,200

Retail Business Expenses

$1,250

$11,650

Inventory Expenses

$350

$14,750

Advertising & Marketing Costs

$75

$9,636

Software Expenses

$0

$425

Website Costs

$13

$215

Total Startup Costs

$1,754

$37,876

Successful Businesses

Business URL Rank

Cold Stone Creamery

coldstonecreamery.com

110,718

Dream Pops

dreampops.com

529,711

Udders Ice Cream

udders.com.sg

1,251,591

Ice Cream Depot

icecreamdepot.com

1,558,771

ChillN Nitrogen Ice Cream

chillnicecream.com

2,161,689

Serendipity Ice Cream

serendipity-icecream.com

2,172,089

Village Ice Cream

villageicecream.com

2,337,155

Jude's Ice Cream

judes.com

3,030,108

Miesse Candies

miessecandies.com

4,340,200

The Ice Cream Farm

theicecreamfarm.co.uk

4,912,944

Emerald Foods

icecream.co.nz

6,802,702

Pros & Cons

Pros Description

Rewarding work

Starting a ice cream parlour can be really rewarding work. After all, you are solving an immediate issue for your customer and you're working on something you truly care about.

Meaningful business connections

You never know who you will meet as a ice cream parlour. This could be the start of an incredible business opportunity!

Daily physical activity

Ice Cream Parlour's typically involve a much greater degree of movement than other lines of work. Most days, you will spend your day walking, running errands for your business, and performing a multitude of tasks. This can have a positive impact on energy levels and your overall health.

Amazing perks and discounts

Working in the ice cream parlour comes with its perks! As a seller for these products/services, you typically also get to enjoy industry perks and discounts.

You are your own boss!

With opening an ice cream parlour, you are the one to make decisions for almost all of the operations. Calling the shots can be empowering and liberating!

Local Community

One of the best parts of opening an ice cream parlour is that you can develop a local following by selling your products at craft shows, farmers' markets, or even local storefront businesses! This gives you access to additional revenue streams and loyal customers.

Cons Description

Crowded Space

Competition is high when it comes to your ice cream parlour, so it's important that you spend a good amount of time analyzing the market and understanding where the demand lies.

Finding The Right Supplier

Most businesses in this space go the supplier/manufacturer route, which isn't a bad thing! However, finding the right supplier can take a lot of time, energy and trial/error. If done properly, this process can save you months (if not years) of time and energy. More on this below in the "finding a supplier" section.

Motivation of employees

If you plan to have a sales/content team on board, finding creative ways to motivate them can be a challenge. It's important that you're able to offer great incentives and a good work environment for your employees.

Low margins

The gross margins for your ice cream parlour are typically around 43%, which can make it more challenging to incur new expenses and maintain profitability.

High employee turnover

In the ice cream parlour, employee turnover is often high, which can be quite costly and time consuming for your business. It's important to try and avoid this as much as possible by offering competitive pay, benefits, and a positive work environment.

Taxes

As a ice cream parlour, you typically pay self-employment taxes which can be quite high. It's important to understand what you will be paying in taxes each year so you can determine if the work you're taking on is worth it.