Start An Ice Cream Shop - Business Ideas

Pat Walls

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Updated: September 15th, 2022

Start An Ice Cream Shop

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.

Starting an ice cream shop can be a fun and rewarding business idea. Whether you're looking to open a small shop in your local neighborhood or a larger franchise, there are a few key things you'll need to consider when starting your ice cream shop.

First and foremost, you’ll need to decide on the type of ice cream you want to serve. There are many different flavors and styles, ranging from traditional vanilla and chocolate to more exotic flavors like mango and green tea. You’ll also need to consider whether you want to offer both soft, hard, or a combination.

Next, you’ll need to find a location for your shop. Look for a location with high foot traffic and good visibility, such as a busy street corner or a shopping mall. You’ll also want to consider factors such as parking availability and competition from other ice cream shops.

Once you’ve found a location, you’ll need to purchase or lease the necessary equipment, such as ice cream makers, freezers, and cash registers. You’ll also need to stock up on supplies such as cups, cones, spoons, and napkins.

To run your ice cream shop successfully, you'll need a strong marketing strategy. This can include advertising through social media, local newspapers, and flyers and offering special promotions and discounts to attract customers. You’ll also need to hire and train employees to serve customers and handle transactions.

Starting an ice cream shop can be a fun and rewarding business venture as long as you have a clear business plan and are prepared to put in the hard work and dedication required to make it a success.

Starting an ice cream shop 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

growth

Organic social media

business model

Subscriptions

time investment

Full time

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

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Successful Businesses

Business	URL	Rank
Enlightened Ice Cream	eatenlightened.com	381,689
Stewart's Shops	stewartsshops.com	925,801
Nightingale Ice Cream	nightingaleicecream.com	2,306,997
Ice Cream Profits	icecreamprofits.com	2,340,182
Paciugo Gelato Caffe	paciugo.com	2,830,209
Bridgeman's Ice Cream	bridgemans.com	2,875,052
turnkeyparlor	turnkeyparlor.com	2,950,136
Secret Recipe Cakes & Cafe	secretrecipebd.com	3,623,487
Ice Roll Pro	icerollpro.com	3,885,729
Henry's Homemade Ice Cream	henryshomemadeicecream.com	4,674,558
cowtippingcreamery	cowtippingcreamery.com	5,107,290

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Pros & Cons

Pros	Description
Rewarding work	Starting a ice cream shop 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 shop. This could be the start of an incredible business opportunity!
Daily physical activity	Ice Cream Shop'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 shop 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 starting an ice cream shop, 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 starting an ice cream shop 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.

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Cons	Description
Crowded Space	Competition is high when it comes to your ice cream shop, 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 shop are typically around 43%, which can make it more challenging to incur new expenses and maintain profitability.
High employee turnover	In the ice cream shop, 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 shop, 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.

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Key Stats

Startup Costs

Successful Businesses

381,689

925,801

2,306,997

2,340,182

2,830,209

2,875,052

2,950,136

3,623,487

3,885,729

4,674,558

5,107,290

Pros & Cons