When the temperature is in the 90’s and nobody’s lining up at the Hot Dog concession stand, where have all the customers gone? To the Ice Cream concession. Messing with a typical soft serve ice cream machine requires washing, sanitizing, mixing, freezing. Perishable ingredients, expense, expense, risk, risk.
There’s an easier way, so much easier it will amaze you. There is an ice cream concession that will have absolutely a minimal risk, with the least amount of labor. Licensing and permits should also be a lot simpler then those required to operate a stand that actually cooks food.
Try theme Ice Cream Sundays. Contact your nearest ice cream supplier, inquire about individually warped servings of vanilla ice cream. You should be able to purchase in quantity neat square one serving blocks, normally packaged for restaurant or institutional use. Beyond purchasing and storing these blocks of ice cream, there is a very modest amount of material needed to start your business.
The key to this project is the theme you choose. One that has been successfully used is International Ice Cream Sundays. With the base of each Sunday being the aforementioned block of Vanilla ice cream. Placed in a disposable plastic foam bowl with plastic utensils, you start with the ice cream, then the assorted toppings. As an example, what would normally be considered a Turtle Sunday, topped with a bit of crushed pecans, some caramel sauce, and a squirt of whipped cream out of an aerosol can. Instead of advertising this as a Turtle Sunday, label it a British Sunday.
So what makes this nothing special Turtle Sunday a “British Sunday” you ask? Why it’s the little British tooth pick flag you stuck in it just before you served it. Are you getting the idea? Take a Sunday with strawberry sauce, candy sprinkles, and whipped cream, and viola you have an “Irish Sunday” all by sticking a small Irish flag mounted on a toothpick into the center of what would otherwise be a run of the mill ice cream desert.
To get a supply of these handy little sales promoters a quick click on www.unflags.com/minintootfla.html will give you a source of flags from many countries. A similar idea would be labeling different Sundays with the names of different States, as they also can be purchased through this web site. A second source of similar flags is www.miniatureflagshop.com/woflto.html surly there are other sites as well.
With an easy source of little flags, your only perishable risk, beyond the ice cream, is the sweet condiments to top your Sundays. All of which have an extensive shelf life, and when properly refrigerated will retain usefulness for a good amount of time.
This brings your equipment needs down to two basic items. A small to moderate sized chest freezer, and a refrigerator for the condiments. Set yourself up with a small trailer of some sorts. This can be a converted travel trailer, or a small enclosed utility trailer. It won’t take much, though it should be large enough for you and a working partner to be comfortable. At summer events you’ll be plenty busy, so the comfort of your sales staff is paramount to your maintaining a happy crew.
By searching the Internet for festivals in your area, you can come up with some good leads as to where you can set up shop this summer. Now is the time to get started on this project as licenses and permits will be required, as well as advanced commitments for working this summers events. Be sure to contact your local health department, and licensing agencies before you start setting up your booth or trailer. Each state has it’s own requirements, and meeting their needs is mandatory.
Get those teenagers off the sofa this summer, create a fun and profitable job for them. Let them start a life as entrepreneurs early so they can see how much better it is to be working for yourself rather then working for someone else.
