Ice cream shops are no longer a staple in every town like they were a few decades ago. They became a dying breed; that is, until they were reborn as gourmet shops that offer a lot more than your standard ice cream flavors at a much steeper price. Creating the perfect quick stop shop involves a bit of creativity in order to keep attracting business, and we have some highly valuable, inspirational ideas for the ice cream shop your neighborhood needs.

Attractive Presentation

Of all of the ice cream shop supplies that you’ll need, the cups and spoons will be one of the most important in setting the theme for your shop. Customers love attractive packaging, and they will quickly choose a shop with boutique style offerings over one that uses boring Styrofoam cups if the product quality is about the same. Having a unique style, like brightly colored spoons and bowls and themed paper cones will make a lasting impact on your customers. This form of branding is important.

A Wide Assortment of Flavors

Traditional ice creams and gelato products come in a wide variety of flavors and combinations. You can generally guarantee that the more flavors a shop has, the better business will be. Ice cream is all about variety, and this variety also increases the chances for up-selling, as some customers might opt for a double scoop simple because they can’t choose one flavor.

Extreme Style

Traditional businesses tend to keep their decor minimal, but an ice cream shop caters to the fun side of life, making plain and unexciting the last things you want your place described as. For a fun and funky environment, you can style your ice cream shop after an old 1960s soda shop, brightly colored to put everyone in a good mood. Or, your ice cream shop can be given an incredibly modern feel that makes customers feel like they have just stepped into the future. The style of your shop will help it achieve brand awareness with first-time customers, as they will always remember “that one cool, hip ice cream shop” they visited.

Ice cream shops require a lot of supplies to start up, but the focus should also be placed on what the customer sees and interacts with. If a store doesn’t make a lasting impression, customers will easily opt for another place of business in the future. An ice cream shop should offer much more than ice cream — it should provide a fun environment that takes its customers down memory lane to revisit the excitement from their childhoods.

Top photo: Joel Kramer/Flickr