Start an ice cream parlour

Are you planning an ice cream shop or a small mobile ice cream stand? Then you can get inspiration here on how to do it. We have gathered much of our knowledge about equipment for ice cream shops in this article.

How to start an ice cream shop

Just like starting a café or a restaurant, there are many challenges in starting an ice cream shop. You have to find the right premises, you have to have craftsmen to do the electricity, water, drainage and fixtures, you have to find the right equipment and the right suppliers.

If you find the right supplier of kitchen equipment and furnishings, you will probably have to take care of the rest together with the supplier.

Along the way, the budget will probably increase as you learn more about the project, so it's a good idea to secure solid starting capital.

Concept, target group and location

Most people start with a concept in mind. It may have originated on a vacation down south, on TV, or because they know others who have had success with it.

Concept, target group and location are typically related

You may have seen a vacant space on the corner of the city's pedestrian street and want to sell scoop ice cream, soft serve ice cream and waffles to passing shoppers. Maybe you have been offered a space in the local street food market, where you have 6 square meters to sell scoop ice cream to hungry customers. Or maybe you are considering a small food truck that you can drive to the beach and sell ice cream from when the weather is nice.

Equipment in an ice cream shop

Depending on the concept, an ice cream shop may require a lot of equipment. However, it can also be made incredibly simple and relatively inexpensive.

Ice cream counter - With ventilated or static freezer

Perhaps the biggest investment is the ice cream counter, at least if it is a model with a ventilated freezer for good quality Italian ice cream. It can easily cost on the other side of DKK 100,000. On the other hand, you can also go one level down and sell regular factory ice cream. Here, an ice cream counter with static refrigeration is enough, which you can get for under DKK 10,000. You can also use these models for Italian ice cream, but only for a shorter time at a time, as the cold is not distributed as in a counter with a ventilated freezer.

Soft ice cream machine

Soft ice cream can be a smart choice in busy ice cream shops. It is easy to serve in a cup or waffle, and the earnings are high. However, a certain volume is required, as soft ice cream machines are expensive. Real industrial machines of 200 ice creams/hour with water cooling, self-pasteurization and pump cost from about 100,000 DKK and up to over a quarter of a million for the large models from the most expensive brands. That is why many choose to lease and pay a smaller amount each month.

Ice cream machine and blast freezer

Some people want to make their own ice cream instead of buying it ready-made. However, this requires experience and, not least, capital for the investment. You will need an industrial ice cream machine and a blast freezer to make your own ice cream. It is also relatively expensive in man-hours, so for the vast majority of people it will make more sense to buy the ice cream ready-made.

Other machines that can be supplemented with

• Waffle maker
• Pancake maker
• Milkshake machines
• Espresso machine andgrinder
• Cocoa machine
• Undercounter dishwasher

Interior design and installations

When setting up your ice cream shop, you need to take into account which machines you will need. Larger soft ice cream machines, for example, require a 400 V power plug, as well as a water connection and drain. Therefore, talk to your plumber and electrician when you know which machines you will need.

When you sell ice cream, it is important that you have the right amount of freezers. This can be in the form of a freezer or a counter freezer , which gives you practical table space. You may also need a refrigerator to store, for example, waffle dough and pancake dough. Here, a backbar may be enough, and otherwise a small refrigerated counter is also a smart solution.

Depending on the layout of your premises, you may choose to place the storage refrigerator, storage freezer and dishwashing station in a back room. In the two pictures below, you can see that everything that is not needed for service has been moved out of the store. This arrangement creates less clutter and noise in the service area, but it also requires two employees.

In the ice cream shop itself, you need a front counter for operating the cash register and the ice cream counter. These are the two most important things. You can integrate the ice cream counter into the front counter, so it has a uniform look. Alternatively, you can choose to have foil put on the ice cream counter in the same color as the front counter, or with some messages/branding.

If you want to sell barista coffee, you can choose to place the espresso machine on the front counter or on a back counter. You will need to set aside about one meter if you have a compact model or a model with one group. A possible back counter can also include a legally required hygiene sink and a back bar for soda, etc.

Counter selection

We offer both standard counter modules and customized counter solutions for cafés and ice cream shops. You can choose to set it up yourself, or let us take care of the measurements and drawings.
Regardless of what you choose, you can come into our showroom in Aarhus and see our standard counter and some of the many material options that you can use to cover the front counter.

Ice cream shops are often quite small, as there doesn't need to be much space for seated customers. Therefore, you can make the most of the space by having long high tables with bar stools by the window. This also brings life to the shop window, which is noticeable from the outside.

Ice cream shops use a lot of disposable packaging. Therefore, you need plenty of shelves to place coffee mugs, ice cream cups, plates and cutlery if you sell pancakes or waffles. You can place real coffee cups on top of the espresso machine, where they will be kept warm.

The menu and prices should be visible and easy to understand. Most people place it on a board on the back wall where it is easy to see.

In terms of style and design, there are many options. It all depends on how you imagine it to be. You can do the classic pink that many associate with ice cream, or you can go for more subdued colors if you want to signal quality.

Get help with your project

We offer advice here in our showroom in Aarhus, but you can also choose to make use of our offer for a start-up meeting at your place and possibly professional measurements and presentations with drawings on how the interior can be created based on your style and wishes.