As an artisanal ice cream or gelato shop owner, you know the rush and excitement of the summer season. But when the weather cools down, how do you make sure the foot traffic doesn’t too? By diversifying your offerings, you can turn your ice cream shop into a year-round source of delicious treats for your customers. In this article, we’ll explore easy tools and strategies to improve your offering and attract interest all year round, no matter the season.
Why is diversifying important?
Just imagine, a family comes into your store for ice cream during the summer – and because you diversified – they’re back for your decadent hot chocolate, signature chocolate bars or pastries – when winter rolls around. There are a few key ways artisanal ice cream shops like yours can step into the world of diversification without blowing your budget or overextending yourself. Let’s look at each of them in detail and what equipment you’d need –
Pastries
Everyone loves the smell of fresh-baked pastries, so adding a pastry line to your ice cream shop is one of the best ways to attract customers during the cooler months. Plus, they complement your ice cream. Think gelato-filled éclairs, warm brownies served with a scoop of your best ice cream or even ice cream sandwiches made with your own freshly baked cookies.
What equipment do you need?
The Ribot T, Cremagel, and Pastogel machines are ideal pieces of equipment here. These multifunctional machines are designed to make pastry bases, custards, and creams with precision and consistency. They’re perfect for creating mousse cakes, custard-filled tarts, and other high-quality baked goods that can become staples of your menu – and that customers can order with ice cream.
Chocolate
Chocolate is a universal favourite and a great way to diversify your offerings. It can be added to ice cream to offer new, decadent flavours or sold as a stand-alone product.
For smaller ice cream businesses, expanding your menu doesn’t have to mean a huge investment. A chocolate dropping machine is a simple yet effective way to introduce new ideas and add-ons to your existing products, such as:
- Drizzling warm chocolate over ice cream for a premium touch
- Coating fresh fruit like strawberries for a popular, high-margin treat
- Adding chocolate layers or decorations to cakes and desserts
You could also consider entry-level chocolate-making equipment like a tempering machine to start creating your own small batch chocolate bars.
Take-home options
If customers love your products, they’re likely to love them even more if they can enjoy them on the go or even at home. Adding take-home capabilities to your range could take your business to the next level because your product is no longer bound by the four walls of your store.
When you’re ready to take this step, consider the Variofill filling machine. This versatile tool is a game-changer for creating pre-portioned treats and unique take-home versions of your existing ice cream.
With the Variofill filling machine, you can diversify into –
- Ice Cream Tubes – Think pre-portioned servings that customers can grab and enjoy on the go or at home.
- Stick Ice Cream: The Variofill can also portion ice cream into moulds for stick-based desserts, giving you an easy way to offer fun, portable treats that feel fresh and exciting.
Another significant benefit here is the fact that customers can buy in bulk and store your product at home. So, when the craving hits, you’ll beat your competitors every time, because your product is ready and waiting for them in the freezer.
How to diversify
If you’re ready to dive in and broaden your offering, here are a few top tips to get started –
- Focus on one new offering at a time. Your goal is to keep things manageable without overextending yourself. Once you’ve mastered one area, expand from there.
- Invest in the right equipment. Equipment is an investment in your business. So, instead of buying smaller pieces, consider the fact that many of the machines mentioned in this article are designed to make it easier to produce high-quality products without overwhelming your team.
- Listen to your customers. The best way to know what your customers want is by asking them. You could also consider trialling a few new products and testing to see how they respond.
- Highlight your artisanal craftsmanship. At the heart of any artisanal product is that hand-made appeal that customers love, especially if you’re diversifying those products. Make sure your customers know about the care and creativity that goes into every new product you offer using your branding and social media.
Expert assistance
Running an artisanal ice cream shop is no small feat, and adapting to the changing seasons can feel challenging, but by gearing up and diversifying you can turn those quieter months into some of your busiest ones. At the end of the day, your customers already love your product, and by diversifying, you’re giving them even more reasons to love your shop.
Contact us today for guidance, support, and all the equipment you might need. As experts in ice cream and chocolate-making equipment, we have years of experience assisting artisanal shops to diversify and widen their offerings without overextending themselves. More than just professional equipment suppliers, we’re passionate about being a part of your journey towards success, so get in touch with us today, and we’ll help you offer more of the delicious products your business is already known for.
