1/18/2008 | NAPICS seminars to showcase potential for hot ice cream profits

During the 2008 North America Pizza & Ice Cream Show, multiple seminars are scheduled for ice cream and gelato operators seeking to broaden their offerings, improve their operations and boost profits. The event, scheduled Feb. 17-18 at the Columbus Convention Center in Columbus , Ohio , will meet the needs of operators new to the business, and long-timers looking for a sharpened competitive edge.

Here’s much more than a tiny-spoon taste of what’s in store.

* Vanilla: Your Signature Flavor

To outsiders, picking a vanilla flavor for an ice cream shop seems simple. But to an ice cream operator looking for the right one, the options are overwhelming. According to Darian Rottmann, a sales representative at Lochhead Manufacturing Co., there are more than 300 unique “formularies” of vanilla made by his company alone.

“What people don’t realize is not all vanilla is created equal,” said Rottman, who will lead the seminar. “Vanilla is the top-selling flavor by default rather than by focus. Operators don’t realize they have opportunity to make a vanilla ice cream that doesn’t taste like the guy’s down the street. They can make something people put in their mouths and say, ‘Wow!’”

Whether your ice cream is handmade or based on a premix, Rottmann said the seminar will demonstrate how best to add vanilla to your products and maximize it as a flavor enhancer.

“I always say vanilla is very much like salt,” Rottmann began. “A little bit makes everything better, but too much will make everything bad. The right amount, though, can blow people away. Learning how to use it can be the difference between good and really great ice cream.”

One simple technique Rottmann will mention is adding vanilla after the mix has been pasteurized to maintain flavor. Some ice cream experts estimate that as much as 90 percent of the vanilla’s flavor is diminished by adding it before the mixture has cooled.

“By making that extra step, which only takes 3 minutes, by the way, you can totally change the flavor of your ice cream,” he said. “We’re going to do a lot of taste testing to show people the difference it makes when you add the flavor at different times.”

* Gelato Made Simply & Profitably

Expertly presented gelato is a stunning sight. The swirls, curls, cuts and swoops are almost too pretty to eat.

But it’s those gorgeous presentations, said Jim Marmion, that trick some ice cream operators into thinking gelato is too complex to add to their menus.

In this seminar, which he will co-lead with four associates from Advanced Gourmet Equipment & Design, Marmion’s goal is to share one sweet fact about gelato: making it is simpler than you think.

“This seminar is designed to open the eyes of an operator and teach him to believe, ‘I can do this and I can make good money doing this,’” Marmion said. “This will be a primer, really, to show that it’s not some alchemist thing.”

Marmion said he’ll talk about the effort and funds required to add gelato to existing ice cream and pizza operations. While every case is unique, he said it’s generally more affordable than most estimate.

He also said that despite the impact of rising dairy prices on raw materials for frozen desserts, now is still a good time to get into the business. Even though gelato is merely Italian ice cream, Marmion said the name is “sexy” and grabs the attention of buyers who know nothing about it.

“Here’s an interesting fact: There are approximately 36,000 gelaterias in Italy for 60 million people,” Marmion began. “But there are only 25,000 ice cream shops in the U.S. for 300 million people. And though most of the ice cream sold in the States is sold in the supermarket, artisan ice cream is still a reward here, and gelato fits that artisan profile. That’s a lot of potential.”

* What It Takes to Open an Ice Cream Store

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to open an ice cream store, Steve Christensen can show you how.

As a trainer from Stoelting, a maker of ice cream production equipment, Christensen teaches operators from all over the U.S. what’s required to open their own shop. A former operator himself, Christensen is planning to reenter the game again soon with a new shop.

“I’ve compared the process of opening a store to the stages of pregnancy,” Christensen said, adding that his presentation will be full of humorous surprises. “You start at conception, move to waiting, on to ‘I can’t wait until it’s over,’ to labor and delivery—the store opening, the point when the work’s just beginning.”

In his seminar, Christensen plans to discuss the operational nuts and bolts in addition to marketing strategies. Getting the word out is what keeps the business profitable, and he suggests operators remain open year round to keep the marketing message out there always.

 “What happens is you’ve got a store that closes in the winter, and meantime Joe Schmoe’s opens up five blocks up road,” said Christensen, who counsels operators to add non-ice cream menu items customers want year round. “Now you’ve got customers going there when they get the craving in the wintertime, and it’s difficult to get those customers back when the other one reopens.”

* Increase Profits by Adding Frozen Cocktails to Your Menu

Mike Marcis of the Kappus Co. will teach how adding frozen cocktails to your menu is easy, inexpensive and a huge hit with customers. Marcis will provide step-by-step instructions for creating specialty drinks without adding expensive equipment.