ice cream parlor and sandwich shop

 
a friend and I were talking the other night about old timey ice cream parlors and drug store soda fountain - I wanted a root beer float. We use to have a Dipper Dan's here, but it was just ice cream as is Baskin Robbins - we had the Marble Slab but I never went there and it closed. But all of these only served ice cream, not hamburgers or hot dogs. I'm sure there are those that have ice cream parlors on the forum, but do you also serve food?
 
We were wondering what the size that would be needed to have a soda fountain and eatery with a few tables inside and tables and chairs outside. We're not talking about 32 different flavors, just the basics for sundaes and milkshakes - maybe a dipping cabinet that holds 8 flavors. And what kind of equipment/appliances do you have? The new old fashioned stuff is pretty pricey.
 
it's funny how a simple thing as a soda fountain or ice cream parlor can bring back so many memories - I can't imagine people reminiscing about McDonald's or Burger King
 
 

Mamie, I would be interested in the feedback too.
I also think the time has come for the re-birth of the authentic soda shop. Definitely an item on my future concept list......
K

islandbites


Mamie, I would be interested in the feedback too.
I also think the time has come for the re-birth of the authentic soda shop. Definitely an item on my future concept list......
K

when we were kids it was a real treat to get to go to town and get a hot dog and ice cream - back then you didn't go to the store 2 or 3 times a week.  We went shopping when school started for shoes and mama made most of our clothes, some from feed sacks.    And if we got a dime  to get candy at the candy counter we were happy. 
 
so do you have a restaurant, cart or trailer?   I wanted a restaurant but things kept falling through with the financing. 

I've HAD a restaurant but am working on a mobile concept right now, truck or trailer. 
In September, we seriously considered a waterfront restaurant/ice cream shop for sale in our town and I thought a vintage soda fountain store would have been perfect for the location. It's still for sale but they want too much money.
 
Karen

Mamie, why don't you start with a Hot dog cart and move your way up. You have a quality approach to this business and it will be a much cheaper way of getting your feet wet. A quality person, with a quality product will succeed..............Bill

I miss the old soda fountains. We had one in town where I grew up inside the old Kresges. They had the best malts and fries. I think in these times, it would be a good idea to bring back this old staple as I think there are many of us out here would like the escape, I know I would. And a real root beer float sounds darn good.

I would look more into this. We have a place here that started With Ice Cream .
They have over 20 hand dipped Flavors. With that they do over 100 different flavors of shakes. Plus they do old fashion MALTS. That is what drove the locals to them.
They have grown to Burgers ,Hot Dogs , Chicken and Fries,Nachos.
Now they are doing Breakfast also. All within a few months. They grew with what the area asked for.
There Menu says to look at there Face book Page for the Menu online. Don't Know
Have 5 tables inside , and plants call their Lunch orders in for Pick-up.
All within a few months.   I recommend the Peanut Butter Malt. Unreal.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sundaes-Ice-Cream-Parlor/111829825501999
 
Also have to add that people go there when you can see a Sonic sign right down the street.

I would have to agree with BillyB. Start small and mobile. Have you thought about a mobile ice cream shoppe? You would probably have to build it yourself. But a trailer set up to look like an old fashioned ice cream shop selling hand dips and real shakes may be the niche you are looking for. A little paint and a lot of imagination goes a long way.

BillyB


Mamie, why don't you start with a Hot dog cart and move your way up. You have a quality approach to this business and it will be a much cheaper way of getting your feet wet. A quality person, with a quality product will succeed..............Bill

thanks .. money does seem to be a real problem doesn't it? I thought I would have the money last year to open a restaurant,  but that fell through.  Then a couple months back I thought I would have te money - now I've decided not to make any plans until  I have a check in my hand.    There's no way I could do a hot dog cart - I wouldn't last  a week .. I'd be doing good to last a day!   Some friends of mine were plannng  a trip to New Orleans, but I told them I couldn't go and they told me if I blacked out they'd just prop me up by a statue.

localnet
 
I think you're right .. I don't know how it would do with the younger crowd, but I love a root beer float
 
Curbside Grill
 
I didn't know there were 100 flavors of shakes – my favorites were pineapple and banana. And it sounds like they are doing just fine in a slow economy. I'll be their hamburgers are homemade patties too. 
It looks like they had a big grand opening too
 
lornaschinske
 
I hadn't thought about a mobile ice cream shoppe, but I did talk to a friend of mine and her husband about a trailer and seeing if we could get some lunch customers and do some events on the weekends. He'd have to pull the trailer because all I could do is go forward.
 
I did see a trailer one time that would have been perfect for an ice cream shoppe, and with a little imagination we could probably do a pretty decent job of putting one together. I think I've got enough air compressors, nail guns and power saws to put one together
 
 

Blue Plate in Portland Oregon has an excellent soda fountain,  from what i can tell, they handcrafted their syrup, and mix that with soda water.

wwwdoteatblueplatedotcom
 
Check out their menu and website, it might give you some inspiration.
 
Hope that helps.

Mamie   these are two kids(late 20's)  that moved here from CT. 2 yrs. ago. Believe they have 3 little ones, little money at the time and a dream. They are doing well. American dream coming true.
Yes their Hamburgers are patted out. 3 different ones, adding cheese 6 ole well.
1/4 lb, 2 1/4 lb and Big Bubba a full 4 1/4 lb.
 
I don't care what people say, but if you look everywhere they keep numbers, the food industry is coming back. In this Sector most positions across the board are refilled that was laid off 2 or more years ago. 
People are going back to dining out. You give a good value meal for the money, people will show up.
Not saying upscale rest. have returned, but family friendly price and value wise rest. have returned.
 
 

Mamie, I would not discount the cart idea, as they can be quite profitable and a stepping stone to that brick and mortar, as that is my plan. I like the idea of the mobile ice cream shoppe mentioned above. I could see using the hot dogs for profits "build your own cart" video, easily being modified to work with ice cream along with dogs if one is creative. An ice cream top load freezer, a small and very quiet 2000 watt Yamaha or Honda generator, an under counter refrigerator and a Server toppings warmer on one side of the cart and the dogs on the other. I think this could be built for less than 3 or 4 grand if one shops wisely. And if you have a friendly health dept., I can see having a mixer on board to make malts and shakes. Heck, I may just build one of these myself! There is allot of money in ice cream if one does it right, throw in some dogs and I can see a very profitable future. I can see my new ice cream and dog wagon set up right now in front of the local supermarket, and easily making $300 to $400 a day if not more.
 
Mike
 
 

SuperDog
 
that is an old fashioned diner and menu for sure. I went to the Diners, Drive Ins and Dives video and found it interesting. They sauteed the onions and seasonings before putting it in the raw hamburger. Those little diners amaze me with the food they put out – they are inspiring. I want a small restaurant along the scale of a diner.
 
Curbside Grill
 
2 1/4 lb and Big Bubba a full 4 1/4 lb is not a hamburger – that's a roast!
 
I agree, people are still eating out and will continue to do so, but now they want not only more value, but also quality for their money. Everybody says I'm crazy wanting to open a restaurant in this economy, but the fact is, eating out is a luxury that most people can budget for and have not only food, but fellowship as well. I like the Field of Dreams motto - “build it they will come”
 
localnet
 
I wasn't discounting a cart because of the profit, but for health issues. I had considered a trailer with a friend of mine and her husband, because they could run it even on days when I couldn't.   But at $300-$400 a day for cart, I think I will check with my niece on this.    They've cut her hours at work so this is something she might be interested in too and she could steam a hot dog and put it on a bun. She never learned to cook when my mother was living and the last Thanksgiving and Christmas that we had she wanted to help me in the kitchen … she said they needed to learn how to do turkey and dressing because we were all gonna die and wouldn't be there to do it! 
 
 

 If I was doing a trailer- Pizza(maybe a Pizza Cone) , ice cream, shaved ice and 
slushies.   

I do not know what area you are in but I will tell another concept in a slow economy. Pizza . Take-n Bake
 kids again ( 25-27)opened a store front, equipment at Minimum. Been opened for a year and Half. Thriving.
They are from California. Uses her fathers dough recipe.  Mixer, cooler and they are raking in the dough, no pun. Have over 30 different pizzas.  They do nothing but take n bake. With that concept they get most of their business from EBT cards. Biggest thing in the house is a Hobart Mixer. Cooler for dough. Their expenses are Min. for a place.
 
http://ezlocal.com/tn/lawrenceburg/pizza-restaurant/35823

they sure have a large variety of pizzas
 

For a somewhat unusual combination (Pizza and Ice Cream), Happy Joe's has a very successful chain in 6 midwest states (click on "About Us" at the bottom of the page, and then click on "Our Heritage" to get the story of how it all began):
http://www.happyjoes.com/