Many of you contact me for advice and information regarding the opening of an ice cream shop, so I thought to write here on my blog.
Your most frequently asked questions are
1. What kind of documentation is required to open an ice cream parlor?
The artisan ice-cream business does not require any type of documentation in particular, except for the certification H.A.C.C.P. It is a method of analyzing the potential hygienic risk of a food company. For information, contact the local health authorities to attend the courses. The artisan ice cream business does not provide for the administration of drinks and therefore it is not necessary to attend the REC course. If you have any other questions, contact the craft trade associations (CNA, CONFArtigianato, ..).
2. Do you reserve a certificate of attendance for ice cream courses?
No certificate is needed because in Italy there is no list of artisan ice cream makers (the only exception is the Province of Bolzano). Paradoxically, one could open such an activity without having any training in the sector! However, it is advisable to attend professional courses in order to guarantee a high quality of the product and to differentiate itself from the market. Today the attention of the mass is increasingly oriented towards a genuine, natural and perhaps even biological, vegan and hypocaloric product.
3. How much does it cost to open an ice cream parlor?
The answer is: it depends on the size of the room.
I can give you three types of sizes with the relative approximate costs referred to a careful selection of equipment and furniture (not used).
Ice cream shop of 50 square meters: 40,000- € 50,000
Ice cream parlor of 70 square meters: 60,000- 70,000 €
Ice cream shop of 100 square meters: 80,000- 100,000 €
To these costs must be added costs of building works hydraulic and electrical systems.
It is better to invest a little more at the beginning, especially on the production machinery (batch freezer) and on the display cabinet (or well).
4. What do you mean by natural ice cream?
For us, natural ice-cream is a product made starting from raw materials without using #nosemilavorati semi-finished products. For all gelato makers, but especially for those who want to open a new ice cream shop, it is very important to offer a quality product. To date, 90% of Italian ice cream parlors use semi-finished products and therefore, in addition to having a standard product, they also have a non genuine product. With the balancing method Present you will be able to correctly and easily balance raw materials to get an ice cream all YOURS! One of the most satisfying things about my job is to send people home who can create new recipes independently and give space to their imagination without being bound in any way.
