Maximising Summer Profits with Soft Serve & Gelato
Ideation Digital
3rd Dec, 2024
A Comprehensive Guide for Food Businesses
As temperatures rise and summer approaches, the demand for cold, refreshing desserts such as soft serve ice cream and gelato skyrockets. For food businesses, this seasonal change offers a golden opportunity to boost profitability and attract more customers. By incorporating soft serve and gelato into your menu, you not only meet customer demand but also increase foot traffic and create high-margin offerings that appeal to a wide range of clientele. This guide will explore why soft serve is a summer essential, how gelato can be positioned as a premium offering, and the best strategies for maximising profits during the summer season.
Why Soft Serve Is a Summer Essential
High Demand and Universal Appeal
Soft serve's light, creamy texture makes it a popular choice among customers of all ages. Whether served in a cone, cup, or as a base for creative dessert combinations, soft serve is an affordable luxury that everyone can enjoy. Its wide-ranging appeal makes it a must-have for any food establishment looking to cater to families, tourists, and young adults.
Ease of Preparation and Service
Soft serve is incredibly easy to prepare, requiring only a mix and a specialised machine. This ease of preparation allows businesses to serve customers quickly, reducing wait times and increasing the volume of sales during peak hours. The fast turnaround is especially important during busy summer days when foot traffic is high.
Customisation and Creativity
Soft serve offers endless opportunities for customisation, which can be a major draw for customers. From adding different toppings such as sprinkles, chocolate chips, and fruit to creating limited-edition flavours for special occasions, soft serve provides a versatile base for creativity. This customisation not only enhances the customer experience but also encourages repeat visits.
High Profit Margins
Soft serve has relatively low production costs compared to other desserts. The cost of ingredients, such as the soft serve mix, is minimal, and the yield from these mixes is significant. This allows businesses to price their soft serve offerings competitively while still maintaining a high profit margin, making it a smart addition to any menu.
Gelato as a Premium Offering
Rich, Authentic Flavours
Gelato is known for its bold, authentic flavours, which are achieved through the use of high-quality ingredients. Unlike soft serve, gelato is churned at a slower rate, resulting in a denser, creamier texture that allows the flavours to shine. Offering classic flavours such as pistachio, stracciatella, and hazelnut, as well as unique, locally inspired options, can help create a premium experience that appeals to customers seeking something special.
Appealing to Health-Conscious Consumers
Gelato typically contains less fat than traditional ice cream, making it a more attractive option for health-conscious consumers. By highlighting gelato's lower fat content and natural ingredients, food businesses can tap into the growing demand for healthier dessert options without compromising on taste or quality.
Higher Price Point
As a premium product, gelato can be sold at a higher price point than soft serve, which can contribute to increased profitability. Customers are often willing to pay more for a high-quality product that offers an authentic and indulgent experience. By positioning gelato as a luxury dessert, businesses can maximise their profit margins while catering to a more upscale audience.
Customisation and Pairing Opportunities
Just like soft serve, gelato can be customised with various toppings, sauces, and pairings. Offering gelato alongside complementary products, such as freshly baked waffles, fruit, or artisanal coffee, can create a memorable experience that encourages customers to spend more. This cross-selling strategy not only boosts sales but also enhances the overall customer experience.
Best Flavours to Include
Classic Vanilla and Chocolate
These timeless flavours are always popular and serve as a great base for customisation. Vanilla and chocolate soft serve or gelato can be paired with a wide range of toppings, making them versatile options that appeal to everyone.
Fruit-Based Flavours
Flavours such as strawberry, mango, and lemon are perfect for summer, offering a refreshing taste that customers crave during hot weather. Fruit-based gelato, in particular, is a popular choice for those seeking a lighter, more refreshing dessert.
Unique and Locally Inspired Flavours
To stand out from competitors, consider offering unique and locally inspired flavours that reflect the tastes of your region. For example, a rooibos-infused gelato in South Africa or a tropical coconut soft serve could create a memorable experience that sets your business apart.
Seasonal Limited-Edition Flavours
Introducing limited-edition flavours that align with seasonal themes or local events can create a sense of excitement and urgency among customers. For example, offering a summer berry medley or a passionfruit swirl can encourage repeat visits as customers look forward to trying new flavours.
The Cost-Effectiveness of Soft Serve
Affordable Ingredients
Soft serve requires only a few basic ingredients, such as a powdered or liquid mix, milk, and flavouring. These ingredients are inexpensive, especially when purchased in bulk, allowing businesses to keep their costs low while generating significant revenue.
Minimal Equipment Investment
Soft serve machines are a one-time investment that can pay off quickly, especially during the busy summer months. Once the initial cost of the machine is covered, the ongoing costs of maintenance and ingredients are minimal, making it a cost-effective option for businesses looking to expand their dessert offerings.
High Yield and Low Waste
Soft serve machines are designed to produce a high volume of product with minimal waste. The ability to control portion sizes and dispense only what is needed helps minimise waste, ensuring that businesses get the most out of their ingredients. This efficiency is particularly important during peak times when the demand for soft serve is high.
Quick Service and High Turnover
The ease and speed of serving soft serve mean that businesses can handle a high volume of customers efficiently. Quick service not only keeps customers happy but also allows businesses to maximise sales during peak hours, contributing to increased profitability.
How Soft Serve Boosts Customer Traffic
Family-Friendly Appeal
Soft serve is a favourite among families, making it an ideal addition to businesses located near parks, tourist attractions, or family-oriented areas. By offering kid-friendly options, such as colourful toppings or character-themed cones, businesses can attract families looking for a fun and affordable treat.
Impulse Purchases
Soft serve is an impulse purchase for many customers, especially during the summer months. By positioning your soft serve machine near the entrance of your establishment or setting up a dedicated soft serve stand, you can capitalise on foot traffic and encourage spontaneous purchases.
Social Media Appeal
Soft serve's visual appeal makes it a perfect candidate for social media marketing. By creating Instagram-worthy presentations, such as colourful swirls, elaborate toppings, or unique cones, you can encourage customers to share their experiences online. This user-generated content can help increase your brand's visibility and attract more customers to your business.
Seasonal Promotions and Events
Hosting seasonal promotions, such as "buy one, get one free" deals or special discounts on hot days, can create excitement and draw in customers. Pairing soft serve with other summer-themed offerings, such as cold drinks or light snacks, can also help boost sales and increase foot traffic during the summer months.
Maximising Profitability with Gelato and Soft Serve
Cross-Sell and Upsell
Encourage customers to enhance their soft serve or gelato experience by offering add-ons such as toppings, sauces, or even a freshly baked waffle cone. Cross-selling other menu items, such as cold drinks or light snacks, can also help increase the average transaction value.
Create Combo Deals
Offering combo deals that include soft serve or gelato with other menu items can provide value to customers while increasing overall sales. For example, pairing a scoop of gelato with a hot drink or offering a meal deal that includes a soft serve cone as a dessert can encourage customers to spend more.
Leverage Loyalty Programmes
Implementing a loyalty programme that rewards repeat customers with discounts or free treats can help drive customer retention and increase sales. By offering a "buy 10, get one free" promotion for soft serve or gelato, you can incentivise customers to return and make additional purchases.
Seasonal and Limited-Time Offers
Creating limited-time offers or seasonal flavours can generate excitement and urgency among customers. By introducing new flavours or limited-edition products, you can encourage customers to visit more frequently to try the latest offerings.
Targeted Marketing Campaigns
Utilising targeted marketing campaigns can help attract specific customer segments and boost sales. For example, running social media ads targeting families, tourists, or young adults can help increase awareness of your soft serve and gelato offerings. Highlighting the benefits of your products, such as their refreshing taste and high-quality ingredients, can further entice potential customers.
Targeting Diverse Audiences and Regions
Tailor Flavours to Local Tastes
Each region has its own unique flavour preferences, and tailoring your offerings to suit local tastes can help boost sales. For example, tropical flavours like coconut and mango may be particularly popular in warmer climates, while a rooibos-infused gelato may appeal to South African customers. By incorporating locally inspired flavours, businesses can create a sense of familiarity and connection with their customers.
Adapt Marketing Strategies to Regional Differences
When marketing soft serve and gelato to different regions, it's important to consider factors such as climate, culture, and customer behaviour. In regions with particularly hot summers, emphasising the refreshing and cooling properties of soft serve and gelato can be an effective marketing strategy. In more cosmopolitan areas, highlighting the artisanal quality and unique flavours of gelato may help attract an upscale audience.
Cater to Various Business Types
Designblends works with a range of food businesses, from cafes and restaurants to mobile vendors and ice cream parlours. Understanding the unique needs of each type of business is crucial for success. For example, cafes may benefit from offering gelato as a premium dessert option to accompany their coffee offerings, while mobile vendors may focus on the portability and ease of serving soft serve at outdoor events and festivals.
Leverage Partnerships and Distribution Networks
Expanding into new regions often requires collaboration with local partners and distributors. By establishing partnerships with regional distributors, Designblends can ensure that their products reach a wider audience and are available to businesses across different areas. These partnerships also help provide valuable insights into local market trends and preferences.
Maximise Your Summer Profits with Soft Serve & Gelato From Designblends
Maximising summer profits with soft serve and gelato is all about understanding customer preferences, offering high-quality products, and implementing effective marketing strategies. By positioning soft serve as an affordable, family-friendly treat and gelato as a premium, sophisticated offering, food businesses can cater to a wide range of customers and boost their profitability during the summer season. The versatility, high profit margins, and universal appeal of these frozen desserts make them an essential addition to any menu.
Designblends is dedicated to helping food businesses succeed by providing high-quality soft serve and gelato products that meet the needs of diverse audiences and regions. Whether you're looking to attract families, health-conscious consumers, or those seeking a unique and indulgent experience, soft serve and gelato are the perfect solutions for maximising profits and creating memorable customer experiences this summer.
If you're ready to take advantage of the summer season and boost your profits with soft serve and gelato, get in touch with Designblends today. Together, we can create a menu that delights your customers and keeps them coming back for more.