Americans love their sweets. Whether it’s ice cream, cake or some other dessert, people in the U.S. eat a lot of it. Just when it comes to ice cream, for example, 40% of Americans will eat it at least once in a two-week period. And 90% of Americans say they regularly eat frozen treats. Looking at these statistics, it tells you that if you run a restaurant or any kind of business that serves food, it is good for your bottom line to offer dessert, especially ice cream and other frozen treats. To do that, you need to make sure you have the right supplies.
The most important item you need when serving ice cream and other desserts is something to put them in. Dessert cups or bowls are the most likely items to work well at an eatery that serves ice cream. Depending on the nature of your business, you might want to have both washable eat-in dessert cups and to-go disposable ones. This can give your customers options. It can be easier and less expensive to just use disposable bowls and cups, but it is more environmentally friendly, and it also can be more upscale, to use bowls and dessert cups that are permanent and washable.
Another major supply you will need to serve desserts is utensils. If you are just serving ice cream and other desserts, then you may be able to forgo knives, but at a minimum, you will need to carry spoons, forks and straws. There is a movement around the world to do away with disposable straws. That is something that may not be feasible in an ice cream/dessert business, but you certainly can institute a policy of only giving out straws if customers request them.
One final important item you need for your dessert business is napkins. Ice cream and other desserts can be messy, and your customers will need napkins to clean up. Napkins, just like cups and bowls, give you a chance to advertise your business by putting your business name and logo on them. Napkins do generate a lot of trash, so you might want to have a policy of not giving them out unless customers ask.
Running your own ice cream or dessert business is a lot of work, but it also can be a lot of fun. One important thing to remember is that it is essential to have the right supplies.