Soft serve ice cream cones and the favoured “99” is as popular as ever.
With a busy summer ahead of us, this high margin product gives us a 6 month window to make the required margin (which is a welcome boost) before the window closes again.
Although we believe that we are getting the expected margin of between 75%-85% how confident are you that this is being achieved?
Just because you are told that you should be getting it, how do you know you are actually achieving it?
If this is making you think a little deeper, then read on.
If you know that you are achieving the desired margin it is because you are doing as we are suggesting below.
Firstly, portion control is your biggest problem. As with the image below, it is vital that you train your staff on how to serve the ice cream.
A decent-sized €2 cone should use approx. 120g of ice cream. Weigh a few sample cones when training your staff.
Get them all to pull an average cone and weigh them (these won’t be wasted, simply return the pulled ice cream to the top of the machine and go again)
There are several tips to get this right “by Eye”:
- 3 twists or swirls.
- 3 fingers high.
- Count to 3 when pulling down the handle.
Everyone has their own knack, lower the cone while serving so the layers or swirls are not compressed as seen in the below picture but spread out.
That way you can still serve an impressive-looking cone with less product.
Make your staff aware that serving a cone that is half the size of a child’s head is not doing anyone any favours.
Joking aside, have you ever tried measuring a portion they serve. Try it. Measure it. It may surprise you.
If you are not making margin this will likely be your problem.
One staff member can ruin your weekly margin in an afternoon by over-serving.
Each time I order a cone, I ask for a small one. Almost always, I get a big one, double what I originally wanted.
Here are a few questions I bet you already know the answers to…
How many times have you seen a parent standing at the bin outside the shop door knocking the top half of their child’s 99 cone into the bin because it’s been over-served ?
How often have you seen a well-dressed sales rep doing the same thing before getting back into their car so it doesn’t destroy their clothes or vehicle?
That’s YOUR Cash Profit they’re throwing in your bin you know!
The next Sunny day you’re busy with cones, check the bin outside the door regularly, you may get a nasty surprise!
