A Typical Morning Check List Pull Frost Guards: (Remove and wash with hot water, dry and replace) Check All Freezer Temps And Doors: (If temps are high, check to see if defrosting or doors left open, if neither call for service) Recount Register Make Sure Everything Is Clean: (Walk through store and make sure it s clean) Turn on hot fudge and caramel (hot fudge to 100, caramel to 110) Turn Yogurt Machine To Auto And Put On Start Add Water To Waffle Mix: (Make sure there are enough cones for the whole day) Restock White Cabinet (Change Low Ice Cream And Replace From Walk-In) Check Sandwich Supply: ( packages of turkey, 2 ham, 2 roast beef, 2 American and 2 Swiss) ( loaves of white, wheat and 2 rye) (Cut tomatoes and prep lettuce, uncut tomatoes and 1 full head of lettuce) Check Milk, Bananas & Whip Cream: (Milk 2 gallons, bunches and 2 unopened whip cream) Cut Brownies: (Cut and put into containers, wrap the rest in clear wrap) Border Cakes: (Before bordering, check for new orders, pick ups) Put Dishes Away Turn AC On High: (Check the outside weather if it is colder outside open window and turn off AC) Wash Lids: (Allow to air dry and then put under waffle cone cabinet) Turn On Lights & Cake Freezer Light, Turn On Water In Dip Wells Shake And Put Out Toppings: (If toppings are low empty into a new container, put fresh on the bottom) Turn On Coke Machine And Put On Spouts Fill Ice Put Out Flags Stock Sandwich Unit: (Put all sandwich supplies in sandwich unit) Move Ice Cream From The Silver Freezer To The Walk In Inventory The Walk In Freezer: (Make a list of low ice cream and quantity) Wisk Yogurt In The Yogurt Machine When you have completed the above tasks, sign your name next to it. If you have completed your tasks and someone is still working on their task, ask if you can help them, or do one of their tasks. Remember we are a team. Section -, Page 1
A Typical Mid Day Check List Clean Glass: (Front Door, Topping Center, Back Wall Mirror, Juke Box and Dipping Cabinets) Restock Front: (Cones, Straws, Cups, Spoons & Napkins) Restock Topping Center: (Top off all syrups and candies) Restock White Freezer: (If you are not sure ask someone to help you) Take Out All Trash: (Wipe down the trash lids and sides) Clean Dishes And Put Away Sweep: (Under Tables And Chairs, Front Walk And Kitchen) Mop: (Under Tables, Chairs And Kitchen) Clean Counter And Milkshake Machine (Move Everything And Clean Under) Check Freezer Temps And Make Sure The Doors Are Closed (If you are not sure ask someone to help you) Clean Toilet, Urinal, Sink, Floor, Mirror and Empty Trash (Restock toilet paper, soap and paper towels) Make Sure There Is Enough Milk And Bananas (2 Gallons, Bunches of bananas) Restock whipped cream (at least 2 cartons in refrigerator) Clean Tables And Chairs: (Make sure they are clean and dry) Wash Milkshake Cups: (Wash and restock out front) Restock Waffle Cones: (At least 2 full shelves of cones) Rinse, Mop Out and Put Fresh Water In The Bucket Check hot fudge, caramel, chocolate syrup and peanut butter and change if needed (if hot fudge is low, place can in hot water) Walk Outside And Pick Up Trash: (The parking lot and the picnic area must be free from all trash) Empty And Refill The Sanitized Water Bin In The Counter Top Fill ice in smoothie machine and soda machine Restock smoothie flavors (2 of each) Change Empty Ice Cream In The White Dipping Cabinet When you have completed the above tasks, sign your name next to it. If you have completed your tasks and someone is still working on their task, ask if you can help them, or do one of their tasks. Remember we are a team. No one is allowed to leave until the entire list is completed and the registers have been checked. Section -, Page 2
A Typical Closing Check List 1. Wash Ice Cream Tops: (Remove all of the lids and clean in sink) Wash Dishes: (Wash all dishes and stack so they can air dry) Clean Toilet, Urinal, Sink, Floor, Mirror & Restock (Restock: paper towels, toilet paper, soap, and empty trash) WASH MILKSHAKE CUPS: (Wash and restock out front) Wash drink cups Restock whipped cream (at least 2 cartons in refrigerator) MAKE SURE THERE ARE ENOUGH BANANAS AND MILK (At least 2 gallons of whole milk and bunches of bananas) Make List Of Low Ice Cream To Be Changed Restock Cones, Cups, Spoons, Straws, And Napkins Weigh Out Waffle Cone Mix (4 Pounds) 2. Clean Counters, Milkshake Machine And Milkshake Flavor Spouts: (Move Everything And Clean Under) Restock White Freezer: (Ask the closer if they need help) Empty Trash (Inside, Outside And Bathroom, Clean Can And Lids) Pick Up Trash Outside: (Walk around and pick up large trash) CLEAN THE BACK WALL MIRROR: (Move everything out and spray w/windex) Empty and Clean Sanitized Water Bin In Counter Top Wash And Dry Tables And Chairs Clean Glass: (Cabinets, Topping Center, Juke Box And Front Door). Clean Topping Center And waffle Cone Display (Check the ledge of the dip cabinet) Turn Off Dip Wells And Clean Put Lids On Ice Cream And Toppings & Turn Off Lights Sweep Floors: (Move tables, chairs and in the kitchen) Mop Floors: (Under Tables, Chairs And Kitchen) (Dump out old water, & spray mop with cold water & air dry) Check and lock all 10 windows (1 back, 9 front) Pull Flags: (If wet do not roll up, allow them to air dry) Check Freezer Temps And Make Sure Doors Are Closed Easily (If you are not sure ask someone to help you) Put Phone On Charger Rinse & Layout Dish Towels: (Make sure they are air drying) Turn off hot fudge, caramel and soda machine (Take Off Spouts & Put In Bleach Water) Turn Yogurt Machine To Standby And Clean Stars And Tray Rinse Scoops: (Allow to air dry) Lock both walkins Bring In Tables And Chairs Section -, Page
TURN TV OFF LOCK BACK DOOR Restock smoothie flavors (2 of each) Clean Shelves Where Whipped Cream and Milk Are Clean smoothie machine RESTOCK ICE CREAM IN DIP CABINET IF COMPLETELY EMPTY When you have completed the above task sign your name next to it. If you have completed your tasks and someone is still working on their task, ask if you can help them, or do one of their tasks. Remember we are a team. No one is allowed to leave until the entire list is completed and the registers have been checked. A Typical Swing Check List Clean Toilet, Mirror, Urinal, Sink, & Floor. Restock Bathroom (Paper Towels, Hand Soap & Toilet Paper) Empty Trash (Bathroom, Inside & Outside) Clean Cans And Lids Sweep Back Mop Back Clean Glass (Cabinets, Topping Center And Front Door) Restock Cones, Cups, Napkins, Straws, Spoons, And Toppings Check hot fudge and caramel Sweep Front Spot Mop Front Clean Tables And Chairs Check Freezer Doors And Temps Get New Mop Water For Night Shift (empty old water and put fresh water in) Break Down, And Clean Sandwich Unit Do All Of The Dishes Make Sure That The Sandwich Unit Is Stocked For The Morning Lunch (At least ham, 4 turkey, 2 roast beef, 6 tomatoes, 2 heads lettuce, white, wheat, 2 rye) (GO TO STORE AND GET WHAT IS NEEDED) Check Milk And Bananas (At Least 1 Gallon and 1 Bunch Of Bananas) (GO TO STORE AND GET WHAT IS NEEDED) When you have completed the above tasks, sign your name next to it. Section -, Page 4
Effective Store Layout & Crowd Control Store Design & Crowd Control for Maximum Profits by Rich Johnson, Tasty Time Ice Cream, Folsom, California and Mark Leichtman, MaggieMoo s International, Columbia, Maryland Effective and efficient store layout is essential for efficiently working employees, managing crowds, and maximizing store profits. An ineffective store design can tend to confuse customers, make employees move too much to make menu items, and lengthen the amount of time required to complete transactions. Effective Store Layout What is an effective and efficient store design? It depends on the goals of the business, and the type of market being served. Here are some things to consider if you have not built your store yet. Product lines. Will they be large and extensive where customers linger, or should the menu be short, simple, and pointed? (An airport kiosk, for example.) Expected customer flow. Will extremely high numbers of guests need to be served in short periods of time, or will customer flow be moderate all day? (This will most likely affect menu creation as well.) Prep and serving area efficiency. Be sure to design employee efficiency in the store design, so that employees have to move as little as possible to make menu items. When designing for customer crowd control, think about every element of what you would like the customer experience to be, and be sure to provide for it. Don t leave any part of it to chance, or for people to figure out. Start from the parking lot. Is the exterior signage visible from the road? Can guests find your location from the street? Are the doorways in excellent working order and easy to use? Are the hours of operation easily visible? Is the path to the order area easy to get to, or do guests have to walk around displays and tables? Proper placement of the menu board: Was the menu purposely created to direct people to what you want to sell, or will menu items be displayed? Will the menu be backlit or will you need lighting to enhance the menu board? Never make customers enter into a corner. They have to get out so the next guest can get in. Manage customer flow so that people are moved in a circular or oval pathway. Can guests leave the order/pick up area as quickly and efficiently as possible. With a full store, will they run into others? Be sure that those who are leaving do not disrupt customers waiting in line. If you have a bathroom, is it easy to get to? No one wants to make a project of getting to and from the bathroom. If you have counter service only, can a guest who has already been served jump in to get something missing? Section -, Page 5
For a smooth operation, think about the following: Does the arrangement of equipment flow? Will the server have to go backwards in order to complete popular menu items? Does a server have to walk more than three steps to make a popular menu item? If so, can or should that be changed? The more a server has to walk to create a menu item, the less sales per hour they can generate. Are cash registers conveniently located? Designing a store for efficient customer and employee flow is fundamental for maximizing profits, but remember that it is only one component of profit maximization. You can have the best store layout, and that does not mean that customers are going to show up. Remember to manage all of the other areas of the business to get customers there in the first place. Crowd Control & Maximizing Profit So the customers all made it! There they are, all right in your effectively designed store, all wanting ice cream and treats all at once, now what? What s the best way to handle customers efficiently? It depends on the system that is right for you. Here are some examples. Number system - The customer walks in, gets a number and is served when their number is called. PROS: Efficient system where customers get served in the exact order they arrived. CONS: Impersonal, does not force employees to look up to know who is next. Encourages wandering in the store. Example, US Post Office, Auto parts store. Order, Pay, and Wait to be served system - The customer walks in, stands in line to order, orders, pays a central cashier, and waits for their order to be filled. PROS: Discourages people from leaving if the wait is too long because they have already paid. Allows for central control of the cash register. CONS: Customers wait twice for their order, and can also wander the store. Impersonal, because more than one person is involved with the order. Example, Starbucks, McDonalds. Wait, Order, Pay, Eat system - This is typical of most ice cream parlors. Customers arrive, wait in line for the next available server, their menu items are made, and then the same server or a central cashier rings them up. One server typically is responsible for the entire party from the time they are greeted until they pay for their order. PROS: Personal service during the entire transaction, allows for more personal interaction, assigns customer service responsibility to one person, rather than several. CONS: Customers have to wait a long time before they pay. If a central cashier is not used, cash responsibility is difficult to assign. Every system has its pros and cons, and what is right for one store may not be right for another. For example, a number system might be perfect for a high volume counter service candy/ice cream store that encourages people to wander, where it would be totally inappropriate for in a store where guests are already in a well organized line. Efficient store layout is a never-ending process. What works well today may not work well tomorrow, next week, and next year. Always look for and fix bottlenecks, because as store volume changes so do the dynamics of a particular store design. Section -, Page 6
Selling Ice Cream by Weight by Janet Mitchell Woodside Farm Creamery Hockessin, Deleware Selling ice cream and other frozen desserts by weight insures that all customers are treated equally. Everyone pays for exactly what they get. It is almost impossible to train every employee to scoop the exact same size scoop. Selling by weight allows you to make the ice cream cone or cup any size the customer desires. For families with small children, this allows them to order a very small scoop and only pay for what is scooped. It basically allows you to custom scoop to the customer s appetite and you are getting paid for every ounce of ice cream that is scooped. When selling by the scoop, over scooping even by half an ounce, can significantly affect your profitability. Below is an example to illustrate this concept. Dipping Store Example Yearly gross sales in Single Dip Cones = $150,000 Single dip cone price = $2.00/cone 75,000 cones sold each year Cone portion: 5 ounces (40 cents/ounce) If each cone was over scooped by 1/2 ounce (20 cents) your potential lost revenue is: 75,000 x 0.20 = $15,000 If you make your own ice cream you will get paid for every ounce of every add-in that goes into the tub of ice cream you make. Let s look at an example. Let s say you are charging 40 cents per ounce for your ice cream cones. That means that the 50 pound box of chocolate chips you most likely paid $80 for, you will now get a return of $20 (at 40 cents per ounce). So you are now being paid for all your add-ins, whereas before you were getting the same price for a scoop of vanilla as cookie dough (most staff scoop a single dip about the same size no matter what flavor they are scooping). Now you are getting paid for everything that is in the scoop of ice cream you sell to the customer. Look around your storage area and all those nuts, cookies and other add-ins are now worth 40 cents per ounce when you sell by weight. This will allow you to be more generous with your add-ins unless they cost more than 40 cents an ounce. If you purchase your ice cream, in most cases, you are paying different prices for different flavors. The reason, some flavors have more add-ins than others, making some tubs heavier than others. Selling by weight will increase your income on those heavier tubs. Additional Equipment Needs 1) Scales - free standing or linked to your cash register, they must be certified and inspected The scale is set in pounds, so you will need to take your price per ounce and multiply it by 16 (16 ounces per pound) to get your price per pound to program your scale. For example: If you are selling your ice cream for 40 cents per ounce, you would set your scale to $6.40 per pound. 2) Cone Holder - to place on the scale to hold the cones to be weighed Section -, Page 7
Setting your Selling Price For those who have not opened a store yet, you can consider pricing your cones so that a single dip is comparable to surrounding stores. However, it is important to note that in determining your selling price, you must consider other costs, including, but not limited to labor costs, rent, utilities, insurance, just to mention a few. If you are already in business and are switching to selling by weight, take your single dip price and divide by the number of ounces that dip should be to determine your price. For instance, let s say you sell a single dip cone for $2.00 based on a 5 ounce scoop. This translates into 40 cents per ounce. Or, if you sell a single dip cone for $2.00 based on 4 ounces, that is 50 cents an ounce. When your price for ice cream mix goes up during the season it becomes much easier to raise the price when selling by weight. You can raise the price per ounce by 1 or 2 cents to cover your increase in costs and your customers will easily accept it. They don t pay the exact same price each time they come in so it is not as noticeable when a 5 ounce scoop is 5 cents more. Training Staff Your staff still must be trained on proper scooping techniques. If the staff member compresses or mashes down the ice cream, this will produce a smaller looking scoop that weighs more than a similar sized scoop that was scooped properly, especially when scooping ice cream into cups. Have your staff educated as to why you are selling by weight and the advantages it has for the customer. Have the staff tell them this allows the customer to decide how much ice cream they would like. For instance, the customer can get a marble sized scoop for the toddler in the family and only spend a small amount to do so instead of having to purchase a set scoop size wasting product and money. Also, if a customer comes in with a limited amount of cash (for example $5.00) and has 4 children who each want their own cone, the staff member can scoop 4 small cones to accommodate them. However, if your small ice cream cone was priced at $1.50, she would not have enough money to get each child their own cone. Serving the Customer Your customer walks in the door and approaches your dipping cabinet. You respond to the customer by saying, Hi, what can I get for you? Would you like a sample of any of our flavors? The customer eyes your selections and says, I would like chocolate on a sugar cone. You reply, Would you like one scoop or two? The customer smiles, considers and replies, Oh, just one scoop today. Scoop a cone that you feel is a good one scoop cone, you quickly hold it up to the customer and say, How does this look, would you like a little more? The typical response from the customer is, Oh, that is fine, thank you. (Please note that unless asked by the customer we have not mentioned price, nor have we weighed the cone yet.) At this point the customer has accepted the cone mentally, and the chances of a problem after the cone is weighed, are less. You turn to the scale, weigh the cone; making sure the right price per pound is already entered on the scale. The cone is taken off the scale and handed to the customer. The price of the cone is rung up on the register and the customer pays and you thank them for coming into your store. When a customer comes in and orders or 4 cones, we Section -, Page 8
keep small slips of paper next to the scales to write the price down after weighing each cone. We take that slip of paper to the register to ring up the sale. You will have new customers that come in and ask what a single scoop cone will cost. You have based your price per ounce on what a single scoop cone should cost, so use that as a guideline. So, if a single scoop cone was previously $2.00, let the customer know that it will be about $2.00 depending on the flavor and size scoop they would like. For toppings put on scoops of ice cream, including sprinkles, you are now being paid 40 cents an ounce so let the staff pile it on if the customer so desires! You can also sell your sundaes by the ounce, or if you prefer you can still have a set price for them. Signage Let your signs tell your customers that you are selling by weight. A few examples are: We sell Ice Cream by Weight, Not by Guess We Custom Scoop to your Appetite We sell our Ice Cream by Weight to Insure you ll get the best value You are in charge here! You determine the size of your cone. We dip to your delight! If customers ask about why you sell by weight, don t be shy. Explain to them that it is the fairest way to sell ice cream. They pay for what they are getting whether it is a marble sized scoop or a grapefruit sized scoop. Remind them that they are in charge! Selling by weight takes the guess work out of scooping. You will no longer worry about your staff under or over scooping and at the same time give your customers the freedom to order what they want. Section -, Page 9
I DEA$ N a t i o n a l Ic e Cr e a m Re t a i l e r s As s o c i a t i o n Inventory By Dan Messer Eskamoe s Frozen Custard & More Monroe, Louisiana A well thought out inventory control can provide information fundamentally vital to managing your ice cream shop. There are several key areas to focus on as you consider this process, such as how often to conduct a physical inventory, cost of goods sold and inventory management. To get started, I recommend a weekly physical inventory of all items in your shop. Begin by listing all purchased products on a spreadsheet, keeping mix, variegates, food, packaging and cleaning items grouped together. What s important here is that you be consistent in weighing/ counting items. After completing, I key into my spreadsheet under column Ending Inventory (see example below). I also categorize items into sections such as food items, packaging, cleaning supplies etc. Below is a sample of my spreadsheet broken out into columns (a spreadsheet program such as Excel works good): Product Starting Inventory + Amount Received = On Hand - Week Ending Inventory = Amount Used x Unit Cost = $ Used Build to (1.5) Order Mix-Case 20 40 40 5 5 $0 $1050 52.5 47.5 A further breakdown of each column: Starting Inventory, This is what you begin your week with, carried forward from last week s Ending Inventory column Received, All items received in shop that week from invoices and receipts On Hand, Your Starting Inventory plus your Amount Received equals On Hand Ending Inventory, Key in your physical inventory for the week s end Amount Used, Your On Hand minus Ending Inventory equals Amount Used Unit Cost, Enter what product costs per pound, ounce or case etc $ Used, Is a result of factoring Amount Used times Unit Cost equals $ Used Build To, Based on week s Amount Used factored by a comfort level, ( I use 1.5 and up to 2 times amount used) depending on time of year, equals Build To Order, This equals your Build To minus Ending Inventory Once you have a system in place for inputting your inventory or manually compute numbers, you are ready to start managing by the numbers. Each week I compare what my registers sold to what my physical inventory said I used. You might be surprised at the comparisons. Generally, the discrepancies fall into the following: Section -, Page 10
I DEA$ N a t i o n a l Ic e Cr e a m Re t a i l e r s As s o c i a t i o n Spoilage Theft Vendor Error Inaccurate Physical Inventory Under Trained Employee (big scoops, excessive toppings, etc.) Spoilage can be attributed to a couple of factors. These include such things as over ordering and improper storage to not selling item before product expiration. Whichever the case, by monitoring ordering, storage and customer purchases you ll be on your way to solving this issue. There are two types of theft that occur in our business, internal and external. You can deter theft by keeping your shop well lighted inside and out. Also keeping cash levels low in registers throughout the day so as not to entice theft. Another relatively inexpensive way is to install a camera monitoring system. By comparing products sold (recorded on register) to actual usage (from inventory) can help determine if internal theft is occurring (cones sold vs. what was used). On occasion you ll have a vendor that has mistakenly invoiced incorrectly or sent you an item you didn t order. In either case, by verifying orders as they arrive at your shop to the invoice you should alleviate this problem. Another item worth mentioning is to inspect products coming in for damage and seeing that it s noted on invoice to receive credit from vendor. By accurately and consistently counting and weighing of all items in your store, you insure a number of things, one of those being your items used. It also makes ordering easier by projecting an adequate build-to inventory. Without the accuracy in physical inventory you will be setting your business up for disaster. Properly trained employees are the most important investment you can make in your business. Mistakes and mess ups can be avoided, not entirely, but significantly reduced by personally training all new hires. You will be surprised by observing your employees in action what portions are being used to make a customer s order. You may find that providing charts and recipe cards posted on walls and as handouts can dramatically impact your bottom line. Another point that deserves your attention is your costs. Spend the extra time to review these costs as they relate to sales and you will find patterns develop that allow you to identify issues and take corrective action. By managing these percents you ll establish a weekly pulse of your business. It is essential that you maintain a consistent and accurate inventory procedure. As tedious as it seems, I find it the most valuable tool in managing my business. This helps establish adequate inventory levels along with staying on top of my costs. Most importantly, I want to keep my shelves/freezers stocked to keep my customers coming back. Section -, Page 11