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THE BOOK HAS ARRIVED!! HIT THE TRIPLE PLAY & SAVE BY PURCHASING ICE CREAM UNIVERSITY BOOKS HOW IT WORKS Purchase any combination of 3 books and save $25 off your total purchase price and you will also receive a 1 year free online subscription to ICE CREAM UNIVERSITY NEWS ($25 yearly savings). Purchase any combination of 2 books and save $15 off your total purchase price and you will also receive a 1 year free online subscription to ICE CREAM UNIVERSITY NEWS ($25 yearly savings). Purchase any book and you will also receive a 1 year free online subscription to ICE CREAM UNIVERSITY NEWS ($25 yearly savings).

INCREDIBLE ICE CREAM Making It Your Way With Passion For Professional Ice Cream Artisans and Home Ice Cream Junkies PRICE- $65.00 more info...

News Flash! - Stogo offers the ultimate quality in dairy-free, vegan ice cream, a brand-new artisan line developed by Steven Hirschhorn and Robert Sedwick, along with international ice cream consultant Malcolm Stogo. When you walk into this intimate dessert shop you enter a world that is truly magical created especially for consumers who are looking for a product that is healthier, incredibly delicious and uniquely suited for the sophisticated New York, health-conscious palate. You are probably thinking, “How could a soy-based product be good?” This is not only good, but simply the best!

Robert Ellinger and Lisa Tanner have joined Malcolm in a new exciting teaching partnership. This partnership will enhance the educational hands-on program already being offered to teach students how to create a wide variety of frozen desserts products such as artisan ice cream, gelato, sorbets, Italian ices, and incredible ice cream cakes. - Full details at IceCreamUniversity.org...

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For two decades, he has helped leading ice cream chains develop, market and merchandise exciting new products and concepts. Malcolm Stogo created the famous Ice Cream Extravaganza at the South Street Seaport in New York City. He also consults for clients in Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Korea, Puerto Rico, Tunisia, Nigeria, as well as USA clients like Haagen-Dazs, Sloan’s, Carvel, Colombo, Penguin Frozen Yogurt, and Jeremy's Microbatch Ice Cream.

As a well-known consultant in the ice cream industry (retail and manufacturing), the firm of Malcolm Stogo Associates can help you answer the following questions: 

• Do you want to go into or expand your ice cream business?
  The ice cream/gelato retail and wholesale manufacturing business is a fun business. If you have passion for your frozen dessert idea, are willing to work hard, and have perseverance, then going into the ice cream/gelato business is a great idea. Tell me more...
  
  
• Do you want to produce your own ice cream, sorbets, gelato, and Italian ices?
  For those of you already in business, the question of whether to make your own ice cream is really a mute point, but for those just starting out, the decision is "HUGE." Tell me more...
  
  
• Do you want to build a new batch freezer or continuous ice cream production facility or expand an existing one?
  If you want to make your own ice cream or gelato you will have to build a batch freezer production room.
  Tell me more...
  
  
• Do you want to purchase new production freezer, and refrigeration equipment?
  There is no question about it; many people entering our business ask me the same question: where can I buy used equipment, especially a batch freezer? While I understand why they ask, I am frankly surprised about the situations many end up with purchasing used equipment. Tell me more...
  
  
  
• Do you need help in marketing and expanding your new and/or existing ice cream business?
  To many starting out in the retail ice cream business, marketing is a mystery word. Tell me more...
  
  
  
• Do you want to open a retail ice cream dipping store?
  Ice cream stores are everywhere. They come in all shapes and sizes. In some parts of the country like New England, they are literally blocks apart. But they have not nearly reached their saturation point. Tell me more...
  
  
  
• Do you want to create your own ice cream mix formula?
  Honestly, would you rather buy someone else's product? Tell me more...
  
  
  If the answer is YES to any of the above, you have come to the right place.

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Do you want to go into or expand your ice cream business?
The ice cream/gelato retail and wholesale manufacturing business is a fun business. If you have passion for your frozen dessert idea, are willing to work hard, and have perseverance, then going into the ice cream/gelato business is a great idea.
It's like taking a roller coaster ride and not knowing when it will stop or like getting married--what a ride. Opening any new business is exhilarating, exciting and exhausting, so if you are not ready for some rocky bumps along the way, you should simply not get involved.
If I know one thing, having an idea is one thing, but having the passion for that idea is something else all together. So before you decide to go into business you need to connect the two: the idea and the passion for it. We can help you do that.

IDEA
All of us go through life having ideas. When it comes to the ice cream retail business, the original idea usually derives out of simply the love of eating ice cream. But the idea of actually wanting to be in the business must come with passion.  And, writing a business plan will help you think out your ideas.

PASSION
What is passion? Webster's Dictionary defines passion as "intense desire or being emotional about something." Well, both definitions are right, but to me passion is simply loving what I am doing and doing it all the time. While passion is the desire, carrying out that passion is hard work, thinking and creating, and when all is said and done, looking back and feeling very proud.

While one must have passion, getting the idea off the ground requires a lot more. So let's talk about what it takes to get your idea off the ground and the reasons for doing your idea in the first place.
Making money: In most cases, the driving force behind any idea is making money. We all want to make money and if you start your business right, believe me, you will. Think long term and it will come to you naturally.
Sense of accomplishment: In all the years I have been in this business, I think being proud of what I have accomplished is the driving force behind my success, and it will make you successful. Standing outside your shop looking up at your sign and shop entrance two or three years down the road will absolutely bring a smile to your face. Believe me, I have seen it myself!
Being your own boss: Everyone wants to be your own boss when first starting out but rarely does anyone talk about it once in business. You just do what you have to do without asking anyone for permission. You simply have to make sure you have the cash to back up whatever you want to do because remember:  the buck starts and stops with you!
The challenge: One challenge is getting up the nerve to even think about opening a business. But the real challenge starts the day you sign the lease and make some decisions on your own. There is no question about it, almost everyone I know who has opened for business was nervous doing it. And the closer one gets to opening the store, the higher the stress level gets. One word of advice is to seek out a mentor to hold your hand—someone who has the experience to give you solid advice. And once you open, rely on that mentor even more. Back to the top...

Do you want to produce your own ice cream, sorbets, gelato, and Italian ices?
For those of you already in business, the question of whether to make your own ice cream is really a mute point, but for those just starting out, the decision is "HUGE."

Let’s discuss the merits:
Without a doubt, 90% of people contacting me about going into business talk about the idea of being creative and selling the best ice cream imaginable. Well, we all know there is only one way to do that, and that's by making it yourself.

Selecting products and flavors to make is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the business because of the research involved (traveling to dairies, ice cream manufacturers and retail shops for taste-testing). The quality of producing your own products is usually superior to a ready-made product, and the costs are less in many cases. Most frozen dairy desserts have a large profit margin. The costs of ingredients and ice cream mix and the percentage of air pumped into the finished product (overrun) vary, depending on the quality level of your product. Buying a finished product from a dairy is more expensive for a shop owner because of the dairy’s overhead, delivery costs, advertising expenses and profit margin.

At first look, it would seem that the main reason for making your own product is profit. But years of experience has shown me that the real reason is having control over the quality of the product. You share what you sell with the public. If your goals are long term, you should seriously consider making your own product instead of selling someone else’s. You can make the best ice cream in town for the same cost as purchasing the cheapest ice cream from a dairy. Back to the top...

Do you want to build a new batch freezer or continuous ice cream production facility or expand an existing one?
If you want to make your own ice cream or gelato you will have to build a batch freezer production room.

The total cost of purchasing the initial inventory of ingredients and equipment will add about $40-50,000 to the price of setting up your retail ice cream operation. Back to the top...

Do you want to purchase a new batch freezer and refrigeration equipment?
There is no question about it; many people entering our business ask me the same question: where can I buy used equipment, especially a batch freezer? While I understand why they ask, I am frankly surprised about the situations many end up with purchasing used equipment.

It's like learning how to walk before you start to crawl. Unless you know exactly what you want and the manufacturer who makes the equipment you are looking for, buying used equipment can end up costing you a lot more than you ever expected.

A perfect example is the purchase of a used batch freezer. Many think every batch freezer on the market will do the same job. For me, probably the answer is yes, but I have been in this business over 25 years, and I know the in-and-outs of each batch freezer on the market today. If you are new to this business, saving a $1,000 between one make of batch freezer or another is worth nothing if it’s not the batch freezer you really need for your kind of business.

Buying brand new equipment is like buying a car. It's shiny, looks great and you are afraid to get it dirty. Brand new equipment is the most expensive kind. The bank will be more inclined to lend you money for new equipment, but you'll pay top price. Sometimes equipment can be leased, especially ice machines and batch freezers.

One thing can be said about buying new ice cream manufacturing and dispensing equipment. Almost without exception, every manufacturer I know manufacturers reliable equipment. What is important is the distributor you buy it from. This is because the distributor is responsible for the warranty on the equipment and getting the piece of equipment repaired in case of a breakdown as soon as possible.  Back to the top...

Do you need help in marketing and expanding your new and/or existing ice cream business?
To many starting out in the retail ice cream business, marketing is a mystery word.

So much effort has gone into the idea, raising the money, building the store that once the front door is open, most owners simply think customers will flock to the store, rave about the ice cream and come back again and again. Wrong!

If you don't begin to think about how you are going to market your ice cream store from the moment you begin thinking of this wonderful idea, then your ultimate chance for success is diminished greatly.

When it comes to marketing an ice cream store, the most important thing you can create for your customer is the WOW experience. We can help you develop the “WoW” experience. Back to the top...

Do you want to open a retail ice cream dipping store?
Ice cream stores are everywhere. They come in all shapes and sizes. In some parts of the country like New England, they are literally blocks apart. But they have not nearly reached their saturation point.

Americans love ice cream, so the public is still ready, willing, and able to seek out the new kid on the block.

So, now it's your turn. You want to open your own retail ice cream store? You have gotten the bug. You now have a concept. But I have a question for you. Do you really have any idea what life is like working in an ice cream store? But if you love ice cream, like being creative, and enjoy working with the public, this is a great business. Back to the top...

Do you want to create your own ice cream mix formula?
Honestly, would you rather buy someone else's product?

If you have a particular idea for an ice cream or gelato product that is different than anyone else’s, making your own ice cream/gelato mix base is the way to go. Back to the top...

If the answer is YES to any of the above, you have come to the right place. We can help you get started!