| Fall Catering Opportunities |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
As fall approaches, many ice cream shops are looking for ways to increase sales as the seasonality of the business becomes painfully
clear again. One of the ways we kept our sales levels up during the “off-season” was to make sure the schools in our immediate
area were aware that we had an ice cream cart that we could bring to their fall festivals and to student and teacher appreciation days.
We found that elementary schools were particularly interested in having us come to their fall fund-raising festivals. At these events
we would serve kid-size scoops and donate 20% of the sales back to the school. There was always a long line at our cart! There
were five elementary schools in close proximity to our Baskin Robbins and most of them called us each and every year.
Once they heard about our cart, elementary, middle and high schools also began calling and paying us to cater ice cream parties for
student appreciation and teacher appreciation days. Student appreciation days usually were right after big exam dates and the
teachers were honored usually right at the beginning and end of the school year.
How did we let these schools know we had an ice cream cart and were ready and eager to help them with their events? We mailed
them letters with flyers, then we followed up with phone calls. Early on, we found the best person to contact was the head of the
school's PTO and the school principal. We also established relationships with the schools by hosting their “School Night” at our ice
cream shop once a month, where we would give them 20% of the sales the store did that night. Another relationship builder was
the package of Scooper Star Awards, which included a free kid's scoop, that we would send to teachers to use for student awards in
the classroom.
More tips next month...Happy Scooping!
Maggie
clear again. One of the ways we kept our sales levels up during the “off-season” was to make sure the schools in our immediate
area were aware that we had an ice cream cart that we could bring to their fall festivals and to student and teacher appreciation days.
We found that elementary schools were particularly interested in having us come to their fall fund-raising festivals. At these events
we would serve kid-size scoops and donate 20% of the sales back to the school. There was always a long line at our cart! There
were five elementary schools in close proximity to our Baskin Robbins and most of them called us each and every year.
Once they heard about our cart, elementary, middle and high schools also began calling and paying us to cater ice cream parties for
student appreciation and teacher appreciation days. Student appreciation days usually were right after big exam dates and the
teachers were honored usually right at the beginning and end of the school year.
How did we let these schools know we had an ice cream cart and were ready and eager to help them with their events? We mailed
them letters with flyers, then we followed up with phone calls. Early on, we found the best person to contact was the head of the
school's PTO and the school principal. We also established relationships with the schools by hosting their “School Night” at our ice
cream shop once a month, where we would give them 20% of the sales the store did that night. Another relationship builder was
the package of Scooper Star Awards, which included a free kid's scoop, that we would send to teachers to use for student awards in
the classroom.
More tips next month...Happy Scooping!
Maggie
| Magnolia Carts, Inc. • Columbia, SC • sales@magnoliacarts.com • Tel 888.864.3694 Hours: 9am - 5pm Eastern Mon. - Fri. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Magnolia Carts, Inc. • Columbia, SC • sales@magnoliacarts.com • Tel 888.864.3694 Hours: 9am - 5pm Eastern Mon. - Fri. |