Licky Licious sales have fallen dramatically in the past two months, first it was Ramadan, and then the continuous drop in temprature. My and my business partner have also been busy, watching the sales going down in a negative attitude, and wondering what does it mean with the approching of winter, and whether we are going to survive through it or not. We were thinking that maybe we can close it through the winter and open back in Spring. This is an option if it didn’t manage to carry up the running expenses.
For a first year in business of a new place, I think that Licky Licious would take a ‘C’ mark. We didn’t profit, but we managed to cover up the expenses and the rent of next year. We did a lot of mistakes, and learnt how to handle a lot of stuff. We managed to add some items to our menu that we didn’t think of when we opened last march. We are optimistic of next year and hoping for better performance.
The big question now is: How are we going to survive winter?
As I said above, the attitude we had was like we will see as it goes! and didn’t have any insight about it. But then, I was just reading the idea book which I brought back with me from Sweden. One of the tips is to write down your ideas so that not to lose them, another one is to try to come up with as many ideas as possible because eventhough not all ideas are good, if you come up with 10, it is more likely that one of them is good, no?
I wrote down few ones that I like to share with you:
1. To find more time to see my business partner. We both are busy and find it hard to sit down and talk about the shop. This should change.
2. Brain storm with friends. Friends can be a treasure of ideas. I love to hang out with friends, and asking for good ideas for LL would be an entertaining discussion. You guys as well can help me here. If you have any idea in your head, just pop it here. I would appreciate it so much. We need to survive the winter.
3. Tea: Adding tea to our menu sounds like a good idea. Hassan, our empolyee told me today that more than one person asked for it, and that people are asking Cafeteria Al Quds for some tea with their falafel instead of pepsi. What do you think?
4. Jumpo ice cream: hehehe, I haven’t tried it yet, but I was thinking of having several scoops in a large cup, the one we serve slush in it now, and add some smashed biscuits, bananas, and whip cream! Go for more ice cream this winter, no?
5. I was thinking of having this special offer in rainy days, like having two scoops for 1.2 jd instead of 1.6 jd now. I need to discuss all of this wih my business partner first, but it sounds like a good idea for me. When it rains, think of special offers at Licky Licious.
6. The idea board: We have a pin board in Licky Licious, we haven’t used it for anything useful lately. I am thinking of buying some sticky notes, and have pens for people to write down ideas to improve the place. That should be fun, and easy to implement.
7. This is a special offer I talked to my business partner with and we are ready to start, maybe starting from after tomorrow. It goes like “Buy two scoops and get a cookie for free”. Our cookies are so good. You have to try it.
Let me know what you think, and what ideas do you have.
Fadi Zaghmout فادي زغموت 
Since winter is hard on an ice-cream business. I suggest you diversify your menu. If customers are asking for tea. Why don’t you make a large menu with a bunch of flavored kinds of Tea. Starbuks appear to be making ton of money with this approach for people who don’t like/want coffeeAnother thing on the diversifying front. Why don’t you offer winter drinks? Sa7lab, Cinnamon? That will help I’m sureOffer “take home” pints so that quantities you have don’t get stale. Trust me, depression is not in short supplying during winter.In fact, use that to your advantage…. With an Ad campaign. Make “LickyLicious” your silver lining in the gray winter nights.Another Ad thought would be.. Get your free calories here… And a licky licious scoop!How about a “Vitamin enriched” flavor. Just make sure you add a good vitamin supplement to the ice-cream to help people’s immune system during the cold nights.Partner with nearby shops. Offer coupons, awards, punch cardsCreate an Ice-cream night. Where people get stuff for freeInvent something new, like HoT Ice-cream. Get a scoop of icecream and warm it up like say “hot chocolate” you would be a pioneer if you can pull that one off!Hope these help, and good luck for next year
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Here’s what I would do. Design a clever little ad campaign, cartoonish perhaps, and plaster it all over rainbow street: something jordanian that depicts keeping warm in winter, something abu-majoobish. Basically, turn Licky Licious into a Sahlab and Hot Chocolate central point on that street. Serve tea with that cheap ka3k you get at bakeries. People on that street like that kind of stuff. Makes them feel like they’re having some sort of Jordanian experience. Capitalize on it.Also, people in Amman still serve ice cream cakes for some reason. You might want to develop that.Lastly, keep an eye on what the competition does to survive, like Gerard. Just an idea
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I can’t wait to have my own business that way it will always keep me on my toes and keep the creative juices flowing when moments like this arrive. Not sure if you know but I’m from Florida the sunshine state and most of the year its HOT! Well, we do get winter down there and I have my favorite ice cream shop that I love to go to. In the winter the owner focus more on hot beverages like tea and cappuccinos there is lots you can do with ice cream in the winter one of my favorites is serving it with warm deserts, like pies and cakes. I found this web site also with some cool ideas. http://ask.metafilter.com/84236/How-can-an-ice-cream-shop-survive-winterOh yeah for sure I agree with qwaider you would definitely be a pioneer of ice cream inventions if you pulled that one GREAT IDEA qwaider! Sending you luck and love. Marie
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Dont think closing the shop in winter is a good idea even if the sales werent going well..besides the first two years of a businnes arent so flourishing, so you need to be patient..having attractive posters in the shop will indeed capture the eyes of your customers..you can also diversify your menu and even come up with something of your own kind…tea, yogurt ice cream, mud pie, truffles and waffles, hot toppings on your ice cream, corn soup..etc…good luck:)
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Just a thought..Why not selling whatever hot beverages in small cups? I mean 0.5 a JOD each for example? Maybe some people want to get the quality of starbucks for the prices of an off road coffee shop.
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I’ll put my thinking cap on. sa7lab and gurfeh, YEAhot chocolate with a scoop of ice cream YEAI like the minimal idea, small cups of drinks, it will keep hands warm without burning, be finished before getting cold, and you can drink MANY of them. Maybe for every five, get one free? Street dancing to make people warm? Debkeh, Circassian, Macarena, Saturday Night Fever, Texas Line dancing? We can send out youth group down to teach Swing and line dancing to people who are shy. 🙂 Yea, make a scene, a happy unique Jordanian scene.
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I didn’t know you were the owner of it before. I love your prices, and the location of the place is darn good.BUT…my man, that logo needs changinglike, FAST! I absolutely hate it! with all due respect ya3ni.and I agree with everyone – winter drinks help! and how about warm Apple Pie a La Mode? Christmas flavours? (Gingerbread, Cinnamon Apple…etc). You can easily work out a good ad-poster for the winter occasion!
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Like everybody, I was about to recommend hot drinks. I personally love hot chocolate with hazelnut biscotti when it is cold.Maybe if you serve ice cream in a small cup with chunks of brownie pieces or cake, it won’t feel as cold especially if drizzled with warm chocolate syrup..A store like yours here is offering during this season a buy one get one free item every Sunday and different offers for week days from 4 to 8pm only.I will tell u about offers I got by mail this morning:Med hot latte and a muffin or a bagel for $1.99free donut or cookie with coffee and a punch card ..Another store is offering buy one egg nog milk shake and get the second one half off..Inshallah it will be a good season,good luck and happy thanksgiving to you and your family 🙂
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-Sell stickers of the cartoons you post on your blog -Sell popcorn
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It might not be the best idea to add way too many things to the menu all at once…especially when you’re looking for fresh and good deals for the ingredients (i.e. cheap). I would say start with 3 new holiday flavors like Christmas marble, gingerbread, pumpkin pie…etc (say 1 for ice cream and two for latte’s) advertise them, make them the season specialty or something, and put a nice poster of them inside the place. They can be a little more expensive than your regular latte or ice cream.I never had a flavored latte in Jordan, you can be the first to introduce that. (but since I no longer live in Jordan, maybe they fill the country and I just don’t know of them)
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Why don’t you make all natural ice cream, i.e. no flavours or preservatives, so the dark chocolate will be very dark full of cocoa, lemon sorbet is actually made with lemons.I don’t know if that is actually what you do but from the look of the ice cream in the shop it just seemed very luridly coloured and quite artificial although I didn’t actually try any so I can really judge
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If possible, add somethign to the name of the palce, like Lucky Licious, Ready for Winter.And have some stickers around saying “New season, New Menu”. If you know ownders of other ice-cream places in amman, ask them, they their opinion is invaluable and they may give good advice.
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Thank you guys for the ideas. You are great people. I will see what I can implement of them. Tea will most definatly be added to the menu. Hot drinks in small and cheap prices is excellent idea, we already do it with American coffe. We will start serving hot choclate from today. I will check all the other options. Thank you again 🙂Keep the ideas coming.
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– espresso with a scoop of ice cream is so delicious!– make sure the atmosphere feels warm: light candles, buy comfortable pillows, so that people want to go inside when it’s cold and rainy outside (but not stay too long so you get a good turn over)– in sweden some people say that ice cream is good for sore throats: play with that idea– ad campaign saying something like “for a rainy day” or “when it rains, it pours”– LOVE the post-it idea: make it known to the customers that they matter, they’ll come back to see if their ideas have been implemented– give the person who came up with the ideas you use a gift of some kind– events for your target group: make up your own ice cream flavor, building structures out of cookies or cake mix (i can describe more in detail what i mean if you want more info– movie night with ice cream– a special day for kids
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how about selling polymerized penises. i think it will sell like hell in rainbow street! especially in a windy cold day. just a thought man don’t get me wrong 🙂
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