Tough Times Don't Melt Ice Cream Sales

Cheap indulgences are must-haves for those who have little money and added stress.

Sweet sells, even during a recession. Ice cream shops across the country are still seeing lines out the door.

Sales at the local stores are likely to surge even more once the hot, humid weather hits the area.

"We're still pretty regular here," said Lorna Atiles of Spring Hill, who brought her 7-year-old daughter with her Wednesday to Rita's Italian Ice at the Coastal Way Shopping Center. "It's an affordable treat. With the way things are, it's good that we can still come and get our Rita's."

The temperature outside was nearing 90 degrees. Co-manager Karen Rockwell was expecting a busy night. Her crowd is heaviest after 7 p.m. and the rush doesn't normally wane for at least a couple hours.

"This company has been around for 25 years," she said as she conveyed defiance in the midst of a recession. "The Rita's brand has had a big following."

Steve Thompson is the president and CEO of Emory Thompson Machine in Brooksville. His company makes ice cream and gelato machines for "mom and pop" ice cream shops across the country.

His business has succeeded for two main reasons - the stable ice cream market and the added emphasis on buying American brands.

Emory Thompson is the only company in the United States that manufactures and sells the custom-made ice cream machines and batch freezers that many local stores prefer, he said.

"So far, I'd say business is very good here," Thompson said. "Like anyone else, we're trying to work smarter."

Thompson cut expenses by abandoning expensive trade shows and by including how-to DVDs with the delivery of a new machine. The latter meant fewer service calls and wasted manpower. The result has been a noticeable boost in sales.

Emory Thompson supplies machines for several locally owned ice cream shops in the region, including Tanya and Matt's Icecreamiest and the Old Meeting House, both in Tampa, and the Flavor Shack in New Port Richey.

"We don't sell to the chains," Thompson said. "We prefer the mom and pop stores. They want more of a personal touch."

In spite of the confidence from Thompson and Rockwell and despite the national trends, some ice cream shops have closed in Hernando County during the past year.

Erin Sullivan, owner of the newly opened D'lites Emporium in Spring Hill, thinks those closings had more to do with poorly chosen locations, subpar ownership and inferior products.

To her, ice cream is as recession-proof as any industry - as long as it is mixed and priced properly.
"Even though the economy is bad, people still have to eat," she said. "Ice cream is still a relatively inexpensive treat."

Sullivan's store is located next to the Publix at the corner of Barclay Avenue and Spring Hill Drive. She often sees children tug at their parents' clothes and beg them to make a detour into the ice cream store after they finish their grocery shopping.

"It gives families a reason to go out," she said. "A lot of people love dessert and a lot of people are ice cream fans."