Restaurants

Square Helps Businesses Prepare for National Ice Cream Day with Powerful Commerce Solutions

Jul 18, 2024

Summer is here, the weather is warm, and it’s officially ice cream season. While National Ice Cream Day is on Sunday, July 21, sellers across the country have readied their operations and staffed their stores as the busy season enters full swing.

When it comes to ice cream, Americans know what they like. According to research conducted by Square and Morning Consult, top flavor preferences are chocolate (16%), vanilla (15%), mint chocolate chip (13%), and cookies and cream (11%). But that doesn’t mean consumers aren’t willing to expand their palettes. Among respondents 21 years or over, 38% would consider trying boozy ice cream, whether it’s flavors like Bourbon Peach, Brandy Old Fashioned, or Daiquiri.

Survey results also show that sellers are innovating and creating new flavors to draw customers in. Consumers across the U.S. shared some of the most interesting flavors they’ve tried are:

  • Anchovy Delight Ice Cream
  • BBQ Honey Bacon Ice Cream
  • Dill Pickle Ice Cream
  • Garlic Ice Cream
  • Grasshopper Ice Cream
  • Jalapeno Cornbread Ice Cream
  • Ketchup Ice Cream
  • Mac and Cheese Ice Cream
  • Taro Root Ice Cream

Whether consumers are enjoying ice cream on vacation, to cool off on a hot day, or to celebrate National Ice Cream Day, sellers are ready to welcome crowds and get to scooping.

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Sweet Peaks
Founded in 2010, Sweet Peaks started with one location in Whitefish, Montana and quickly expanded to five locations across the state. With a mix of ice cream and sorbet flavors, Sweet Peaks uses Montana dairy and specialty ingredients to craft all the flavors their customers love. Ice cream enthusiasts can also purchase gift cards for family and friends so everyone can indulge.

“We have lines out the door all summer evenings and it feels like National Ice Cream Day every day of the summer, so we staff up and stock up to prepare. While we love seeing long lines, we also like to keep them moving. Square’s easy to use platform and many payment options eliminates friction so that the line moves quickly, making it a smooth experience for both our employees and customers. Happy guests means more ice cream sales and more time for joy!” - Marissa Keenan, Owner & Flavor Specialist at Sweet Peaks

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Afters Ice Cream
Afters Ice Cream first opened in February 2014, and since then, has expanded to 22 locations across Southern California and Las Vegas, with more openings coming soon. The shop is known for its unique and creative handcrafted ice cream flavors, along with its signature ice cream-stuffed warm donut called the Milky Bun. Customers can get their ice cream shipped right to their doorstep, order merchandise, or even get Afters Ice Cream catered for events.

“We push to create new flavors every month to offer something different to our customers. This is just one reason why our business has grown exponentially as we continue to create new products for our customers. As it gets busier in the summer, we need to be ready to welcome people in. With the help of Square, we are able to get our customers in and out of the store in a timely manner for the best possible experience so they keep coming back!” - Scott Nghiem, CEO of Afters Ice Cream.

Square offers a variety of tools and software to empower sellers to maximize sales during busy season and capitalize on the attention brought about by national food days, helping businesses:

  • Streamline in-store operations: To line-bust and reduce wait times, Square’s integrated point-of-sale system helps sellers quickly and easily accept multiple payment methods. Sellers can analyze store data and assign employees during peak days and hours, while also implementing express checkout lanes.
  • Offer shipping: To grow sales, sellers can easily build out online stores with Square to offer shipping so customers can order merchandise and enjoy their favorite pints, no matter where they are.
  • Inventory management: Square’s inventory management software simplifies how sellers manage stock, ensuring they always have real-time visibility into their inventory and helping them stay ahead of customer demands.
  • Build loyal customers: With software like Square Loyalty and Square Marketing, sellers can keep their store top of mind while also analyzing customer data to identify areas of strength and development.

To learn more about Square’s ecosystem of commerce offerings, visit squareup.com.

Methodology
This survey was conducted among 2,206 General Population adults in the United States from July 8 to July 10, 2024. The data were weighted to demographically reflect the makeup of the U.S. adult population based on age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, and region. The overall margin of error for this study is +/- 2 percentage points.