The Sundae Times
PO Box 182395, Shelby Twp., MI 48318-2395 ● 1-888-4-ASHBYS ● www.ashbysicecream.com
February — 2013
Good News! Ashby’s Sterling Ice Cream prices will remain
unchanged to our distributors and DSD stores this Spring.
Inside this issue:
More WDE Awards!
Flavor Day 2012—
Recap
Former Sundae
Times Editor
Passes Away
Feature: “If I had
an ice cream
store. . .” Promotion ideas and
insight from the
staff of Ashby’s
Sterling, LTD.
Recipe Corner
You Wanted to
Know
Welcome New AS
Retailers!
Easter Opening
Promotion.
Ashby’s Sterling Ice Cream Wins 6 Awards at World Dairy Expo!
If you haven’t heard yet, Ashby’s Sterling Ice Cream has again won multiple awards from the
World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest. This contest, sponsored by the Wisconsin Dairy Products Association, is the only judging competition of its kind in North American, since no other national contest includes all dairy products. This means that cheese, butter,
yogurt, ice cream, cottage cheese, fluid milk, whipping cream, sour cream
and whey processors have a unique opportunity to compete in a prestigious, all-dairy national contest. Of the record 720 competing dairies, the
winning companies are afforded the unprecedented opportunity to promote and market their products as the “best of the best” in North America. That means you, our ice cream retailers, have some bragging rights
as well. Let your customers know that you are serving them “the best”
hand dipped ice cream in the world! Download frame-able certificates
from our website.
Three of Ashby’s vanilla’s (Vanilla Bean, French Vanilla, and Signature Vanilla) won awards
by scoring 98.2—98.5 (out of 100). In addition, Belgian Chocolate, Spumoni, and Blueberry
Granola Yogurt scored 98.7—99.2 in their respective categories!
Taste Buds Tested at Flavor Day 2012
About 200 people attended Ashby’s annual Flavor Day on Saturday,
December 1, 2012. With over 40 flavors to sample, it was extremely
hard to decide which flavors to add to the
line up for 2013. After sampling such
flavors as Smokey Mt. Fudge, Maple
Rick and Charlene Davis
Butter Brownie, Lemon Crumb Cookie,
greet customers at Flavor
and “Spaghetti and Meatballs”, the comDay 2012
pany will produce eight new flavors,
bringing its product offerings to 70 total ice cream, NSA ice cream,
yogurt, sherbet, and sorbet flavors. Look for an announcement
soon.
Approximately 200 guests
Also new at Flavor Day this year were Aloha Beverages and Car- attended Flavor Day 2012
bon’s Golden Malted Waffle Cones. See related story on page 2.
Aloha Beverage Solutions
participated in Flavor Day 2012 this
year by sampling delicious products to
make smoothie, ice cream, and coffee
drinks. Distributors of DaVinci Syrups,
Tea Wave Smoothies, Tropics Frozen
Drink Mixes, and more, you are sure to
find a beverage product to suite your
needs. Call Aloha at 517.857.3788.
Carbon’s Golden Malted
also exhibited
waffle cone making at Flavor Day,
giving the room a delicious smell
throughout the event! If you are not
currently making waffle cones at your
store, you need to give Golden Malted
a call. They have cone mixes and
waffle irons to get you started. Call
888.596.4040, or visit:
www.goldenmalted.com.
Former Editor of the Sundae
Times Passes Away
Bryce Thomson, age 96 of Eaton Rapids, MI died
Monday, January 7, 2013 at his residence. Bryce was
a World War II veteran and a veteran of the ice cream
industry as well. He was the former President and
CEO of Miller Dairy before the company was sold in
1979. His promotional talents were discovered by the
management of Miller Dairy at a small-town drugstore
in Bellevue, MI where Bryce worked as a “soda jerk”
beginning in 1936. His accomplishments in the dairy
industry were many, including “Dairy Manufacturer of
the Year” from the MSU Dairy Dept. and “Idea of the
Year Award” (4 times!) from Dairy Field magazine.
Ashby’s Sterling Ice Cream was lucky to have Bryce
compiling their company newsletter, “The Sundae
Times” until 1999. He was very creative and shared
many of his promotional ideas and training posters
with the Ashby’s retailers over the years.
Later this Spring, Bryce’s family is planning an Ice
Cream Social in Eaton Rapids in his memory. We will
share details when they are available.
Recipe Corner:
Cake and Ice Cream Treats!
Cake balls on a stick are all the rage now for
serving individual treats to party guests. Ice
cream store owners and restaurants should capitalize on this trend and offer ice cream and cake
balls together as a package deal. You already
have most of the items needed to get started.
Use a “sample” size scooper (see “Choosing the
Right Scoop: next page), or a cookie dough scoop
to make a
variety of
small, round
ice cream
scoops. Place
them
on
wax paper on
a tray and
insert
a
wooden
stick
or
s u c k e r
s t i c k
(available
at
cr af t
stores) into
each
one.
Refreeze
several hours
until hard.
Working
in
s m a l l
batches, dip
each
ice
cream
ball
into cone
dip, or melted chocolate, and decorate with nut
meats, colored sugar or candies, or melted white
chocolate in a pastry bag.
Pick up one of the new cake ball bakers on the
market and make some of those to offer in a
combo gift pack for Valentine’s Day and other
holidays.
Valentine’s Day “Chocolate Box”
Sundae for Two:
Using a large sundae dish or banana boat, place
one 3 oz. scoop each of Ashby’s Sterling vanilla,
chocolate, and strawberry ice creams. Add hot
fudge over vanilla; caramel over chocolate; and
marshmallow over strawberry. Then sprinkle
with an assortment of chopped or mini chocolate truffles and candies. Garnish with whipped
cream, pecans, and of course 2 cherries!
You Wanted to Know:
Q. What size scoop should I use to roll a 4
oz. portion of ice cream?
A. To get the perfect portion every time you
scoop and to save time packing on the
right amount of ice cream, use the right
size scoop for the right size serving. If
you are using a Zeroll (which we recommend) you’ll want a number 10. For
other scoop size yields, check out the information below.
Questions? Contact us at
www.ashbysicecream.com or 1.888.4.ashbys
“If I had an ice cream parlor. . .”
By Mary Sowers
IF I HAD AN ICE CREAM PARLOR…..
I would up-sell menu items. All employees would be
trained to UPSELL. There are about 125 prime selling days
each season (May 1st through Labor Day weekend). Each
employee MUST be familiar with menu items and be able
to describe them in a taste-tempting manner. When a new
menu item is added, or a new ice cream flavor arrives at
your store, have employees sample them. They cannot sell
items they are not familiar with! Employees also need to
know your current promotions and coupon offers.
Upselling is ASKING for the additional sale. For example,
“Would you like a double dip today?” $$ This would be an
appropriate question for a customer deciding between two
flavors. Then another upselling question follows, “Would
you like that in a waffle cone?” $$ Once they’ve said waffle cone, then ask “Would you like
to try a chocolate dipped—plain, or Would you like to
with nuts or candies?” $$ When make that a double
serving children, ask “Would you and try one of our
like sprinkles on your ice cream to- new flavors?
day?” $$ Over 90% of the
time, the parent/grandparent
will allow them
to add the sprinkles! $$ Try
this too….
While asking upselling questions, use
this power of suggestion!
Gently
nod your head up and down
as to say
YES. $$
Upsell non-menu items. Branding: What makes your store
special? $$ What is your store known for? $$ It could be
something as simple as candy eyes on children’s cones or
decadent like a Wicked Chocolate Lava sundae. $$ Gift
Cards: These cards are typically purchased as a gift for
someone. This could mean a new customer for you. $$ If
gift cards are not on your menu, you are missing big dollars! Credit Cards/Debit Cards: Customers spend more
money when using a card. If you are not currently accepting them, start now! Mobile apps also add sales. $$ Take
a good look at your menu. Do you serve waffle cones?
Are they available dipped and decorated? Do you offer
unique desserts and ice cream drinks? What are you charging for extras? Train yourself and employees to UPSELL.
Ashby’s Sterling Ice Cream Sold
Here” Sign Now Available
For ice cream cabinets that may not be upfront and
plainly in sight, we have a new 12” x 24”, 2-sided sign
to hang from your ceiling. It also makes a nice window/door sign. Cost is $15, plus shipping (approx. $5).
You can download an order form from our website at
www.ashbysicecream.com/DistRetail page.
Welcome! to the following new
Ashby’s Sterling Ice Cream Retailers:
Ruby
Tim
Robert
Jill & Todd
Sam
Shultz
Lena
Bay City
Richmond
Burton
Detroit
IL
MI
MI
OH
MI
Dawn Flanigan &
Kammi
Ron & Theresa
Hobart "Bo"
Hand
Jaskiewiez
Attiq
Dano Milonuvich
Malin
Loeffler
Thrasher
Café 217
Tiny Apple Store
Krispy, Krunchy, Chicken
Sweets in the Square
Tubbys Sub Shop
The Shops at Trappers Alley
Kammi's Kones
Freeze Daddy's
Handsome Hobo's Pizza
Shelby Twp.
Grand Blanc
Monclova
N. Muskegon
MI
MI
OH
MI
Hobart "Bo"
Diane
Diane
Thrasher
Grady
Grady
Hobo's Tavaern
That Place
Pentwater Dari Cream
N. Muskegon
Hart
Pentwater
MI
MI
MI
Easter is early this year!
If you are planning to open by Easter this year, it is coming early—Sunday, March 31st.
To get you started with a holiday promotion idea, get some Easter baskets ready to sell. Buy a
variety of basket sizes at a local craft store and fill them with Easter grass, plastic or candy
eggs, and other small candy. Then add ice cream related items: a nice scoop (available from
Ashby’s Sterling Ice Cream), glass sundae dishes, a couple of toppings, a jar of maraschino
cherries, nuts, sprinkles, etc. Now, to get a repeat or new customer from the basket sale, add in
an empty pint or quart container for hand packed ice cream (also
available from Ashby’s). Stick a label on the lid that says something
like this: “Bring this container to Molly’s Ice Cream Parlor (sub
your store name, address, and phone) for 1 FREE fill!” Finish the
basket by wrapping it in clear or colored cellophane and tying it up
with a big bow. Price according to size and costs of all items included.
When pricing the baskets, don’t forget to include the cost of the
filled ice cream pints or quarts.