Scoop Street Creamery

Words in [brackets] are blanks you fill in with your own details when you adopt this sample in Supreme Plan AI.

Executive Summary

Scoop Street Creamery is a neighborhood ice cream and frozen dessert shop in Michigan. We serve hand-dipped ice cream in cones, cups and sundaes, sell take-home pints and quarts and make custom ice cream cakes for birthdays and parties. We plan a bright, family-friendly shop of about 1,200 square feet with indoor seating, a walk-up window and a patio, in a spot with strong foot traffic in the warm months.

Ice cream is a simple, happy purchase, and people will walk or drive a bit for a good one. The best shops combine quality, generous scoops, rotating flavors and a friendly counter. The business has a short, strong season, so a shop that also sells pints, cakes and party orders and uses its cold storage well has a better year.

Here is what our numbers show. We expect about 38,000 scoop and cone orders, 6,000 take-home pints and 600 cakes and party orders in Year 1, which brings in sales of $365,400, growing to $776,670 by Year 5. We expect a loss of about $70,500 in Year 1 as we build a following, then a profit of about $4,700 in Year 2 and a profit from Year 3 ($51,000), growing to about $103,500 by Year 5. Ice cream is a seasonal business, and most of the year's sales come in about five months, so we plan carefully for cash in the cold months.

We need $280,000 in total. Of that, $197,300 is startup costs (freezers and equipment, the build-out, the lease deposit, opening inventory and setup) and the rest is cash for the slow months. I am putting in $70,000 of my own money, and I am asking for a $210,000 SBA loan.

I am Elena Whitaker, the owner, a former ice cream shop manager and pastry cook with 9 years of experience in food service. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this plan, not promises.

Company Description

Scoop Street Creamery is a small, independently owned ice cream shop in Michigan, planned as a limited liability company (LLC). We will lease about 1,200 square feet in a storefront near a park and a school, with a walk-up window and space for a patio.

Our mission. To make the best ice cream in the neighborhood and to be the place families go to celebrate.

What we believe. Good ice cream starts with good ingredients and a clean, friendly shop. We use quality mix, real flavors and local fruit when it is in season. We treat staff well, train them to be generous and keep the shop spotless.

What we offer:
- Hand-dipped ice cream. About 24 flavors, including dairy-free and low-sugar options, in cones, cups and sundaes.
- Take-home pints and quarts. House flavors and seasonal specials in sealed containers.
- Ice cream cakes and party orders. Custom cakes, party trays and a birthday party package for children.
- Seasonal treats. Milkshakes, floats and hot treats such as cookies in cooler months.

Who we serve. Families, students, workers and visitors within a few miles, and schools and sports leagues.

What we do not do. We do not sell alcohol, and we do not make claims about health benefits. We label allergens clearly and cannot promise a nut-free environment.

How we are run. I am the owner and manager and work behind the counter. Part-time shift supervisors and seasonal counter staff run the shop. A small advisory group of a restaurant owner, an accountant and a parent from the neighborhood tells us what is working.

Where things stand today. We have a lease option, equipment quotes, a menu of 24 test flavors and letters of interest from a school and a sports league. Before we begin, our attorney will review the lease, and we will confirm what the health department requires.

Problem & Opportunity

People love ice cream, and many neighborhoods have few good choices. Chains and grocery freezers are common, and a quality local shop is a destination. But the business is hard. The season is short, so most of the year's income comes in a few months. Staff turn over each season, and equipment is costly. A rainy summer weekend can ruin a month.

For a new owner, startup costs are high. Dipping cabinets, display freezers, a batch freezer and a walk-in freezer cost tens of thousands of dollars, and a build-out for plumbing, flooring and a counter adds more. Health department rules for food service are strict, with plan review before opening.

Customers are price sensitive, and ice cream is a treat. People will pay for quality, and they will not pay far above the chain price for ordinary ice cream.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. A good shop with a strong location can do well, and many fail from poor location or low cash for the winter. We will use the most recent numbers for our area in our final plan and will not overstate them. We do not know how strong our first summer will be, so our plan assumes a loss in Year 1 and keeps cash for the cold months.

Products & Services

Scoop Street will sell high-quality ice cream with generous scoops in a clean, friendly shop, and will use take-home pints, cakes and parties to earn more in the slow months.

How it works, step by step:
1. Making and buying. We buy a quality ice cream mix and make flavors in our batch freezer with real ingredients, and we buy specialty items from local suppliers.
2. Serving. Staff scoop to a standard size, take payment on a point-of-sale system and serve at the counter or the walk-up window.
3. Pints and quarts. We pack and label pints of house flavors with allergen information and sell them from a grab-and-go freezer.
4. Cakes and parties. Customers order a cake or party package online or by phone with 48 hours notice, and we deliver or hold it for pickup.
5. Cleaning and safety. We follow the health department's rules for temperatures, cleaning and handwashing and keep logs.
6. Seasons. In spring and summer we add staff and hours. In fall and winter we focus on pints, cakes, holiday flavors and wholesale pints to local restaurants.
7. Quality. We taste every batch, track waste and ask customers for feedback.

Why this approach is strong. A shop with a loyal local following, a lot of foot traffic and extra products for the off-season has a better chance of getting through a short selling season.

Market Analysis

Who we serve: families, students and workers within a few miles of the shop, and schools, leagues and party hosts.

Our primary group is families with children within about three miles. We will use census and traffic numbers for our trade area in our final plan. Our secondary group is schools, sports leagues and businesses that order treats and parties.

How we sized our plan. We plan about 38,000 scoop and cone orders in Year 1 (about 190 a day over a 200-day main season), 6,000 take-home pints and 600 cakes and party orders, growing to 64,000 orders, 15,000 pints and 1,500 cakes by Year 5. Our Year 1 prices are about $7.20 for the average scoop order, $9.50 for a pint and $58 for a cake or party order, rising about 3% a year.

We do not promise that every flavor is available every day, and we post our flavors online.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices for dessert, and what makes us different.

- National ice cream chains. They have brand recognition and low prices. We compete on quality, flavors and a local feel.
- Other independent ice cream shops. Some are excellent. We compete on location, service and extras such as parties.
- Grocery store pints. They are cheap and convenient. We offer fresh, rotating flavors and scooping.
- Frozen yogurt and dessert shops. They offer self-serve. We offer hand-dipped ice cream and cakes.
- Restaurants and bakeries. They offer desserts. We specialize.

What makes us different.
- Quality ingredients and generous scoops.
- Dairy-free and low-sugar options.
- Cakes and parties that fill the slow months.
- A clean, bright shop that families like.

What we do not claim. We are new. Established shops have loyal customers. We plan to earn trust one scoop at a time.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach customers.

Opening. A grand opening with free small cones for the first hour, a ribbon cutting with the chamber of commerce and a flyer drop at nearby homes.

Neighborhood. We will partner with schools and sports leagues for fundraiser nights, offer birthday party packages to parents and sponsor a youth team.

Digital. A Google business listing with photos and hours, social media with flavor of the week and a simple website with cake ordering and a flavor calendar.

Loyalty. A punch card or app for a free scoop, and a flavor-vote that gives customers a say.

Pricing. About $7.20 for the average order, $9.50 a pint and $58 for a cake or party order in Year 1, posted at the counter and online.

Operations Plan

How the business will run.

Setup (the 3 to 4 months before opening). We will form the LLC, sign the lease, submit plans to the health department, build out the shop, install equipment, pass inspection, buy insurance, hire and train staff and test the menu. We will not open until the health department approves.

The shop. About 1,200 square feet with a service counter, a dipping area, a walk-in freezer, a prep and dish area and seating for about 20 indoors and 20 outdoors. Rent is $3,800 a month in the plan.

Staffing. In Year 1: I serve as owner and manager. Two part-time shift supervisors and about six seasonal counter staff run the shop, working mostly April through September. We add staff and a third supervisor as volume grows. We pay at least the minimum wage and overtime as required.

Seasons. Most sales come from May through September. In the cold months we reduce hours, focus on pints, cakes and wholesale and keep a cash cushion.

Supply and costs. Ingredients, cones, cups and paper are about 27% of sales on scoop orders (about $1.95 per order), $3.10 per pint and $18 per cake in Year 1.

Food safety. Staff complete food handler training, we keep temperature logs, label allergens and clean on a schedule.

Payments. Most sales are paid at the counter, and only a small share of sales is owed to us at any time.

Insurance. We carry general liability, product liability, property, workers' compensation and business interruption insurance. Insurance is about $5,000 a year in Year 1.

Management & Organization

The people who will run Scoop Street.

Elena Whitaker, owner and manager. A former ice cream shop manager and pastry cook with 9 years in food service, including four years managing a busy seasonal shop. She leads operations, flavors, hiring, marketing and finance and works behind the counter. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Shift supervisors (part-time). Run shifts, open and close and train staff.

Seasonal counter staff. Serve customers and keep the shop clean.

Outside advisors. An attorney, an accountant, an insurance broker and a free mentor from SCORE or the Small Business Development Center.

Staff pay in this plan is a full year per person: owner and manager $46,000, part-time shift supervisor $26,000 and seasonal counter staff $11,500 each. Replace them with the pay you can offer where you live.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals and when we plan to reach them.
- Before opening (3 to 4 months ahead): visit at least 5 possible sites and count foot traffic, get letters of interest from a school or league, get equipment and lender quotes, confirm the health department's rules, form the LLC, get an EIN and open a business bank account. Sign the lease only after the lender's commitment is in hand.
- Year 1: about 38,000 scoop orders, 6,000 pints and 600 cakes and party orders; $365,400 in sales and a loss of about $70,500.
- Year 2: about 48,000 scoop orders; $498,036 in sales and a profit of about $4,700.
- Year 3: about 55,000 scoop orders; $606,880 in sales and a profit of about $51,000.
- Year 4: about 60,000 scoop orders; $697,893 in sales and a profit of about $75,400.
- Year 5: about 64,000 scoop orders; $776,670 in sales and a profit of about $103,500.
Growth depends on winning and keeping customers, so treat the later years as goals, not promises.

What we check every week: orders per day, average ticket, pints and cakes sold, waste, labor as a share of sales and cash in the bank, with a cash plan for the winter months.

Funding Request

How much we need and how we will use it. Total we are raising: $280,000.

How we got that number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds up three things:
- Startup costs of $197,300, listed item by item in the Startup Costs section: $58,000 for dipping cabinets, display freezers, a batch freezer and hardening cabinet; $37,000 for walk-in freezer and refrigeration, prep sinks and a dishwashing station; $9,000 for point of sale, menu boards and cameras; $55,000 for shop build-out: counter, flooring, lighting, plumbing and seating; $7,600 for lease security deposit and first month of rent; $8,000 for opening ice cream mix, cones, toppings, cups and paper goods; $3,500 for food service license, plan review, health inspection and sign permit; $4,200 for attorney and accountant: lease review and setup; $9,000 for exterior sign, menu design and a website; $6,000 for hiring, training before opening and the first insurance payments.
- The cash the business uses before it breaks even, about $6,919: because the shop opens with high costs and a short selling season, and the winter months are slow.
- A cash cushion of about $66,550: three months of Year 1 operating costs.
- Together that comes to about $270,769, rounded up to the nearest $500: $271,000.
We are raising $9,000 more than that, $280,000 in all, to cover the loan payments and the extra cash the early years take. With this funding, the lowest year-end cash balance is about $37,500, at the end of Year 1.

Where the money comes from:
- My own money: $70,000.
- SBA 7(a) loan for startup and working capital: $210,000.

Kind of funding we are looking for. An SBA 7(a) loan through a bank or community lender, plus our own equity. Lenders for a seasonal food business look at the location, the equipment quotes and the cash plan for the slow months.

How we will pay it back. We expect a loss of about $70,500 in Year 1 and a profit of about $4,700 in Year 2, then a profit of about $51,000 in Year 3, a profit of about $75,400 in Year 4 and a profit of about $103,500 by Year 5. With this funding, the business has money in the bank at the end of every year of the plan. The loan is planned at sba 7(a) loan for startup and working capital at 12.75% over 10 years, about $3,105 a month. That is about $3,105 a month in all, and it is already included in our cash flow. We chose these as cautious planning rates; ask the lender for the real rates, which may be lower or higher.

What we are offering the lender: a personal guarantee, a lien on the equipment and business assets and the signed lease.

A smaller first step, if needed. If we cannot raise the full amount right away, we can start smaller and grow into this plan:
- Phase 1: start with a smaller cart or kiosk and a shorter menu, which lowers startup costs.
- Phase 2: once you have a following, open the full shop and follow this plan.
To plan the smaller start, make a copy of this plan (use Duplicate) and lower the numbers to match.

All numbers in this plan are estimates. We will update them as real results come in.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach before you send this plan:

- Your resume and a description of your food service experience.
- A personal financial statement (a list of what you own and what you owe; lenders usually provide a form).
- Business registration papers and your EIN (your business tax number from the IRS, free at irs.gov).
- The lease or lease option and a floor plan.
- Equipment quotes and the health department plan review.
- Insurance quotes or proof of insurance.
- Your menu and flavor list with costs.
- Letters of interest from a school, a league or businesses.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Scoop and Cone Orders (per order): about $7.20 in Year 1, rising to $8.10; about $1.95 in direct costs, rising to $2.28; about 38,000 in Year 1, growing to 64,000.
- Take-Home Pints and Quarts: about $9.50 in Year 1, rising to $10.69; about $3.10 in direct costs, rising to $3.63; about 6,000 in Year 1, growing to 15,000.
- Ice Cream Cakes and Party Orders: about $58.00 in Year 1, rising to $65.28; about $18.00 in direct costs, rising to $21.06; about 600 in Year 1, growing to 1,500.
- Scoop and cone orders about $7.20 each in Year 1 with about $1.95 in ingredients and paper; pints about $9.50 with about $3.10; cakes and party orders about $58 with about $18, rising about 3% to 4% a year. Staff pay is shown separately.
- Pay (a full year, per person): owner and manager $46,000; shift supervisor (part-time) $26,000; seasonal counter staff $11,500.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: shop lease $45,600, utilities for freezers and cooling $12,000, insurance $5,000, point of sale and online ordering $2,400, marketing and seasonal promotions $7,200, equipment repairs and maintenance $4,800, accounting and legal $4,200, supplies and miscellaneous $6,000, payroll taxes and benefits (staff) $12,000. These grow between 3% and 10% a year.
- Startup costs and equipment ($197,300 in Year 1, then $4,000, $4,000, $4,000, $4,000) are spread evenly over five years in the plan's books.
- Customers and payers pay about 4 days after service. Income tax at 21%.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and research.

Startup Costs