Spring Weather Warms Up Interest in Cool Treats

Warmer temps during March have consumers hankering for ices, frozen yogurt and ice cream.

March 28, 2012

FLORENCE, Ky. - March blew in like a warm, fuzzy lamb this year, heating up consumer interest in frozen treats, such as shaved ice, ice cream and frozen yogurt, Nation??s Restaurant News reports. Particularly in the eastern United States, daily temperatures have been higher than usual so far this year.

Businesses like Kona Ice, a chain of franchised, shaved ice trucks, have been using the warm weather to get a jump start on the summer selling season. "This year, [the weather] has made a two-month difference in when I can start operating," said Tony Lamb, founder and president. "We??re up tremendously."

In March, Kona Ice has seen a 50% bump in sales, which has been a tremendous bonus for a business that relies heavily on cooperative weather for sales. "We??re a weather-dependent company, and to some degree we feel blessed and cursed," he said. "Last year, when a major hurricane came through, we had 10 franchised units in North Carolina struggle for 30 days, but now we??re all up a lot. We??re filling coffers that were empty from adverse weather before."

For Dairy Queen, a mild winter for much of the East Coast has had a "very favorable impact on sales and traffic," said COO Troy Bader. "In November through February, both food and treat sales were way up, and food actually was impacted more," he said. "Now, going into March, with the weather and our buy-one-get-one offer for the Blizzard, the sales mix for treats is up much more dramatically."

Read more about trends and growth opportunities in c-stores for the ice cream/frozen novelties category in the upcoming April NACS Magazine "Category Close-Up."

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