Ice cream & gelato shop consulting · virtual, with on-site visits when needed
Ice cream shop consulting: business first, machines second
IFHA’s ice cream shop consulting helps artisan ice cream and gelato shops, open or about to open, get strategy, product, processes and numbers right. From plan to opening day, and from opening day to growth. We work on the buyer’s side (we don’t sell equipment or take supplier commissions), and the scope is built around your shop: a single module or end-to-end support.
★★★★★ 4.9/5 · 90+ reviews on Google
No conflict of interest
We don’t sell machines, ingredients or franchises
Who it’s for
Ice cream shops and projects
open or about to open
Format
Virtual
with on-site visits when needed
Scope
By module or end to end
you choose
Length
2 to 6 weeks
per module
Since 1950
three generations of ice cream makers
3,500+
students trained
50+
countries
4.9/5
Google · 90+ reviews
Where to start
What kind of consulting do you need?
Every ice cream shop arrives with a different question. These are the seven most common ways in. They all start the same way: a no-obligation conversation about your case. Each one is a module, and each module is part of the four-phase plan.
Phase 1 · Plan
Feasibility and opening
You’re about to open and want to validate the project before you sign: break-even point, total investment including working capital, a feasibility checklist and an opening plan with a timeline.
Message us on WhatsApp →
Phase 2 · Plant and product
Buying equipment
Batch freezer, refrigeration, display case: we advise you from the buyer’s side. We don’t sell machines or take anyone’s commission. We size the right equipment for your menu and your volume.
Message us on WhatsApp →
Phase 2 · Plant and product
Quick technical fix
A defect that won’t go away: sandy ice cream, gummy texture, fast melting. We diagnose the formula, the process and the cold chain, and give you the method to solve the next one yourself.
Message us on WhatsApp →
Phase 1 · Plan
Numbers and management
Real cost per kilo, prices with a properly calculated margin, break-even point, annual budget and cash flow for the off-season. The numbers you run your shop by, built from your data.
Message us on WhatsApp →
Phase 3 · Opening
Sales and seasonality
A calendar of key sales dates, promotions with the math done, a pre-season plan and a winter strategy. So you set the pace of your year, not the weather.
Message us on WhatsApp →
Phase 2 · Plant and product
Layout, plant and certifications
Plant design with the right flow and zoning, permit requirements from the floor plan up, and the path to ISO certification.
Message us on WhatsApp →
Phase 4 · Monthly support
Your ice cream shop is already open
You opened months or years ago and want to grow: clear numbers, an organized operation, a trained team and a sound decision on when to take the next step. This is the monthly support of Phase 4.
Message us on WhatsApp →
Planning an ISO certification? It’s part of the Layout, plant and certifications module: ISO 9001 for quality and ISO 22000 for food safety.
Your advisors
Three generations of ice cream makers, with business training on top
Lucas M. Alfonsin and Franco G. Alfonsin run IFHA – Artisan Ice Cream Training Institute. They are the third generation of a family of ice cream makers that started in 1950, and they lead IFHA’s training programs and consulting projects.
Beyond the technical craft, both hold a business degree and an MBA, so the consulting brings together both halves: the product and the business.
75+ years
of family ice cream making, since 1950
MBA
both directors: business degree and MBA
3,500+
students from 50+ countries
4.9/5
Google · 90+ reviews
First conversation, no obligation
We’re ready to turn your idea into a plan you can carry out
Tell us where your project stands and we’ll tell you where to start.
The method
How to open an ice cream shop and make it grow: our 4-phase plan
The scope combines strategy, engineering, product, processes, training and support through opening day. If you take the full journey, each phase closes with a concrete result before moving on to the next; if you hire a single module, you start with the problem you have today. The first three phases take the project to opening day; the fourth starts the day after and supports the ice cream shop that’s already running.
Phase 01
Strategic diagnosis and business plan
Before we design the shop, we design the business.
- Market and customer analysis
- Pre-feasibility study
- Business plan
- Concept and positioning strategy
- Cost and pricing strategy
- Financing options
- Roadmap and phased investment
End of phase 1 · Business model validated
Phase 02
Engineering and product excellence
We turn the model into a real shop and a real product.
- Production layout and workflow design
- Equipment selection
- Choosing suppliers of raw ingredients and machinery
- Signature recipe formulation
- Product mix development (ice cream and ice pops)
- Costing and margin per recipe
- Quality systems
End of phase 2 · Product and plant defined
Phase 03
Operational rollout and opening
We get the business ready to operate and grow.
- Standardized, written processes
- Team training
- Branding and an Instagram-ready brand
- Digital marketing and sales plan
- Shop launch
- Support on opening day and first adjustments
End of phase 3 · Team ready → Soft opening
Phase 04 · Monthly support
You’ve opened: now the work is to grow
The first three phases end the day you open. The fourth starts right there. It’s monthly support for ice cream shops that are already running: we help you read your numbers, organize the operation, train the team and decide when it makes sense to grow. It isn’t a course or a report that ends up in a drawer: it’s someone looking at your ice cream shop with you every month.
It starts with an audit. Before we begin, we spend two weeks reviewing your product, numbers, location, team and online presence, and hand you a report with your ice cream shop’s top ten priorities, in order. If you go on with the monthly support, the audit is credited against the first quarter.
Base
One ice cream shop
- One 90-minute meeting a month
- An 8-KPI dashboard, reviewed monthly
- WhatsApp channel with replies within 48 hours
- One remote product audit per quarter
Minimum commitment · 3 months
Plus
One to three shops, or with a production plant
- Everything in Base
- One on-site visit per quarter (Buenos Aires area; elsewhere quoted by travel)
- Team training, 4 hours per quarter
- 45-minute one-on-one coaching every two weeks
- Seasonal sales plan
Minimum commitment · 6 months
Chain
Four or more shops, or a franchisor
- Everything in Plus
- Operational audit of each shop every six months
- A living operations manual, kept up to date
- Monthly meeting with your shop managers
- Support for every new shop opening
Minimum commitment · 12 months
What monthly support does not include: social media management, graphic design, accounting or permit paperwork. We advise and supervise; we don’t replace your accountant or whoever handles your permits.
No conflict of interest
We advise you from the buyer’s side
We don’t sell equipment
No machines, no ingredients, no franchises. We size what your menu and your volume need.
We don’t take commissions
No supplier pays us to recommend them. Every recommendation answers only to your project.
We sign an NDA
Non-disclosure agreement: your formulas, strategies and data are never shared with third parties.
Scope and quote
How we quote
There’s no list price, and there’s a reason: the scope for an ice cream shop that hasn’t opened yet looks nothing like the scope for a chain that needs to standardize. The quote is built around your case.
What doesn’t change:
- You can hire a single module or end-to-end support.
- Each module takes 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the size of the project.
- The quote comes after the first conversation, not before.
How long it takes
2 to 6 weeks
per module
The first conversation is free and there’s no obligation.
The first step
How we get started
Step 1
A conversation
You tell us where your project stands. No obligation and no cost.
Step 2
We define the scope
We work out what to solve first, and whether you need a single module or end-to-end support.
Step 3
Proposal and kickoff
If it’s a fit, we prepare a proposal with the deliverables, the timeline and who does what.
What it saves you
Why hire an ice cream or gelato consultant?
Hiring a consultant means buying down risk before you commit to the bigger investment.
Avoid overinvesting
Size the investment, the phases and the priorities.
Avoid the wrong equipment
Choose machinery and location by capacity and workflow.
Avoid hidden margin leaks
Cost your recipes, your range and your prices before you open.
Avoid an improvised opening
Train the team, write down the processes and complete the launch checklist.
What you get
What we offer
A business consultant who also understands the product. We don’t just hand you recipes: we build your capacity to compete and support the implementation, with the focus on a profitable operation.
Strategy
Strategic market study
We analyze your area, your customers and when and why they buy ice cream, to maximize your chances of success.
Product
Designing your product range
A tailored selection of ice cream, ice pops, desserts and coffee, built around average ticket and margin.
Formulation
Recipes and consistent ice cream quality
Unique artisan recipes, costed and backed by repeatable processes that keep the quality consistent.
Brand
Marketing that connects, design that stands out
We build your visual identity and a recognizable brand that sets you apart and draws customers in.
Operations
Hands-on support through opening day
Continuous, stage-by-stage assistance through opening day, with remote follow-up.
End to end
Everything integrated, turnkey
Strategy, product and operations in one engagement, with on-site visits when the case calls for it.
Where you are now
Who is it for?
You’re about to open
Validate the project before you commit the investment.
You’re already open
Organize product, processes and numbers for a better margin.
Chains and franchises
Standardize quality and operations so you can scale.
What people say about us
Our Google rating
★★★★★ 4.9/5 · 90+ reviews on Google
Before you write to us
Ice cream shop consulting: frequently asked questions
How much does ice cream shop consulting cost?
How do I pay? Do you work with clients outside Argentina?
Do I have to hire all the modules together?
Can I get ice cream shop consulting online?
How long does each module take?
Do you consult for gelato shops and ice cream shops?
What makes IFHA’s consulting different?
My ice cream shop is already open but has problems. Can you still help?
What if I have no experience in the industry?
Does it include staff training?
How do I calculate the return on investment?
Can you help me with ISO certification?
What if I don’t have a location yet?
Can I hire consulting just for recipes?
How do you handle confidentiality?
Do you help with international expansion?
Do you advise on buying machinery and equipment?
How do I get started?
Is it useful if my ice cream shop is already running?
How long is the commitment for monthly support?
Do you need to visit my shop?
Can you support an ice cream shop outside Argentina?
How is this different from taking the Master Ice Cream Maker Program?
Looking to learn the craft?
Want to make artisan ice cream yourself?
Consulting works on your business. If you’d rather train yourself or your team, there are three ways to start in English.
Master Ice Cream Maker Program – Flex
14 recorded units, self-paced, with a QR-verifiable certificate. Pre-enrollment is open.
10 recorded modules and a 1-on-1 live session, at your own pace.
11 minutes on the five mistakes that cost an ice cream shop money.
First conversation, no obligation
Tell us about your project and we’ll tell you where to start
We review your situation, define the scope and, if it’s a fit, prepare a proposal. The first conversation is free.
WhatsApp +54 9 11 2892 4489 · IFHA · Artisan Ice Cream Training Institute · A family of ice cream makers since 1950, now in its third generation
Prefer a form?
Tell us about your shop and we’ll reply within one business day
Tell us where you are and what you’d like to solve. The first conversation is free and there’s no obligation. We work in English or Spanish, from any country.
A person from our team replies, not a bot. We only use your details to answer your inquiry (privacy policy).