How can a tiny little ice cream shop in the small town of Bethel, CT go from months of lukewarm success to suddenly quadrupling their business practically overnight — in the middle of winter no less?
The internet.
Frustrated with their struggling business, Alyce Kallman, co-owner of Cream & Sugar Café, turned her home kitchen into a test kitchen and began experimenting with more inventive frozen creations beyond the typical sundae. Inspired by initial results, she and her husband (and business partner) did some research to soon discover the growing phenomenon known as the “freak shake”.
Launched in Australia, through an explosion of Instagram photo sharing, it soon took off in the UK and then the U.S. With a mason jar as the vessel, freak shakes are “milkshakes topped with cream, cake, chunky house-made garnishes …and every kind of over-the-top edible flair you could possibly dream up.”, according to Hillary Osborne of Australia’s The Guardian.
But I think there’s more to the C & S Café’s success beyond their frozen offerings. There’s a sociability component, making it more than just a place to get ice cream, but a hip, new social hangout. A shareability component, as most of the creations can be shared with two or more people. And a trending component, empowering customers to partake in an irresistible new food craze.
So, I raise my spoon to the ever-expanding universe of innovators, and especially to the Cream & Sugar Café. Sweet success all the way from Australia!
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