Every neighborhood deserves a great ice cream shop.

That’s what high school friends Pam Geiger and Erin O’Keefe thought when they moved back home to White Plains, New York to raise their families. They couldn’t find a fun family gathering place in their area, so they decided to create what they were looking for. Ice Cream Social opened in 2021.

To mark National Ice Cream Day,** we’ve got the full scoop on Ice Cream Social. Both Pam (a special events fundraiser) and Erin (a stylist) knew how to create a welcoming environment, work with commercial partners, and generate the buzz needed to build a small retail business. 

They transformed an old gas station into a bright, enticing ice cream parlor. In addition to regular scoops, they have milkshakes, ice cream cakes, ice cream sandwiches, coffee, and of course, Ice Cream Social merchandise. 

TAP consultants Julia McClanan and Yvonne Lee stepped in to help when Pam and Erin had the opportunity to buy their building. They wanted to get a better handle on cash flow in order to apply for bank loans and secure financing. 

Fortunately, TAP received a grant to support businesses in Westchester County, enabling us to work with Ice Cream Social. "It was amazing to have two people who specialized in different aspects of the business to get feedback on different parts of our business structure, " says Pam Geiger.

The TAP team focused on several areas:

• Creating a P&L statement and cash flow model to help Pam and Erin better understand Ice Cream Social's finances, especially around expenses and operations. 

• ​Creating a sales recap file to enable Pam and Erin to understand the data available from their Point of Sale system.

• Brainstorming future marketing strategies, including new product innovation, in-store product presentation, customer loyalty programs, and creative solutions for the winter off-season.

Today, in the hot days of summer, Ice Cream Social draws people from across the county. Build it, and they will come. One scoop at a time.

**Also for National Ice Cream Day, check out our blog about Penny Lick. 

​​#icecream #summer #clientstory #womenownedbusiness #smallbusiness #entrepreneur