Your ice cream store grand opening may not be an official grand opening but the concept remains the same. It's a special day at your store where you appreciate those loyal customers that come into your store. So, no matter what you call it, a grand opening or customer appreciation day the fundamentals are the same.
Have A Plan In Place
Make sure your event is properly staffed and all employees are properly prepared for the event. Customer appreciation days can be overwhelming and chaotic, so it's best to warn your employee's before hand.
What To Do
Plan On what events you want to feature at your opening/ customer appreciation day. All of your plans should be dependent on your own store and its dynamics...space, size, location.
Face Painting, Balloons, Petting Zoo, Local Celebrities/Service personnel, Pet Adoption, Local Sports Leagues/ Teams.
Get The Word Out
Press Release, Radio, Schools, Local Media, Free Press, Clubs, Newspaper, TV, Fliers, Signs, Your Own Social Media.
Leave yourself 4-6 weeks in advance to start promoting. Increase the amount of promotion as the event nears.
A grand opening celebration for your store may not necessarily fall on the first day that you're officially open for the season but rather should take place 4-6 weeks into your season. This ensures your shop is running smoothly at full capacity and you have all the problems worked out.
There are many ideas you can incorporate to make your day a success but be careful not to just feature free products and giveaways. Attract attention to your store with events such as kid friendly activities and partnerships with local organizations.