So, we put out a survey a few days ago, partly so we could figure out what our strategy for this fall/winter is going to be. And right after we posted the survey, it got a bit colder; thanks for the free market research, weather patterns! Things Mrs. Parlour has observed this week:

• People will still buy ice cream when it’s cold and rainy. They’re much more likely to buy it if there’s somewhere close by and warm to take said ice cream.
• No one wants soda or floats when it’s cold and rainy, but a few people want milkshakes. But only a few.
• People DEFINITELY want hot chocolate when it’s cold and rainy, even if we accidentally write the wrong price on the menu board and it appears to be more expensive than it actually is.

It’s going to be warm again tomorrow, but the past few days have been helpful in figuring out how to keep stuff going in the fall/wintertime. When it gets for-real cold again, we’re thinking of switching out our milkshakes and floats for hot chocolate, chai, and cider. We’ll probably have a smaller ice cream menu, and more cookies and baked goods (like Ari Berenbaum’s donuts!) And we’ll try to think of some interesting ways to incorporate our ice cream into hot drinks (a customer suggested a scoop on top of hot chocolate instead of whipped cream, which seems like a great idea.)

So, what do you think? Any suggestions for how we can stay busy in the wintertime? Know any offices that would like a mid-afternoon hot chocolate and cookie break? Let us know!