Which running costs should I review before buying an ice cream shop?

A sales figure on a listing does not show what is left after the shop is paid for. Ice cream costs move through the year in different ways, and some of them arrive before the first customer does.

Ingredients, cones and packaging

Ask for purchases of dairy, flavourings, toppings, cones, cups and packaging, listed by month and by supplier. Look at whether purchases follow sales or run ahead of them. Ask how much stock is wasted or discounted at the end of a season, and whether the seller buys ahead to get better terms from suppliers.

Power, rent and fixed costs

Freezers run through the quiet months, so power, rent and insurance keep going. Ask for the utility bills across a full year and for the lease terms, including how rent is set and whether it changes with sales. Your lawyer can explain the lease, and your accountant can show how those fixed lines sit beside the slower months.

Staffing through the summer

Summer often means extra or part-time staff. Ask how many people work in peak weeks, how they are scheduled, and what the shop pays in total for labour. Ask who trains them and how often they leave. Check that the owner’s own unpaid hours are shown, because you may have to replace them.

Repairs and tying it all to sales

Ask for repair and maintenance costs over several years. Then lay each cost line beside monthly sales to see how the shop behaves. Your accountant can help you read it, and the guidance on assessing a seasonal business explains why the slow months deserve their own look.