By B.C. Manion
You might say that Andy Walton saw a sign, when he and his wife were finalizing their plans for their new shop in Land O’ Lakes.
It offered a clear message: Ice Cream & Coffee.
He found the sign in Orlando, and it sealed the decision to offer both ice cream and coffee at Walton’s Ice Cream & Coffee, at 6757 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.
“I’m a coffee fan, and I wanted to incorporate coffee. Holly (his wife) was not so much on the coffee,” he said.
But then he found the sign, and the couple decided to let it guide their way. Last month, they opened a shop aimed at satisfying the cravings of those in search of sweets or caffeine.
“I’ve been in marketing for years and years. We moved to Land O’ Lakes close to five years ago. If we wanted to do a quick low-dollar fun thing, there was nothing. It’s a very underserved market.”
Originally, the couple looked at a location at Wilderness Lakes, but after crunching the numbers, they knew that wouldn’t work.
So, they found another spot – in Wisteria Plaza – that better suited their budget and sits in the middle of the area they want to serve.
“The idea is to provide a nice ice cream/coffee shop experience for Land O’ Lakes, Florida. There’s really nothing else up here,” he said, adding it’s at least 15 minutes away to get to a shop with similar offerings.
He realizes that ice cream is an impulse buy and typically requires a lot of foot traffic to be successful, but he believes that he’s close enough to residential communities to attract the trade he needs.
He’s also hoping that the shop will become a good spot for people who want to enjoy a good cup of coffee and use the Wi-Fi.
The shop has a clean, contemporary look with an obvious decorator’s touch. Holly, an interior decorator and real estate agent, designed the shop.
Her aim was to make it “a comfortable place to hang out,” she said.
The shop serves Buddy Brew Coffee and Hershey’s Ice Cream.
Buddy Brew is a Tampa coffee roaster, which roasts coffee the day it is ordered and delivers it the next day.
Items on the menu include shakes, malts, floats, sundaes, cones, tea, coffee, cocoa and cold drinks. There are also specialty items known as Tropi-Kool Smoothies and Blenjavas.
Walton is using his background in sales and marketing to get the word out about his shop. He’s using social media and personal networking to help build his clientele.
Engaging the customer is key, said Walton, who already has begun making connections with local charities, schools and sporting organizations on fundraising efforts.
“People come here. They support the business. The business is here for the people, so they don’t have to drive to a chain that’s 20 minutes away to get a nice cup of coffee or a milkshake. They can do it right here.
“But also, through supporting us, they’re supporting local organizations like sports and charities,” Walton said.
In addition to coffee and ice cream, the shop also sells cookies, brownies and biscotti. It also is looking to expand its menu to include simple breakfast and lunch items.
Although the shop just opened in November, Walton is confident about its chances and is already thinking ahead.
“My business plan says in five years, I’ve got three locations,” he said. He expects the additional locations to be in areas similar to the one he’s in, which have high growth, but no ice cream and coffee shop.
The couple wants to build a successful business for their children, Andrew, 6 and Cortney Spagnuolo, 18, said Holly Walton.
They like the idea of using their talents and energy to directly benefit their family.
“We just wanted to have our own thing and not have to worry about working for anyone else anymore,” Holly Walton said.
“If I can take all of this stuff that I’ve learned in the last 10 years of my life and use it just for marketing an ice cream shop, it has to succeed,” Andy Walton said.
For more information about store hours and menu items, go to www.getyourfreezeon.com or call (813) 996-3436.
