DECEMBER 15, 2004 -- They're lining up, and
counting down. This year's debut restaurant concepts
hope they'll blast off, too.
Little Scoops
Imagine a
1950s-themed Baskin-Robbins that only allows children
inside. Can't quite picture it? Well, you can always
drive to Blauvelt, NY, and see it in action. Little
Scoops is more of a children's birthday party spot than
a restaurant in the traditional sense. It's a two-room,
retro-themed ice-cream parlor that parents rent out for
kids' parties. They decorate the rooms themselves, then
sit back and watch as their progeny devour pizza and
other goodies before moving to another room, where the
kids can gorge themselves further on ice cream while
playing interactive games. There's also something the
company calls "age-appropriate dancing," an activity
that's presumably for the kids, too. Build-your-own
sundaes are the featured attraction, which the little
ones can decorate with various sugary toppings. It might
sound like mayhem, but the owners are serious about
building it: They've signed 20-year industry vet Gary
Occhiogrosso, who helped launch NYC's struggling Ranch 1
chicken chain, to act as franchise strategist. Five
franchisees are in various stages of development in the
New York area, and plans call for 100 units within the
next few years. If their plans work out, the owners
could really clean up-but then, they'll be cleaning up
anyway.
