By JAY LOOMIS
THE JOURNAL
NEWS
(Original publication: December 19, 2003)
Michelle Violetto looked around Rockland County
and couldn't find a good place to hold birthday parties
for her three children or their friends. As a result,
she and a partner created their own party place. More
than a year after Little Scoops debuted in Blauvelt,
many parties are booked two months in advance.
Violetto, hoping to build on the success, is taking
steps to expand the idea in the tri-state area and
beyond by talking with potential franchisees.
"A lot of parents come here and say this is an
amazing idea," Violetto said. "They want to know if we
were going to open other shops."
In the Little Scoops party room, children eat pizza
and play interactive games that are set to popular
music. The party later moves to the front room,
decorated like a retro 1950s ice cream parlor, where the
children create sundaes with colorful toppings.
Little Scoops was booked a month in advance before
the business opened in September 2002 at the Blauvelt
Mini-Mall. Violetto and her partner Tanya Ehrlich have
hosted hundreds of birthday parties since. Within a
year, Violetto hopes five additional franchised stores
will be open in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Long-term, her ambitions are for 100 stores.
"We would love to take it national," she said. "We
have different people from other parts of the country
come in and say 'This would do great in Arizona, this
would do great in Florida.'"
Little Scoops expects to charge a franchise fee of
$20,000. Estimated startup costs for a franchise are
$80,000 to $100,000.
"We have at least five potential franchisees waiting
to speak with us," Violetto said.
Violetto dreamed of the business for years but
procrastinated as she raised her children. An incentive
to push forward ultimately came from the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks. Her husband is a New York City fire
captain who helped with recovery at Ground Zero.
"It made us think life is short," she said. "You need
to take a chance and try to fulfill a dream before it's
too late. I always knew I could do this."
Little Scoops is getting assistance from franchise
strategist Gary Occhiogrosso, a 20-year industry veteran
who
