Family-run business opens new ice cream parlour in town centre store
A NEW ice cream parlour is set to open in Penrith today [Saturday], just in time for the heatwave set to hit the county this weekend.
The store, which has been popular family-run business in the town since 1977, has decided on an ice cream parlour as the latest edition to its in-store improvements.
Lauren Siddle, who is a director at Sands in Penrith, has been working hard to bring new elements into the business in recent years, with the opening of a balloon service in store last year and an ear piercing and bracelet welding service earlier this year.
Lauren's latest idea has been to open an ice cream parlour at the back of the store in an underutilised part of the shop.
Speaking about the additions to the shop, she said: "Footfall was down, in general retail isn't great at the moment and the High Street is quiet, so I am bringing in services to the store.
"I have tried to think of services we can offer that you can't buy online.
"It's just been kind of a dead area, so I thought, 'you know what, why don't I trial and build an ice cream parlour at the back of the shop?' So we have put an ice cream parlour in there.
"I was going to open it up next weekend, but we have decided to push it forward to this weekend, just because of the heat, its been a bit of mad rush to do it."
The team have brough in a counter and will be serving 'luxury Lakes ice cream' from the kiosk.
Lauren said: "It looks really lovely actually, it has transformed the back entrance of the shop and looks really inviting."
When asked about the reaction from people in Penrith, she said: "It's been very positive actually, people are very excited and saying 'this is great'.
"You can go into the Spar for instance and buy a Calypso, but there's not actually anywhere that has a proper freezer where you can go and pick your flavours. It's a bit of a gap in the market.
"I think that people appreciate we are really trying to bring every service into store."
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