We Scream for Ice Cream

I spent a great deal of time in the north eastern part of the United States trying to find retail space for lease, for an ice cream company. I know what you are thinking, the north east is already cold, and why would I be there trying to find locations for ice cream sales! Well, you all know that Ben & Jerry’s is from Vermont, and that alone is crazy, so ice cream in the north east is compared to selling ice to Eskimos.

Take a step back and consider this; if you are standing in the middle of Times Square, in Manhattan, NY, all you see around you are brand names. That fact alone was the main reason why I found myself there.

I spent two full weeks counting traffic, including foot traffic, on the busiest streets in Manhattan, trying to find that ‘perfect’ location for Cold Stone Creamery. I ended up on 42nd street and Broadway, what is known as the “Entertainment District”, right across the street from Madame Tussuad’s wax museum, and right next to BB King’s place. It was pretty neat to see it all at night. (one of those ‘have to be there’ things).

So, I wanted to make a run at this place, and I did. It was not as simple as a normal lease transaction should be, because after all, I was in New York City! It was fun though. I recall sitting at a huge conference room table, on the 44th floor of some building, across from twelve New York attorneys. I was nervous to say the least. This was when I was 25 years old.

End of the day, they taught me a few things about negotiations, but Cold Stone Creamery can now be seen by the world in Times Square, NY.

I will update this post as I get comments to do so.