Topper's Creamery discovers niche, plans rapid expansion
By Eric Snider
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Jul 16, 2015

For nine years, Valrico-based Topper's Creamery has been quietly opening small, quaint units in suburban locations throughout Central Florida. Now the brand is ready for a big push built around a revamped business model.

A stated goal of opening 18 units in the next 18 months could be looked upon as a fool's errand if not for the company's emerging emphasis on placing kiosks in existing businesses (hotels and college campuses thus far) and co-branding with other concepts. The sub-brand is called Topper's Creamery Express.

One of the existing four kiosks is in the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort, sharing space with Tampa-based Joffrey's Coffee & Tea Co. Topper's has plans to set up shop in the football and basketball facilities at University of Central Florida.

"We decided that since it's such an open area of opportunity, and our four attempts have been hugely successful, that we'd put some emphasis there,” said Lou DiFazio, the recently appointed vice president of operations.

Topper's has a "99.9 percent done” deal for what it calls a "Non-Traditional Area Development Agent Agreement” to open 24 express locations in Pinellas County.

DiFazio declined to name the new partner because the arrangement is not fully completed, but said the person was established, an owner of "multiple locations.”

DiFazio estimated capital costs for each kiosk at roughly $25,000 to $30,000, with a reasonable expectation of doing $50,000 in annual revenue, and a 35 percent return.

"The return on investment is tremendous,” he said. "You go into an existing place, clear out four to six linear feet. There's no incremental labor costs, very little energy cost. And you're selling a profitable, high-end product.” That product is soft-serve ice cream in waffle cones, which are made fresh all day long, DiFazio said.

The proprietary ice cream formula is produced at Dairy Mix in Alabama and delivered to Topper's locations by U.S. Foods.