Via Veneto Italian Ice - A solid choice

A lot of people are trying to figure out the best way to jump into the Italian ice business, and for good reason. It can be really profitable. Notice that I didn’t say easy. You have to be willing to put in the time, even if the plan is for it to be a part time gig to supplement your full time job. I think Via Veneto Italian Ice is a good supplier to consider  if you’re not ready to make your own. In this post, I’ll provide a review of Via Veneto as a company, as well as Via Veneto’s distribution and marketing strengths.

There are a lot of options out there and all these choices can make it hard to decide which way to go.

Here are some reasons why I like  Via Veneto.

1. They will happily sell you full pallets of Italian Ice, but they also have independent distributors in many parts of the country – primarily the Northeast and Southeast. See the end of this blog for more details.  This is a big deal. Paying a little more for a tub of ice, and being able to buy small quantities that are delivered directly to you is a HUGE advantage for most people just starting out. Why? Managing pallet inventories can get tricky and expensive. For one, you have to rent cold storage space in order to stock your water ice (another common term for Italian Ice).

In the event there is no local distributor in the market you plan to sell in, then the 4 gallon plastic tubs that Via Veneto uses are a great plus. They protect the product well, and you can see if the product has suffered heat shock and separated. The fact is the tubs will be handled frequently and the plastic tubs are stronger than cardboard. Plus, they’ll  last for up to 2 years (they are coded) as long as they are stored properly (zero or below zero).

2. At Via Veneto, you can actually speak to someone (Jim @ 800-339-6010) who will take the time to talk to you. This can sometimes be tough during busy season, but Jim is a straight shooter – if he can’t walk you through a question, he’ll ask you to give him a call back.

Now on  to Italian ice carts and what I recommend.

Keep in mind that this cart does not include a hand washing sink, and your county might require something to that effect. Maybe not….if you tell them Italian ice is water based…you might get away with using a different scoop for each flavor. Meeting health department requirements is your responsibility, so make sure you are clear on what they want. To see a good article on an inexpensive way to try and meet that hand washing station requirement that some states have, click HERE.
Click HERE for a good trailer option for towing the cart.

Prices quoted below are subject to change. NOTE: Nobody will sell you a Nelson cart for lower than we will. Not even if you go to Nelson direct.

We guarantee we’ll give the lowest price…period!

• Cost on the BD6-CE-00, with cold plates is $4149 + $375 shipping (includes lid locking bar, digital thermostat, umbrella bracket and square glass sneeze guard as well as other standard features)
  • Fits 6 of the Via Veneto tubs on top, 4 in storage underneath

• Cost on the BD4-CE-00, with cold plates is $3449 + $350 shipping (includes lid locking bar, digital thermostat, umbrella bracket and square glass sneeze guard as well as other standard features)
  • Fits 4 of the Via Veneto tubs on top, 2 in storage underneath

If you end up needing the sink, you would want the BD6-CE-03. Goes for about $5500 without cold plates or $6200 with cold plates.

Here are a couple of pictures of what a BD6-CE-00 looks like. This guy was using Via Veneto product, but branding it under his own label, Roma Ice.
Keep in mind that we can do the graphics for you, but it costs around $600. Most of the time, you can have a local sign or print company do a vinyl graphic for
a fraction of that cost. The BD4-CE-00 is the same thing, just a little smaller.

See a drawing of  the BD4-CE-00 below:

See a drawing of  the BD6-CE-00 below:

If you end up needing a hand washing cart on your cart, you will want to go with a BD6-CE-03, which is pictured below;

BD6-CE-03 Cart with sink pictured above. Also includes optional fold down cash drawer.

Add $125 for an umbrella, unless you have a custom umbrella or you will be using a Via Veneto Umbrella.
If you purchase the one we stock, this is what it looks like:

More specs on the Nelson carts below:

All Nelson ooutdoor ice cream pushcarts are manufactured with stainless steel bottoms to minimize the chances of interior corrosion when product is left melted inside the freezer cart.

The tops on the Nelson ice cream carts are made of stainless steel with welded corners.

All Nelson carts are equipped with the finest cart wheels in the industry- long-lasting, natural rubber wheels with natural UV protection against sunlight that embrittles cheaper wheels

All electrically operated Nelson ice cream carts will be ETL or UL listed for outdoor use.

All Nelson ice cream carts will be NSF listed for the appropriate use.

All Nelson ice cream pushcarts will have over sized electrical power cords suitable for outdoor use.

Lid locks are provided on all ice cream carts as standard equipment.

All Nelson ice cream carts have heavy-duty welded aluminum base frames for maximum strength and minimum weight.

Nelson carts are standard for ice cream novelty temperatures.  Alternate uses, such as carts for Italian ice, water ice, other products can be specified at time of order for other temperatures.

Nelson ice cream carts specified for scooping ice cream, for Italian ice or water ice, or for gelato will have digital temperature control to provide precise setting of the desired temperatures.

Standard specs for both models:

• Lid locks standard on all models.
• Top to be stainless steel, standard. Optional solid surface materials.
• Base frame to be welded aluminum.
• All exposed corners welded and polished smooth.
• Finished exterior with white lexan standard.
• Wheels to be 6″ diameter (2) swivel w/locks, (2) rigid. Load rating of wheel to be a minimum of 350 lbs. each. Optional 8″ casters available.
• Interior of cart to be stainless steel, standard.
• Bottom drain installed for defrost.
• Carts to have 5 year limited warranty against cold plate failure, insulation failure or internal tubing leaks.
• Carts to be NSF and ETL listed for outdoor use.
• 115 volts, optional 220.
• Sink system requires separate 15 amps of 115v. electric service.

Another option you might consider, is the BDC-8. The door is smaller, so you can’t reach the tubs as easily, and it doesn’t include a sneeze guard, but it costs less than the BD6-CE-00 and the BD4-CE-00. And it is a cold plate cart. Which means its good for up to 12 house without electricity.

Your cost = $2874 + $290 shipping = $3164. Add $125 for an umbrella (see it HERE) – or buy your own locally – the bracket holds any standard umbrella. Note: Canopy is not included in this price. If you want the canopy shown in the video, add $1500. Custom Grahics are $600. Most people have the graphics done locally in vinyl decals for example. Going to a local printer will save you some $. We also have a generic “Italian ice” graphic as show in the picture below. If no graphics are ordered from us, the carts ship with plain white “lexan” – which is like plexiglass, and you can apply the vinyl decals to those panels.

Watch video on the BDC-8  HERE

Model BDC8 Ice Cream Push Cart

* Capacity 8.5 cu.ft.
* Approx 850 Novelties or (6) 3-gal cans top +(4) lower storage, 10 ice cream tubs total.
* Cold Plates Standard
* 1/3 h.p. compressor
* R404a refrigerant
* 115 volts, 6 amps

Generic Italian Ice graphic package ($450):

Generic Ice Cream Graphics ($450)

More information on the product and distribution alternatives direct from the Via Veneto website:

If you’re considering investment in the booming Italian ice industry and looking for a supplier of bulk product for hand dipping read this page carefully — know what you are buying.

There can be problems with Italian Ice products known as Separation & Crystalization. Separation taking place when the heaver-than-water ingredients separate from the water base and end up in the bottom of the container in a gooey unpalatable mess. Crystalization is the flavorless ice left on the top.

VIA VENETO ITALIAN ICE, INC. HAS LEARNED HOW TO CONTROL THE PROBLEM OF SEPARATION & CRYSTALLIZATION.

Storage
Via Veneto award winning, superior quality, Italian Ice can be stored for two years or more maintaining a constant zero degree fahrenheit while in the original sealed container.

Serving
For ease of serving we suggest 10 to 12 degrees F. for your serving freezer temperature which will maintain the product for a minimum of 16 weeks. The reason for the warmer than storage temperature is that the product is frozen to hard to scoop at 0 deg. F.and also at this temp. the flavor is at maximum.

See the Quality —- Via Veneto Italian Ice is packed in see-through four gallon heavy wall plastic containers so you can view the quality before you open the container or accept delivery. A solid color from top to bottom assures quality; a very dark color in the bottom with a pale color in the rest of the container indicates separation.

Via Veneto Italian Ice containers are date coded with a gasket lid and have a tamper-evident seal for your peace of mind.

DISTRIBUTION

WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS (For Via Veneto Italian Ice)

Please post any questions or comments below that you might have.

Or give us a call to talk about what type of cart might be best for you.

Thanks!