New ice creamery wants an additional scoop of local market share
The frozen novelty industry is about to get sweeter when That’s Cold JA— a new ice creamery— officially launches its line of authentic products and as it seeks to carve out additional market share.
“It’s an authentic Jamaican brand that we are launching to the country. We carry two non-dairy flavours and three dairy products,” said Shanique Bethune, owner of That’s Cold JA.
Having introduced its products to the market last year September, the company will be executing an official launch to the public to be held via live stream on its social media pages and at a downtown Kingston location tomorrow, Saturday, January 17.
The frozen dairy products, which are currently sold in locations such as Gloria’s Seafood and Megamart, Bethune said, have been gaining traction locally as the word gets out and demand increases.
“We entered into a partnership with Megamart with three of our products and are currently in their Kingston and Montego Bay stores and will be rolling out to their other branches within the first quarter of this year. We will also be expanding to Ocho Rios by the second quarter. We are also in final discussions with two business hotels in Kingston, a vegan cafe in the western city and another supermarket chain,” she told the Jamaica Observer.
“I didn’t expect the business to take off as much as it did in September but because we also offer deliveries, patronage grew significantly during the period due to an increased number of people that were ordering. Between the months of Septemberdecember, we got orders every single day for every single week,” she further disclosed to the Caribbean Business Report, noting that the two sizes currently offered includes an 8 and 32-ounce container which retails at $650 and $1900, respectively.
Bethune, who wants to get her products into the international market, where they have also made a premature entry and gained approval through friends who have taken the product abroad, said that she is currently working with entities such as the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (Jampro) to fine-tune the requisite patents and export licence needed to expand overseas. This she, however, said was a more long-term objective as the current focus is to grow the business locally.
“My intention is by the end of the year to be in every parish across Jamaica,” she stated.
With an infusion of authentic local products such as jackfruit, lemon grass, passion fruit, among others, including an upcoming coffee flavour, Bethune believes her business offers good competition and stacks up well against the more popular ice cream brands on the market.
“I believe the edge I have over other products is the authenticity of the Jamaican produce. There are also no preservatives or additives in the product as everything is raw and natural,” she said.
Having started the business out of a desire to get creative in the kitchen along with the availability of some backyard produce and an ice cream machine that was gifted to her by friends, the burgeoning entrepreneur, who said she has already invested about a million dollar into the small operation, aims to grow the business into a world-class brand with sizeable turnovers, indicating that just within the few months of operation, the business has grown by some 45-60 per cent.
Operating from a Bureau of Standards certified single-room production area within her St Andrew home and with the help of her parents, Bethune hopes to continue in taking the business to higher heights. She, however, cited the need for additional resources as most wanting.
“Capital is what I will need most to grow at the desired pace. The amount of product that has to be produced in order to maintain the supply needed — I’m going to need to have a lot more stuff, hence additional investment and getting more persons to buy into the product becomes very critical as we seek to saturate the market,” she said.