# ice cream van, Catalonia?



## samcos (Mar 17, 2013)

Would this be a good idea in Catalonia? We do a very simuler business here in the UK, we hire out candy floss stalls, popcorn stalls, rodeo bulls etc etc. We have land in Amposta and would love to spend the whole summers there but cant afford to do it without some sort of work there, bringing over the rodeo bull etc is an option but wouldnt help for our bookings etc here, as it stands we have workers here so could quite easily run our UK business from Cat. Does anyone know the regulations, licences etc that you would need to run an ice cream van in Catalonia? And is it very hard work to get everything you need? I already have a spanish bank account and NIE number. Thanks in advance ;-)


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## David1979 (Feb 15, 2013)

Would living in Spain and running your business in the UK from there be an option? If that works financially then I'd go for that and maybe spend the summer doing some research in Spain, check and see what the viability is.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Well you'll probably have to register as self employed, and that will cost you around €260 upwards per month, if you sell anything or not

Then you will be competing with the Ice Cream shops which are all over the coastal areas

Then I'm sure you will need licences and insurance on top of that

A Rodeo Bull? That would be interesting, although to be honest the Spanish just tend to let real ones out on the street and then run like ****


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Stravinsky said:


> Well you'll probably have to register as self employed, and that will cost you around €260 upwards per month, if you sell anything or not
> 
> Then you will be competing with the Ice Cream shops which are all over the coastal areas
> 
> ...


Reminds me, San Fermin starts saturday week.


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

Has anyone ever seen an ice cream van in Spain? Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but I believe they are illegal here. If they are not, why are they not everywhere?


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## David1979 (Feb 15, 2013)

Madliz said:


> Has anyone ever seen an ice cream van in Spain? Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but I believe they are illegal here. If they are not, why are they not everywhere?


In the areas I've been to there are usually an abundance of ice-cream parlours, so I've always thought the vans were never really a done thing in Spain?


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## samcos (Mar 17, 2013)

Yeah that will be a good idea to spend the summer just checking it all out.

Yes there are plenty of ice cream shops etc in the local town but on the local beech there is a lot of sunseekers including lots of kids but nowhere at all for ice creams or even drinks for that matter, thats what gave me the idea ;-)


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Madliz said:


> Has anyone ever seen an ice cream van in Spain? Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but I believe they are illegal here. If they are not, why are they not everywhere?


No I havent, but there used to be a local guy selling fresh food that came near us, and he had an ice cream like tune playing to attract peoples attention. he didnt last for long though



samcos said:


> Yeah that will be a good idea to spend the summer just checking it all out.
> 
> Yes there are plenty of ice cream shops etc in the local town *but on the local beech there is a lot of sunseekers including lots of kids but nowhere at all for ice creams or even drinks for that matter, thats what gave me the idea ;-)*


I dont know why you think that. On gandia beach there are loads of Ice Cream "parlours" all along, and thats 3 kms. On Oliva beach there are two that I can think of, and thats only a small area.

Thats just the local stuff, I'm fairly sure it would be the same in most beach areas, but maybe its different in Catalonia


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I could be wrong, but I read somewhere that all mobile "ready to eat" caterers had to be attached to the mains and therefore had to be stationary???!!

At the risk of sounding negative, there are soooooo many wonderful ice cream parlours on every street corner and beachside selling real, "proper" icecreams of all flavours, that I doubt theres much call for a van

Jo xxx


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## samcos (Mar 17, 2013)

Jo you maybe right about the stationary thing i will have to check that out!

Yes lots of ice cream parlours in places like Gandia and most sea fronts. But if you type in "xtremspots escuela de kitesurf" in google maps this is the stretch im talking about. Not a shop in sight and a lovely sandy beech that goes on for miles and miles and is very busy in the summer months. Infact the kitesurf place is the one and only building for the full stretch that i know of.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

samcos said:


> Jo you maybe right about the stationary thing i will have to check that out!
> 
> Yes lots of ice cream parlours in places like Gandia and most sea fronts. But if you type in "xtremspots escuela de kitesurf" in google maps this is the stretch im talking about. Not a shop in sight and a lovely sandy beech that goes on for miles and miles and is very busy in the summer months. Infact the kitesurf place is the one and only building for the full stretch that i know of.



The question I'd have is Why??? With respect, I'm sure that if it was doable, it would have been done. 

Jo xxx


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

samcos said:


> Jo you maybe right about the stationary thing i will have to check that out!
> 
> Yes lots of ice cream parlours in places like Gandia and most sea fronts. But if you type in "xtremspots escuela de kitesurf" in google maps this is the stretch im talking about. Not a shop in sight and a lovely sandy beech that goes on for miles and miles and is very busy in the summer months. Infact the kitesurf place is the one and only building for the full stretch that i know of.


To be honest, I would have thought, like Jo, it would have been done, but there again.... Also have you thought that, the reason there is nothing there, because it is not allowed


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

I don't know why ice cream vans haven't caught on, but with all the Brits who've asked about it over the years there's got to be a reason - licensing, health and safety - something.
In Madrid there are ice cream stalls all over the city and I've seen the same kind of thing near some beaches too, but not all.
PS Mr Whippy seems to have a small presence here.
And doesn't anyone remember other threads about this and doing this at events??


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## mickbcn (Feb 4, 2013)

samcos said:


> Would this be a good idea in Catalonia? We do a very simuler business here in the UK, we hire out candy floss stalls, popcorn stalls, rodeo bulls etc etc. We have land in Amposta and would love to spend the whole summers there but cant afford to do it without some sort of work there, bringing over the rodeo bull etc is an option but wouldnt help for our bookings etc here, as it stands we have workers here so could quite easily run our UK business from Cat. Does anyone know the regulations, licences etc that you would need to run an ice cream van in Catalonia? And is it very hard work to get everything you need? I already have a spanish bank account and NIE number. Thanks in advance ;-)


I think will be better idea to sell hot dogs and hamburguers.instead ice creams( sorry my "coma" don't work) if you sell good product with a good price.. now people here don't have many money to expend in restaurants.. electricity is expensive to freeze the ice creams . gas is a little cheaper to cook the food.however don't hope get millions selling this in the streets. prepare to pay "autonomos" 280 euros per month sell or not sell and other taxes in the "ayuntamientos" of the villages you are.before expend one euro make one study about the market.( in the weekly market in my city there are one ambulant van who make many money selling this hot dogs.and he go to all the weekly markets in different cities. good luck. and take care.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Given that you won't be able to import a van from the UK due to the restrictions on homolgation of commercial vehicles, I would imagine that finding a Spanish company capable of building a compliant van would be astronomical!
Even if you could build it yourself, I can't even begin to contemplate the homologation cost and buraucracy!


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## thomas541 (Jul 7, 2013)

how much on average are ice cream stores charging per ball of ice cream ?


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## Dunpleecin (Dec 20, 2012)

I never considered doing it but I always wondered about Ice Cream van's in Spain but I think most of the questions have been answered. On most playas there are ice cream kiosks but they only sell pre packed ice cream from the freezers in there. The cafe's normally have an Heladeria too so I suppose if you want an ice cream you never have far to go.

They have Ice Cream vans in Belgium although they call them ice cream cars, but they're vans. Google that if you want a left hand drive one.


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## webmarcos (Dec 25, 2012)

Isn't it hard to get planning permissions on many beach fronts? I've read of so many cases where established bar-cafes struggle to keep their terrazas/chiringuitos legal and open, often paying enormous fees to the local council.

Chiringuito: The traditional beach bar



> In the past years there have been debates and discussions about keeping the beach bars. The regional government has enforced strict laws as they are located on public land and therefore the chiringuitos would need to move of the beach. However due to a large debate, they have now tried to find a balance in concern to the restaurants businesses and the environmental protection. After all the restaurants are an important economical issue as they employ over 40,000 people and generate approximately 500 million Euros a year.


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