Angelica d'augusta

Creating Cream Angelica D’Augusta

Acknowledgements I would like to thank Freestyle Academy for giving me this amazing experience and giving me the resources I needed to complete this project.

Thank you to Jimmy, Helen, Bill, Angelo and the rest of the Cream crew. Lastly, thank you to my parents for their support through this long process.

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Every thing Around Me!

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Table of Contents Acknowledgements.........................................................................................3

Preface................................................................................................................7 Introduction........................................................................................................9

Chapter One: Starting from Scratch.............................................11

Chapter Two: Affordable and Delectable....................................16

Chapter Three: Cookies, Community, and Character............22

Conclusion............................................................................................................27 Works Cited.....................................................................................................29

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or the duration of this project I found that there were many more challenges in creating a documentary than I expected. Looking through examples of books and videos in the Freestyle Galleries, I thought to myself that maybe it wouldn’t be so hard. However, I was quite wrong.

Having to pick a topic seemed to be so easy for me; there are so many things in the world that I’m interested in like nature or health or crafts. However finding something that met requirements was difficult. Somewhere convenient, interesting, with a researchable topic seemed to almost be a hopeless case, but thanks

Preface

to our constant searching, my film partner and I were able to decide on Cream. Since then, we had

found many amazing people who wanted this to work, helping us as much as possible.

Starting a small busi-

ness is something that not as many people as I expected know about, for living the Bay Area. Being able to tell the story of how Cream was able to become what it is today was an interesting and entertaining one to tell. The amount of work that I had to put into this project in all aspects, from working around other’s schedules and making sure that all necessary equipment was ready to go when needed was some of the hardest work I’ve done, but I really found that there’s so many interesting ways to tell a story which not only captivates your audience but allows you to have fun with your work.

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Introduction

n the Bay Area, new uprising restaurants sprout pretty often, so there’s no surprise that a new ice cream shop has opened up locally. Yes, it seems creative and hip, like every other aspiring business, however this one’s different. Why is there a line coming out the door every day? Photos of this place popping up on your social media all the time? Finally, you decide to join the line. The employees are chatting with customers, giving them attention.

The smell of fresh baked cookies fills your nose. A charming environment, the interior set up is well laid out, and the employees are all in uniform, getting the job done but still be able to interact with others. This is Creating Cream.

Cream is becoming a popular franchise, with ten locations in California, nine in the Northern region and one newly opened in LA, and ten more on the way. Cream started as a family business in Berkeley with no intention to spread internationally, let alone throughout California.

Cream is an ice cream store that specializes in more than just the frozen treat. The company has taken the idea of an ice cream sandwich and has allowed personal customization for each consumer. They have taken the household pastimes of creating ice cream and baking cookies, combining the two of them is an enjoyable treat that includes the gooey warmth of a cookie and the cool flavorful taste of the ice cream. Cream has worked to specifically customize every product to an individual’s wants. Although the ice cream sandwich has been around for a long time, Cream has found a way to spread out to the population in satisfying customers by using premium products while maintaining an affordable price. Chris Seabury of Investopedia says that some of the most necessary steps to create a well functioning business there are a few things you need to be aware of, such a being creative, offering good service, and staying organized. I believe that in order to continue operating a successful business and franchise it is important to create an idea, that is “memorable and effective in changing thought or behavior” as Chip and Dan Heath, authors of Made to Stick share. In order to do that, you need to have a creative and unique idea that is essentially untapped. I have drawn together that there are many things that you need to keep in mind when starting a business, but it is repeatedly stressed that an atmosphere that is comfortable and exciting which brings the community together helps with expanding your customers. Also, finding a way to compromise and create a product that is cheap and enjoyable is usually remembered during their experience. Finding a balance that incorporates these details is what leads to success, and after going in and watching how Cream operates, I can confirm that embodying these components really ends with a successful outcome.

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Chapter One: Starting from Scratch ulling all the little details and necessities of a business takes a while. You may need to experiment until you get the final outcome you want, similar to creating your own new recipe trying to perfect everything. Cream CEO and founder Jimmy Shamieh was able to recall what how his family had began, “My wife would bake cookies at home...we have 2 children, and they were very young at the time, they would love the fresh baked cookies and they’d put all kinds of stuff in between.” He explains, “Then my wife would try to make homemade ice cream.

And because she used the premium products to produce the ice cream, our kids just loved it.

And they were ingenious and that they put the ice cream in between the big freshly baked cookies and that was an instant

hit” (Shamieh). Like many other companies, Cream did not expect to get so popular.

Shamieh tells us that only five years ago did his family think about selling this product and after seeing the enjoyment it brought consumers, the idea to expand presented itself and Cream took the leap of spreading out. Thus, creating a franchise all throughout Northern California, now making it’s way to Southern California.

Making a company isn’t all that easy. Andrew Beattie states that “There are many standard challenges that face every business whether they are large or small. These include things like hiring the right people, building a brand and so on.” (Beattie). Shamieh claims they had to pull money together, asking friends and family in order to get the needed technology and

experiment this new scheme.

Having to invest in this business called for tricky planning. It’s impossible to create a timeline that gave exact ideas of success. “Success requires focus, discipline and perseverance. However, success will not come overnight.” Seabury tells us for advice of growing a successful business. Shamieh tells us that he found himself having to plan around the market in 2010.

Getting an idea that appeals to a general public is always a long shot. Yet, Cream has been able to expand on their menu to appeal to a larger spectrum. Angelo, a team member from the Palo Alto location for two years says “Our energy and vibe as a store, it makes us unique… and the options, and we have a lot of choices and you can sample the ice cream, it sets

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us apart from other places.” With so many different offers, Cream has been able to welcome more and more customers following the idea to create a distinctive identity suggested

by April Niell.

Designing a brand that you can own is important to make it stay. Making sure that the name isn’t trademarked (Robinson) but then making sure it is catchy and able to stick with people is key. When Shamieh and his family were planning a design they wanted to include simplicity and something that they could have personalized to fit their community. “Incorporating delightful colors and having hidden design materials,” Helen Gutierrez, the marketing manager of Cream tells us. “You’re going to see the same logos the same uniforms the way we train our employees, the brand culture is all really similar, it’s something we are

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ready to grow and scale.” Franchising was never something that they believed to happen. In this specific case, Cream tries to incorporate local ideas in each store while maintaining uniformity: “So for LA, we’re looking at celebrities because it’s Hollywood town and that’s going to be a little bit different from when we launched in Elk Grove which was more about local community” (Gutierrez).

It is also important that a franchiser helps the franchisees with developing the company in its early states. According to Gutierrez, “A lot of people know about cream but it doesn’t have as much recognition as here in the Bay Area. So what we do when we launch a new market

that all the brand and our key mission and premium products, affordability, respect and fun is key every single step of the way.

So we assume nothing and think maybe they don’t know us.” Helen tells us how they set up a new franchise: “And then we present and open a new market that way.

Also, it takes a lot for the Franchise owner to get to know their own market and they help us and we help them in communicating” (Guiterrez).

The importance of reaching out to a specific community in each individual location allows the people in the area to feel more connected and comfortable with the company. Cream was able to secure principles that they believed that would appeal to customers and had struck gold with what they ended up with.

“We think, how is it going to bring surprise or delight to people?�

Helen Guiterrez

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Chapter Two: Affordable and Delectable n Ghirardelli Square, the cheapest item on the menu is a cup of tea for $2.25. With that same money, you can order a sandwich from Cream. This is ironic because Ghirardelli Square is an ice cream place, however most of their sundaes sell for up to $8.95. With that much money you can get your own sandwich and treat three of your friends. Once having the experience of spending $40 on ice cream for his family from Ghirardelli, Jimmy decided that it was time to make a product that had a focus of affordability, especially to please larger families. This is how the principle of having a cheap product with premium components

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became such an essential element for Cream. Jimmy tells us “Premium products with affordability always resonated with people. Who doesn’t like that?” (Shamieh). Setting the importance of having a prod-

ing cheated in a sense. Being able to combine quality and affordability makes people to want to come back for more, benefiting both sides.

Palo Alto employee Angelo jokes with us, giving us insight about the taste of the dessert, “The food is good, " Premium products with I used to eat it but I had to affordability, Who doesn't like stop because I would get that?” ice cream or something like every shift.” (Angelo). Obviuct that is cheaper means that ously, the quality of the treats more people can come back showed through to customers for more and enjoy the prod- because during the time Palo Alto location manager Bill uct and not feel bad about Caldwell was explaining the spending so much money. inner workings of Cream, the The idea of premium versus line to order was never dead. mediocre is important to

Journalist Leo Sun has Jimmy because he feels that if top notch products are not written an article explaining given out, the customer is be- the importance of old time

concept quality over quantity.

He explains that it’s common in the business world that managers often overlook this because they focus on trying to up production rates so they have more items available to sell. Both Jimmy and Bill were able to explain that is not their goal at all, they want customers to feel like they’re being properly treated. Sun claims that “Favoring quality over quantity will increase your company’s reputation and increase product loyalty, which will keep your business sustainable in the long run” (Sun). Cream has easily accomplished that because as Bill had said, “For Yelp reviews we have hundreds, not like the usual place. Cream has so many reviews, and that has a lot of impact, and excite-

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ment. It creates a lot of hype for those who haven’t been to Cream yet, and for those who have” (Caldwell).

If you were to enter Cream, you would see that they had added a electronic message board that displays social media posts about Cream. Helen Gutierrez tells us that social media shows “Lots of product photos, people eat with their eyes first. By posting lots of photos costumers are advertising by sending it out” (Gutierrez). All different types of social media posts that are uploaded by consumers allow everyone that sees the awareness of how enjoyable Cream really is, if it’s worthy of someone’s public internet life, it obviously has importance to them and others.

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Chapter Three: Cookies, Community, and Character e’ve all been in experiences where there has been terrible services acted towards you which just made you frustrated and wanted to leave. Jimmy tells us that creating an environment that puts the customer at ease is something very important to him. This filtered into having customers being trained to have fun on the job. Angelo enjoys working at Cream, telling us “The best thing is the people, we always try to encourage each other and say like ‘good job’ whenever they do a good job of doing something” (Angelo). His manager Bill tells us that the happiness and companionship between all employees really puts the customers in a good mood as

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well, “Here they come in for fun. They’ve waited in line for a sweet treat, they walk in the door, the music is pumping.”

He explains the atmosphere, “Everyone’s kinda bobbing their heads, grooving to the tunes, all the employees are always friendly. A lot of that interaction in that aspect really makes is a pleasant experience” (Caldwell). Bill was able to also continue, saying “It’s about that experience and that atmosphere. You gotta keep that crew upbeat with that line that never ends, that Cream is know for. The crew can get a bit run down, gotta make sure you give some breaks, a couple cheerleading moments, its about pushing forward with that quality”

Once that comfort is implemented by the workers, the next step is personalizing each Cream to make it unique to the location, building the community, yet keeping a uniformity through out. Bill lets us know, “They’re responsible for picking out that warm and soft cookie, it’s not all about churning out sandwiches… it’s also about making sure that the customer is surprised and delighted and had a really good experience” (Caldwell). Angelo confirms that he feels like his main job is creating that bond with the customers saying, “To me, making sure they’re satisfied and happy when leaving the store” (Angelo).

Taking an even further step to achieve a relation-

“It’s about the experience and that atmosphere, gotta keep that crew upbeat with that line that never ends.”Bill Caldwell

ship with customers, Helen Guiterrez tells us that the headquarters encourages the franchises to learn about the community that they are setting up in to see how they can connect with the citizens. For example, in Berkley, having similar colors to the Cal colors, they can make propaganda for upcoming football games, rallying them together. In El Dorado, they encourage Cream to support their local baseball teams. This is important because it allows the people there a to feel a sense of community through this ice cream store. Shamieh says “team members are our biggest assets they’re the front-

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line of customer interaction” (Shamieh). This correlates well with Stuart Leung’s published piece on Forbes saying “Your product or service will attract them initially, maybe even bring them back a second time,” and continues, “But what consistently entices customers to return is trust that they’re going to have a good, barrierless customer experience” (Leung). It works though, Angelo is always seeing people coming and going satisfied, “I guess it leaves people happy… it’s a fun place for people to hang out,

… it’s a nice environment for people to come and chill.”

Cream is able to pride themselves on their exciting atmosphere and that’s something to be proud of. Not many companies literally tell their team members to sing along-loudly- to the blaring music, if that’s what gets them comfortable and in a happy mood in order to serve their customers with respect and form a bond. This quality gives Cream a huge advantage and is one of the many reasons why they are becoming so popular so quickly.

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a difference with cus s e k a m tomer e er h p s o s... T tm a hey m ea r C com e e i “Th nf or fu B i ll Cald n wel l

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Conclusion

he process of creating anything, whether it be a English term paper or a movie is long and enduring and going to be full of amazing ideas but some ideas that might just not make the cut. In the world of making a business, making mistakes is bound to happen no matter what and trying to avoid obstacles is basically impossible. Cream being able to tell their story of success is an interesting one to allow the general audience learn the whole experience. Creating the whole business, step by step was important, but Cream was able to isolate the most important and key elements and built on from there, landing it the success it has today.

Now Cream is known for it’s hospitality, affordability, and of course how appetizing it is.

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Works Cited “Angelo, Palo Alto Cream Team Member Interview.” Personal interview. 11 Apr. 2015.

Apfelbaum, Joe. “Marketing Budget For Small Businesses.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 6 Mar. 2015. Web. 27 Mar. 2015.

Beattie, Andrew. “5 Biggest Challenges Facing Your Small Business.” Investopedia. N.p., 08 Dec. 2011. Web. 02 Apr. 2015.

“Bill, Palo Alto Cream Manager Interview.” Personal interview. 11 Apr. 2014.

Heath, Chip, and Dan Heath. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. New York: Random House, 2007. Print.

“Helen Gutierrez, Cream Marketing Manager.” Personal interview. 4 Mar. 2015.

“Jimmy Shamieh, Cream CEO and Founder.” Personal interview. 4 Mar. 2015.

Leung, Stuart. “What Is Good Customer Service?” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 10 Sept. 2014. Web. 27 Mar. 2015.

Niell, April. “Tips for Building a Powerful Brand Identity for Your Small Business.” Naperville Sun. April Neill Public Relations, 26 July 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2015.

“Original Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop.” Menu. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2015.

Robinson, Nicole. “Five Things You Should Know Before Starting A Business.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 11 June 2013.

Web. 27 Mar. 2015.

Seabury, Chris. “9 Tips For Growing A Successful Business.” Investopedia. N.p., 05 Oct. 2008. Web. 02 Apr. 2015.

Sun, Leo. “The Importance of Quality Over Quantity.” Business Dictionary Articles. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.

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BACK COVER

About the Author

Angelica “Geli” D’Augusta lives in Northern California with her family and is a junior at Los Altos High School and Freestyle Academy. You can usually find Geli with her friends. She has a passion for traveling and photography and loves adventures, especially when it involves the beach. Between balancing school and enjoying life, Geli is usually running around with a field hockey stick and a ball.

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