Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Julia Moriconi, Founder of Mrs. Moriconi's Ice Cream, located in Worcester, MA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Mrs. Moriconi's Ice Cream makes small batches of chef-crafted ice cream, ice cream-filled pastries, and fruit ices using local dairy and whole fruit. My customers are frozen dessert enthusiasts who like top-quality ingredients and who like to know who makes their food.

Tell us about yourself

As a classically trained pastry chef, I pride myself on my balance of flavors and creativity. I am driven by the ability to make my products and interact with my customers. Originally from Chicago, I am a career changer. After working as a firefighter/paramedic, I decided to move to New York City and attend pastry school. During our section on making ice cream and sorbets, my chef instructor told me about Penn State's program. There was a waitlist. But during the entire academic year of 2018/2019, I commuted from Worcester to PSU to complete the Food Science and Safety Program in Dairy. My expertise in pastry brings great flavor and creative combinations. My expertise from Penn State allows me to formulate all of my own recipes and ratios. My goal is perfect ice cream!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My first ice cream sale was at a local farmers market on July 8, 2020. We were in the first year of the pandemic, and the shutdown was lifting slowly. When many food businesses were failing, I started my business and grew. My sales have helped me bootstrap my entire business. No one was lending money to food businesses in 2020, and it was still too difficult in 2021. It has been a healthy and steady pace, but my business has grown 300% every year.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

People think they can force their perception on me of what they want to see out of my business. It's not their business, and they rarely know ANYTHING about ice cream manufacturing or even the food industry in general.

For example, making ice cream does not obligate me to be a scoop shop. People get very attitudinal when my setup does not allow open food, scoops, toppings, or cones. They have no clue, ZERO, what it takes to run a scoop shop. I do not have the facility or the staffing for what they want. They get outright angry and scream about how Friendly's used to be in Tatnuck Square for many years. I am one person, not a big corporation with a complement of hundreds of employees. Once anyone mentions Friendly's, I know they cannot hear anything I have to say. Their mind is set, and they will not appreciate that an artisan ice cream maker is in their neighborhood. They usually don't even try my ice cream; they just send angry emails.

My regular customers appreciate that I use the most valuable dairy in the industry (milk and cream from Jersey cows because breed does matter). They appreciate that I work very hard physically and intellectually to bring something special to Worcester and central Massachusetts. They don't like cheap food and understand that I don't want to fill my high-end gourmet ice cream with cheap candy and mass-produced ingredients. I know I have a niche market, and I am perfectly happy with that; it's not for everybody. I also enjoy educating people about why my ice cream is so great. But having to spend any energy on the backlash from people who are not willing to open their minds to my product is the greatest hardship about my business.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Buckle up; it's not for the faint of heart! Get thick skin, be ready to work hard, and ignore the assholes.
  2. Set yourself up for success in every aspect. Just because something is available (a tool, machinery, staffing, or even a plan or location), it does not mean that it is feasible in reality. Really think out the processes and make sure you eliminate as many obstacles as possible because obstacles come from out of nowhere. Remember that it's okay to say no and protect yourself because no one else will.
  3. Make decisions and stick with them! Good or bad. Just start somewhere and adjust as things move forward. You cannot be wishy-washy or let indifference immobilize you. Get moving.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

We are weathering unprecedented times for small businesses. Inflation is a game changer for many, and it trickles down. We small business owners/artisans/makers are stuck in the middle, getting hit hard by our providers of raw materials and then our customers that are experiencing sticker shock. It is paramount that we value our own contributions and respect other people who exercise their craft too. There is no crystal ball to predict the future, so everything right now is a gamble.

With that said, I ensure that I still very much enjoy what I do every day. I love making ice cream. I love making new frozen items that really wow people. The minute it becomes unenjoyable, I am out! But I still got a lot of fight left, and I am going for it. Expect great things from me.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.mrsmoriconis.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mrs-Moriconis-2777664578974274/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrs.moriconis/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/icemoriconis
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-moriconi-71a11114/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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