Whippy Ice Cream

Hi Yarp - I do know what you mean and, although I am determined to stay here and try to make a living, it is not easy.  If you are non-Spanish there are separate rules and you are never going to compete on a level playing field.  This area is totally anti-business and they do not seem to mind that their policies are leading to so many business closures and a subsequent loss of income for the town hall. 

A group of us want to buy an old finca and set up an art gallery and cafe in the countryside and we have been told that you are not allowed to run a business in the country!  Everywhere you look there are ruined farmhouses and the authorities seem to be happy to let them rot rather than allow them to become productive businesses which would enhance the area and bring some money to the council at the same time!  However, I am a pretty stubborn person and am still hopeful we will find a way!

Rachel - I took the opportunity to have a chat with our local Mr Whippy people and they said not to even consider it!  (I said it was for another area so they weren't saying this due to fears about competition.)  They said that they had brought a van over from the UK and had to send it back as the authorities were going to have it crushed - there is no way to convert a UK van here.  They then had to buy a spanish van and send it to the UK to be fitted out - work that one out if you can!!  They have constant problems with supplies and getting licences and the Family Frost vans took a lot of their business last summer with their cheap packs of ice lollies.  They advised not to touch it with a barge pole!!

I think that you really need to come over and see for yourself what it is like here before you commit to any kind of business.  Rent a property and have a really good look around, talk to the town hall about licences, talk to locals about demand etc, before you spend anything.

Having said all that, I love Spain and have no intention of going back - I have made some lovely spanish friends and think that spanish people are not all as bad as Yarp makes out - the ones he's talking about all seem to work for the town hall!

Regards

Mike, I hate to rain on your parade but I would recommend you read through all the stuff on this thread about commercial vans and licenses to sell. It is a minefield.

A number of interesting posts,

personally think the cost of living in Spain to still be far below that of the UK,s major cities, am intrigued how 50% of the market stalls are able with or without licenses (HJDAGGER POST) are able to sell complete rip offs from watches down to ralph lauren polo,s!

Think like any business it will generally take 3 yrs plus to establish so a fall back plan is never a bad idea.

Despite the grass been greener until you have to mow it! I wish you every success and regardless of outcome at least yopu gave it a shot-remember none of us are in a dress rehearsal for this life thing!

In response to advisor. You are probably aware that all the car boot markets on the Costa Blanca south have been closed. The latest one to be closed was the San Javier autocine Saturday market. It will not reopen until all the stall holders have their correct paperwork. You will not get on to an official ayuntamiento market without all the correct paperwork.

The reason for closing all the car boots is that many of the stall holders were not paying any income tax or national insurance.

When you look more closely at the "rip off" brands you will see that either the name is spelt incorrectly  or the logo is different. This in effect means that they are not "rip offs"as you call them.

In response to Claire T. Jack is the name of the person you spoke to with the ice cream van. Jack traded with an english van for several years on Zoco market near Quesada. He was then told by the police that he had to either remove the van from Spain or face having it crushed. Jack then bought a Spanish cab and chasis and had the body fitted in the UK. jack informed me that he paid €85,000 to buy the van and have it converted to a Mr Whippy van.

My point is this. Jack has worked his ice cream business for many years he knows how profitable it is. He only got his new van last summer. Do you think he would have laid out all that money if his business was not profitable? Perhaps he was trying to put you off the idea.

I agree it is hard to get all the paperwork and as previously mentioned Spanish law states that you can not sell ice cream on the streets. I am aware that there are a couple of people doing this but eventually the police will catch up with them and they will lose their vans.

I have been running an ice cream trailer for over 12 months now and although it took me a very long time to get all the paperwork I did get it eventually. I also have a total of 8 legal Spanish markets. So it can be done but it is not easy.

Must not have caught on at our end of Spain (Duquesa) as yet as all spellings correct!

Presume when the regime you are talking about comes in that all these will then have to go?

hi all

sorry i havent been on in a while iv been working in the uk & not had much internet access.

thanks a million again for all your advise. especially Claire T Yarp & Harry. I think your right harry if i was running an unsucessful business i certainly wouldnt run out to spend €85k on a new van for it & if its so unsucessful where did he get €85k in the first place????? i am going to take the Spanish bull by the horns my house is on the market & we have 2 people bidding already & were dying to get out there. as for the Spanish people that yarp decribed im well aware of them mi Abuela was spanish & my father has lived there for 12 years i have spent a lot of time over there in the last 12yrs & still have cousins in Malaga. not all spaniards are like that just unfortunately the ones that are seem to be the beurocrats. they would rather a spaniard buy these old ruins & convert them & until some spaniard comes along (they will wait the long wait!!) no-one else will convert it. but i like your attitude Claire & i will keep my fingers crossed for you. if you ever do it shout me as my partner is a fantastic artist & wields a mean tea pot!!

as for the presumption i would buy a right hand drive UK van why???????? i think that would be daft from not only a cost factor but from a paperwork & logistics factor & not to mention driver visability!!! im happy to drive left hand drive after all i am moving to a country that drives on the right ;-)

harry if you would like to pop an e-mail to me that would be great as were still really keen & i hope the grandchild is doing well,

cheers guys x