It is hard to explain this fixation on the cost of a scoop of ice cream in Germany.
They are all surprised, but also in a positive way
Perhaps it is because people are determined to enjoy summer – which, in this region, is often marred by rain or the early arrival of autumn – to the fullest, and the ever-increasing price is a reminder that we live in less carefree times.
Or perhaps it is because a scoop of ice cream is often one of the first things people paid for when they started receiving pocket money as children.
Michael Boehmer, who runs Café Brezels in the town of Gaggenau, to the west of Stuttgart near the French border, believes that everyone should be able to treat themselves to a scoop of ice cream.
With more people struggling to make ends meet, this conviction prompted him to take a different approach – his cafe charges ice-cream lovers by the gram.
Boehmer believes this concept is fairer, as it allows customers to adjust their order according to what they can afford. Parents can order a smaller scoop for their children, for example.
He believes the new system “is a chance to show solidarity” with others. After all, it is up to businesses to decide how much they charge for their products, which brings a certain responsibility towards society.
The new concept also helps with bookkeeping, Boehmer says, since his staff all scoop slightly different amounts of ice cream – varying by up to 30 grams (one ounce).
Café Brezels charges €2 (US$2.20) for 100 grams of ice cream, a fair price considering that a scoop from one of Berlin’s hip ice cream parlours will usually cost you at least €2.
In Gaggenau, a conventional-sized scoop weighing 80 grams would cost €1.60.
Boehmer says his customers needed time to get used to ordering ice cream by weight. “They are all surprised, but also in a positive way,” he says.
Sergis Givargis is among those impressed with the change. “You only pay for what you get.”
Steffi Wick agrees. The concept is designed “so everyone can afford it, which isn’t a given any more these days,” she says. “That’s why I think it’s great.”
Boehmer realised that his customers tend to go for smaller scoops now, weighing less than 80 grams, which means sales are down, but he is fine with that. “It’s about fairness, which is much more important.”
The new approach has not overcomplicated things either, he says. Instead of ordering a scoop weighing exactly 91.5 grams, most customers simply ask for either a small or a big scoop.
