Not even all the winter snow in Franconia has melted, yet the first ice cream is already back on display. Around Nürnberg, ice cream parlors and cafés are gearing up for the upcoming season — some are already welcoming their first guests despite temperatures still being in the single digits.
The ice cream café Cristallo announced on Friday that it will start the new season already over the weekend. For the café in Mögeldorf, this is by no means unusual – it traditionally begins sales very early in the year, according to inquiries. Although the winter months are bridged, this year for example through a temporary lease to Lebkuchen Schmidt, the ice cream café has long since become a fixed meeting point in the district.
Opening as early as February is mainly possible thanks to the many regular customers. They usually look forward to "having a place of their own again", emphasizes Cristallo.
Ice even in winter – albeit with shorter opening hours
Campo Eis in Schniegling has already kicked off the ice cream season. Since February 7th, the café has been open regardless of the weather. Such a short winter break is by no means unusual there. After the last Advent, including the traditional Advent brunch, the ice cream parlor reopens about six weeks later, in early February, the team explains. As soon as the weather warms up, opening hours will be extended.
In Fürth, the both ice cafés da Claudio and Vanilla have already stocked their first counters. The Nürnberg-based café Halt die Waffel was also open for a few hours over the weekend.
Not the season, but production begins
The ice cream parlor Eis im Glück in Nürnberg is currently deep in preparations. Production resumed as early as the beginning of January — though at the moment, only for the ice cream vending machines, Michael Medrea explained to the editorial team. The shops are planned to follow a fixed schedule, as in the previous year: "Friedrich-Ebert-Platz and Fenitzerplatz will open in mid-March, with Jobst and Gostenhof joining the season in staggered intervals once we have trained enough staff." The mid-March dates are firmly set and not dependent on the weather. Decisions about opening other Eis im Glück locations will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Die kleine Eismanufaktur intends to open in Nürnberg as soon as the warmer, sunnier spring days arrive. Therefore, the team stated in response to inquiries that no specific opening date is set yet.