Inflation has increased the cost of living across Europe.
In Germany, people look at one specific indicator every summer to determine how much value they get for their money: the price of a scoop of ice cream.
Join the queue at your local ice cream parlour anywhere in the world, from Bavaria and Berlin to the Baltic Sea, and you’re bound to hear complaints about the astronomical prices that are once again spiralling out of control.
It’s hard to explain why people are so fixated on the price of a scoop, while other countries complain about the price of eggs.
Perhaps it’s because people are determined to make the most of summer (which in this region is often marred by rain or the onset of autumn), and the rising price of ice cream is a stark reminder of less carefree times.
Or maybe it’s because a scoop of ice cream is one of the first things people pay for with their own pocket money.
Michael Böhmer, who runs a café in the town of Gaggenau, west of Stuttgart, near the French border, believes that everyone should be able to treat themselves to a scoop of ice cream.
As more and more people struggle to make ends meet, this belief has prompted him to take a different approach. His café now charges ice cream lovers by the gram.
Böhmer believes that this concept is fairer, because customers can adjust their order to their budget.
Parents can order a smaller ball for their children, says Böhmer.
He believes the new system is “an opportunity to show solidarity” with others.
After all, companies decide for themselves how much they charge for their products, he says, and that entails a certain responsibility towards society.
A fair price
The new concept also helps with bookkeeping, says Böhmer.
Because his staff all scoop slightly different amounts of ice cream, up to 30 grams, it is good for his balance to calculate per gram.
At Café Brezels they charge €2 ($2.20) for 100 grams of ice cream. A reasonable price considering that a scoop of ice cream at one of the trendy ice cream parlors in Berlin will usually cost you at least €2.
At Gaggenau, a standard 80 gram measuring scoop costs €1.60.
According to Uniteis, an association of ice cream manufacturers, ice cream in Germany is still cheaper on average than in Spain, Italy or France. There, a scoop of ice cream costs between €3 and €4.50 on average.
‘You pay only for what you get’
Böhmer says his customers needed time to get used to ordering ice cream by the gram. “They are all surprised, but also in a positive way,” he says.
Sergis Givargis is one of those impressed by the change. “You only pay for what you get.”
Steffi Wick agrees. The concept is designed “so that everyone can afford it, which is not a given these days,” she says. “That’s why I love it.
Café owner Böhmer noticed that his customers are now more often choosing smaller buns, weighing less than 80 grams. That means sales are down, but he’s fine with that, he says.
“It’s about honesty, and that’s much more important.”
The new approach hasn’t made things more complicated either, says the owner.
Instead of ordering a scoop that’s exactly 3 ounces, most customers simply ask for a small or large scoop, he says.
