Published: January 02, 2009 11:31 pm      

SMALL BUSINESS: Local ice cream producers make product available in stores

No matter where they were, Erik Bernardi and Jason Wulf would hear the same question when people were having some of their ice cream.

“So where can we find your ice cream?”

Now the two Lockport High School teachers have an answer. Bernardi and Wulf have brought their Lake Effect Artisan Ice Cream to a few local retail locations. Markets such as Salmon Ridge Mercantile in Newfane, Niagara County Produce in Amherst and Niagara Produce Lockport on Chestnut Street will be carrying the homemade ice cream in a variety of unusual flavors. Folks will be able to buy the ice cream in 12-ounce containers.

In the near future, Wulf said Lake Effect will be available at the Lexington Co-operative Market on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo and Premier Gourmet on Delaware Avenue in Kenmore. The five locations provide a better answer than what Bernardi and Wulf used to give.

“We would jokingly say here,” Bernardi said. “We realized we needed to start moving in the direction of getting ourselves in locations where people can buy us whenever they wanted.”

The Lake Effect endeavor began about a year and a half ago. Not only are Wolf and Bernardi both teachers at Lockport, they are also next-door neighbors who each had a passion for making homemade ice cream. Both were looking for something else to do over the summer and both had their own ice cream machines.

“We would compete,” Wulf said, laughing. “We wanted to do something. It was fun.”

Ice cream samples would be made for neighbors who said they loved it. Also at the time, the two teachers were looking for a better “summer job,” instead of something such as the roofing work Wulf used to do. They wanted a small business they could run and be able to have their families participate in. Bernardi and Wulf had discussed different kinds of businesses, but decided on ice cream. Bernardi said it was a low risk opportunity, where both guys wouldn’t be putting their futures in jeopardy.

“It was like, ‘oh my goodness could we actually make this a business that would work?’” Wulf said. “We thought of it as our summer job. Teachers are always looking for their summer job. Then it went really well and we thought maybe we can sell this in stores.”

Soon Lake Effect Ice Cream was making appearances at events such as Taste of Lockport, the Lockport Arts and Crafts, Lewiston Jazz Festival and the Niagara Celtic Festival. Aside from the mass of people waiting in line for some ice cream, the events were also an opportunity for Bernardi and Wulf to meet some fellow vendors. The vendors would trade products between themselves, like ice cream for beer.

“It’s not like it’s cutthroat business,” Bernardi said. “Why wouldn’t you want to go back to that next year? It’s not like we’re looking across the food court saying why are they buying hot dogs instead of our ice cream. It’s ‘hey you want a hot dog? I’ll trade you for some ice cream.’ You meet a lot of people.”

Bernardi said Salty Caramel and Hot Chocolate are probably the most popular flavors of ice cream Lake Effect makes. Other flavors include Guinness, Green Tea, Strawberries and Cream, Harvest Apple, Red Eye Mocha Latte and Vanilla Blizzard. More information can be found on Lake Effect’s Web site, www.lakeeffecticecream.com. There is also an e-mail list with about 700 names on it already. Some e-mail Lake Effect with different ideas for new flavors.

“We love those e-mails,” Wulf said. “We want to make flavors people will like, but not what they’re used to.”

However, with success comes more work to continue the success. The two make the ice cream in the kitchen at the Masons Hall on Cottage Street and also label each container themselves. All of this while being husbands, fathers of two children each and teaching.

Bernardi is a biology teacher and Wulf teaches art. Sometimes their work days with Lake Effect can start very early in the morning or end very early in the morning.

The response from both customers and the stores have been great, Bernardi said, especially Niagara Produce. He said company treasurer Jody Chesko was more than helpful with getting Lake Effect on the shelf at the popular grocer/deli market.

“She’s been a really good cheerleader for us,” Bernardi said.

Wulf said Lake Effect tries to use local products, such as apples or milk, to make the ice cream. But what really sets Lake Effect Ice Cream apart is it’s fresher compared to other ice creams. It takes about two days to go from the Mason Hall to the freezer shelf in a store and even less time for an event.

“It’s no more than a week old,” Wulf said. “It was just made.”

While starting a business is tough, it’s even harder when your country has been in recession since late 2007. And yet, Lake Effect has had success despite the economic hardships.

“That tells you how much people like ice cream,” Wulf said.

Contact reporter Joe Olenick at 439-9222, ext. 6241.