Plymouth ice cream business for sale

With summer fast approaching, the is a new opportunity for entrepreneurs in the south of England as Plymouth’s oldest ice cream shop has gone on the market.

Prete’s of Southside Street in the Barbican has been open on the same premises since 1962. The business itself meanwhile can be traced back to Italy at the turn of the 20th century.

After 116 years of ice cream trade being passed among families and friends, the shop is set to sell its last frozen snack as the current owner, the 65-year-old John Prete, closes it down ahead of a hopeful sale to a new scooper. The shop unit – along with the residential property above – is on the market for £200,000, the Plymouth Herald has reported.

As well as the business premises, the company also used to run three ice cream vans, which did the rounds across the city and the factory in Adelaide Street. However, these vehicles have since been taken out of service and will not be included in the sale.

Mr Prete is planning to enter retirement with the money he gets from the sale of the ice cream shop. He says that he hopes the new owner will continue in the site’s traditional use of selling ice creams, ice lollies and sweets to the local community.