Opening shots have been fired in a threatened ice cream war in Wisbech. It comes after long time ice cream van operator Frank’s Ices was banned from Wisbech Park after a tenancy change at Wisbech Park café.
The park café, now being managed by the Italian Affair restaurant – owned by Wisbech town councillor Shahid Rafique – complained to the park owners, Fenland District Council.
They then told Frank Cassanto, the boss of Frank’s, he would no longer be welcome there.
Two things have happened since the news broke – firstly the café has introduced a ‘March offer’ slashing the price of an ice cream cone and a flake to just £1 for the rest of the month.
But on a Mexico beach, where Mr Cassanto has been enjoying a break, he has also found time to plot his future. Which does not include leaving Wisbech anytime soon.
Of the threatened ice cream ‘war’ he told me: “I love it. I won’t be the one to give up. I will flood the market with ice cream. He’s picked on the wrong guy”
Learning that the café is offering added vanilla or chocolate toppings for 50p he said: “Well, this is getting interesting. My toppings are free.”
And promising to re-instate his van if not in the park but on the public highway adjacent to it, he has prepared loyalty cards for customers and a host of special offers.
He has also set up a Facebook page – Franks ices outside Wisbech park – with nearly 200 members after just three days.
He advised his customers they don’t need, as some suggested, to boycott the café.
“It’s a free world and people can go where they like but I can only say I’ll be going nowhere,” he said. “I’m staying put and serving the people of Wisbech.
Ice cream ‘war’ brews in Wisbech Park over Italian Affair takeover
“They have supported me for many years, and I will support them.” Of his opposition he said his tactics do not include “lowering myself to their standards”.
He plans to be re-open for the season starting March 22, 23 “and every weekend after that and every day when kids are on school holidays”
“The nice thing is I have a lot of supporters and all the customers, so we’ll be parking outside and giving a good service to the people as usual. The council are not going to muscle me out”.
He is also considering putting a coffee machine into his mobile ice cream van.
As CambsNews reported earlier this week Mr Cannata said he has been told he is no longer welcome in Wisbech park after new tenants moved into the pavilion café, which itself is managed by the town council on behalf of Fenland District Council.
Mr Cannata said he had been one of the unsuccessful applicants to take over the café when it was first advertised.
“We came to an amicable agreement with Crazy Cow (who then ran the café) which allowed us to sell ice creams however we did not sell drinks when the café was open; after 4pm when the café closed for the day, and on Mondays when they were closed all day, we did.”
He said Fenland District Council contacted him when the café came up for a new tender “but I thought not this time”.
Intrigued, he said, by Facebook posts for the new café being submitted by anonymous posts on the café he at first thought nothing of it.
“I then asked we could continue with ice creams in the park but were told by Fenland Council that we would not be allowed to.
“I can’t see the problem, but clearly they did.”
Mr Cannata said he had always made an annual ‘thank you’ donation for being allowed to trade from the park and last year, for instance, he donated £800 to an Alzheimer’s charity.
Crazy Café at Wisbech pavilion closed on November 3, with the owners saying there were “several issues that were out of our control and as much as we tried to rectify them, it caused friction with the landlords”. Bad weather and lack of park users is also blamed.
“The weather has not been on our side, and the park is not as busy as we had hoped.
“Unfortunately, the pavilion building wasn’t built to cope with the cooking of hot food, and this didn’t become clear until we took it on.”
The owners add: “There were several issues that were out of our control and as much as we tried to rectify them, it caused friction with the landlords.
“We hope the next people in the café have aligned visions with the council to make it a success.”
Wisbech Town Council was approved to manage the £850,000 community pavilion and as part of the agreement was given permission to sub-let the café.
