Self-made waffle cones draw hour-long ice cream queues in Kauniainen

People have queued for more than an hour before opening at the Jäätelöherkku ice cream kiosk in Kauniainen, Yle reports. The kiosk’s large portions are served in waffles baked on site and coated with a hard chocolate shell.

The kiosk opened less than a month ago, but already serves several hundred customers a day. Entrepreneur Arimatti Alhanko begins preparing the waffle batter before 4am.

Despite the rush and long queues, every customer is treated individually, Alhanko says.

The kiosk’s portions stand out because of their size, the chocolate coating and the handmade waffles. A three-scoop serving contains about 6.5 decilitres of cream ice cream imported from Sweden.

About 45 kilograms of waffle batter are used each day, and the kiosk bakes roughly 70 waffles an hour. Wooden moulds made by a carpenter are an important part of the process.

The idea came from Alhanko’s children after the family spent several summers in his wife’s home village in southern Sweden. The village had a similar concept, with homemade waffles, large portions and ice cream dipped upside down in chocolate to create a hard shell.

After returning to Finland, the children wondered why there was no similar offering there. Alhanko says it felt unreasonable to pay five euros for a small scoop that was often the same ice cream available in shops.

He eventually opened his own kiosk at the Kauniainen market square this summer. Customers have come from neighbouring cities, and people have already asked whether the kiosk will return next summer.

Alhanko says the plan is to start earlier next year, probably at the same location.