They're Lining Up, And Counting Down. This Year's Debut Restaurant Concepts Hope They'll Blast Off, Too.

NEW YORK (Wednesday, December 15, 2004) - Imagine a 1950s-themed Baskin-Robbins that only allows children inside. Can't quite picture it? Well, you can always drive to Blauvelt, NY, and see it in action. Little Scoops is more of a children's birthday party spot than a restaurant in the traditional sense. It's a two-room, retro-themed ice-cream parlor that parents rent out for kids' parties. They decorate the rooms themselves, then sit back and watch as their progeny devour pizza and other goodies before moving to another room, where the kids can gorge themselves further on ice cream while playing interactive games. There's also something the company calls "age-appropriate dancing," an activity that's presumably for the kids, too. Build-your-own sundaes are the featured attraction, which the little ones can decorate with various sugary toppings. It might sound like mayhem, but the owners are serious about building it: They've signed 20-year industry vet Gary Occhiogrosso, who helped launch NYC's struggling Ranch 1 chicken chain, to act as franchise strategist. Five franchisees are in various stages of development in the New York area, and plans call for 100 units within the next few years. If their plans work out, the owners could really clean up—but then, they'll be cleaning up anyway.

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