What Cookies & Cones does

Rossi Parlour, also referred to in the input as "Cookies & Cones," is a heritage ice cream parlour business founded in 1932 and based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, United Kingdom. It operates two physical retail locations — Rossi Westcliff (14 Western Esplanade, open daily 8am–8pm with a kitchen until 5pm) and Rossi Marine Parade (2–4 Marine Parade, open daily 11am–6pm) — both situated in scenic seaside positions. The company is a subsidiary of the Fabadousa Group, a diversified private parent entity.

The core offering is handcrafted artisan ice cream and sorbet, available in all parlours, with seasonal and signature flavours. The business has expanded its product portfolio beyond ice cream to include hearty meals (breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner at selected locations), freshly baked goods including "CoNuts" doughnut cones, a beverage programme featuring matcha drinks, iced coffees, and specialty lattes, gift cards, and dog-friendly ice cream options. The underlying technology stack is conventional for a hospitality business — there is no proprietary platform architecture; orders are placed in-store or by phone, and gift cards are redeemed physically.

The revenue model is predominantly in-store, transactional consumer retail: high-volume, low-value individual purchases (e.g., Split Cups priced at £4.95) supplemented by gift card sales redeemable against the full menu. Customer segments are broadly horizontal — general consumers, families, tourists, and locals — with no enterprise or contract-based accounts. Marketing relies primarily on Instagram (@rossisparlour) and an email newsletter, and the business self-describes as "award-winning" without disclosing the awarding body. No public revenue, headcount, or funding information is available.

Name

Cookies & Cones

Legal name

Rossi Parlour

Website

https://cookiesandcones.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1932

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Rossi Parlour is a heritage ice cream parlour founded in 1932 in Southend-on-Sea, UK, operating two seaside retail locations that serve handcrafted artisan ice cream, hearty meals, bakery treats, and beverages to general consumers, families, and tourists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ice Cream Parlour

NAICS

Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812), Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream & Gelato Shops (THAFAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dessert Cafes & Dessert Bars (Sit-Down) (THAFAGAI), Dessert Cafes (Coffee + Desserts) (THAFADAH)

Keywords

• Artisan ice cream
• Ice cream parlour
• Handcrafted sorbet
• Cafe bakery treats
• Seaside dessert shop

Headquarters

HQ city

Leigh-on-sea

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Cookies & Cones operates a heritage artisan ice cream parlour and casual food service business, selling handcrafted ice cream, sorbet, ice cream cakes, hearty meals, bakery treats, hot and cold beverages, and gift cards. Customers visit the two seaside storefronts in Southend-on-Sea (Southchurch Road and City Beach) for walk-in service, with options accommodating dietary needs such as vegan and lactose-intolerant choices alongside a dog-friendly ice cream offering.

Product overview

Rossi Parlours operates as a traditional ice cream parlour and café offering artisan ice cream, fresh bakery items, hearty meals, and beverages under one roof. The company offers a unified product portfolio consisting of handcrafted ice cream and sorbet (core offering), hearty food served in selected locations, bakery treats including specialty doughnut cones, hot and cold beverages including matcha drinks and iced coffees, gift cards, and dog-friendly ice cream options. Founded in 1932, Rossi is an award-winning establishment in Southend, Essex, part of the Fabadousa Group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Handcrafted Ice Cream Artisan ice cream made on-site using heritage recipes dating to 1932, sold to walk-in customers at two seaside parlours in Southend-on-Sea, UK.
• Sorbet

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Fabadousa GroupcoreOthersRossi Parlour is part of the Fabadousa Group, indicating corporate ownership or parent company relationship. Fabadousa Group operates the Rossi Parlour brand.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Amorino: International artisan gelato chain with multiple UK locations serving handcrafted gelato and sorbet in a sit-down dessert café format — directly comparable to Rossi's core ice cream and dessert offering.
• Baskin-Robbins: Global ice cream chain with UK parlour locations offering a wide flavour range in scoop shop format — direct competitor in the UK branded ice cream parlour category.
• Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shops: Global branded ice cream scoop shop chain operating in the UK, offering premium ice cream in physical retail storefronts — comparable as a direct competitor in the branded ice cream parlour category.
• Cake Box: UK specialty dessert retailer selling celebration cakes and baked goods through a network of physical retail stores — comparable as a multi-outlet UK specialty dessert retail concept.
• Joe Delucci's: UK artisan gelato and dessert café chain serving handcrafted ice cream alongside hot drinks and light food — directly comparable premium dessert café operating model to Rossi Parlours.
• Patisserie Valerie: UK café-patisserie chain offering premium cakes, pastries, and hot beverages in a sit-down dessert café format — comparable multi-concept dessert and café model targeting similar discretionary consumer occasions.
• Häagen-Dazs Café: Premium ice cream café concept operating in the UK serving handcrafted scoops, sundaes, and desserts in a sit-down environment — closely aligned with Rossi's premium ice cream parlour positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Caffè Nero: Major UK coffee café chain serving hot/cold beverages alongside pastries and light bites in physical retail locations — comparable as a broader incumbent in UK café-style dessert and beverage retail.
• Hotel Chocolat: Established UK premium chocolate and confectionery brand operating physical retail stores and cafés — comparable as a broader UK incumbent in premium sweet treats and dessert retail.
• Thorntons: UK heritage chocolate and confectionery brand with physical retail stores — comparable as a broader incumbent premium sweet-treats retailer with established brand recognition in the UK market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/rossisparlour
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cookiesandconesuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cookies & Cones