Vegan ice cream pleasure

The recipe for success at Eisperle in Graz

The Eisperle founder Mariane Leyacker-Schatzl

(Bild: Eisperle)

A borrowed ice cream machine, the desire for a delicious, purely plant-based ice cream in Graz and the help of the whole family were the ingredients for the start. Four branches and around 370 flavors later, Eisperle founder Mariane Leyacker-Schatzl continues to focus on quality and team spirit. 

Eisperle's success story in the heart of Styria began in 2017 with the first vegan ice cream store in Kaiserfeldgasse. However, the groundwork for the unexpected breakthrough in the ice cream world of the provincial capital began two years earlier for founder Mariane Leyacker-Schatzl. Armed with a borrowed ice cream machine, she tinkered with the perfect recipe for creamy vegan ice cream at home.

The idea came about when she moved from Vienna to Graz and realized that there was a need for tasty, high-quality vegan ice cream in her new hometown. The second branch followed in 2019 and during the pandemic, when things were not necessarily looking rosy for many businesses, Leyacker-Schatzl expanded her ice cream empire with two more locations and added an additional ice cream delivery service, which proved very popular. 

Many Eisperle customers call to find out when their favorite flavor will be available again and then stock up in the form of ice cream boxes.

(Bild: Eisperle)

Even though the aim was always to sweeten the day with ice cream, not just for vegan customers, the founder did not expect the first purely vegan ice cream parlor to be so well received by the general public. "The whole family helped. We made ice cream day and night to cope with the rush," says Leyacker-Schatzl about the early days. Around seven years later, the popularity of Eisperle has not changed: a waiting time of 20 minutes is to be expected, as long queues in front of the Eisperle branches are not uncommon.

When asked whether, in view of the great success, we can expect expansion into other provinces in the near future, the founder responds cautiously but hopefully: "I'm working on it and putting out feelers that our ice cream can also be enjoyed outside Graz in the future. I can't yet say when and in what form this will actually be the case." 

A line that is followed through with passion
"We make everything ourselves. We don't buy in any sauces either. Even the gluten-free tiramisu is handmade," says the entrepreneur. "90% of all our raw materials are Fairtrade and organic. You can taste the quality," emphasizes the ice cream maker. To save on added sugar, for example, they try to achieve more sweetness from the outset by using riper bananas. However, the Eisperle founder knows that sugar cannot be completely dispensed with: "You need some kind of sugar to maintain the creaminess of the ice cream." Agave syrup, coconut blossom sugar and maple syrup are also used for sweetness. 

Good ice cream doesn't need any frills, which is why we don't need any additives and rely on organic ingredients.

Mariane Leyacker-Schatzl

Seasonality and regionality are very important to Eisperle. When it comes to suppliers, we rely on small, regional companies and market vendors in the city center. Fruit ice cream is made when the respective fruit is in season and the farmers inform the founder that the fruit is now ripe.

Organic milk alternatives such as oat milk or almond milk are used as milk substitutes.

(Bild: Eisperle)

"We don't look to the left or right"
The ice cream maker emphasizes that she has never compared herself to other ice cream parlours, as she knows the high quality that is delivered at her four locations in Graz city centre. "Our raspberry ice cream contains 80 percent raspberries. The rest is lemon juice, water and a little sugar. It simply tastes better than with industrial additives. And we don't use juice for our orange ice cream either - the oranges are freshly squeezed." 

The ice cream maker has already created over 370 varieties together with her team, 99% of whom are women. She also cites her team as an important factor in her success, as they live the philosophy just as much as she does and are bursting with new ideas. "It's also simply fun when everyone is so enthusiastic." 

Quality that has its price
At 2.60 euros for a scoop of a basic variety and 3.30 euros for a specialty variety, Eisperle is very expensive. "We don't need to justify our price. Of course, we could use less fruit and nuts and then offer our ice cream at a lower price. But then we would also lose out on taste and that's not in line with our philosophy," emphasizes Leyacker-Schatzl. Her success proves her right.