Drenthe’s most famous ice cream sellers are opening a third business in Emmen. A stone’s throw from the Lozeman family’s first establishment at the end of the last century, son Mark will soon open the seventeenth Toscana in the Netherlands.
The original location of the chain of ice cream parlors dates back to 1999. Aart Lozeman then moved from in front of the school class to behind the ice cream counter. His wife Betsy followed and their sons Ruud and Mark also followed in his footsteps.
‘Started to itch again’
Exactly twenty-five years later, founders Aart and Betsy travel through Europe in the camper. That first ice cream parlor on the Hoofdstraat closed three years ago, but Toscana had already grown into an established name in large parts of Drenthe, Groningen and Overijssel.
Son Ruud runs his own ice cream factory in Emmen and a branch in Assen. Mark and his wife Marleen manage the salons in Emmen. Of the seventeen branches, where hundreds of thousands of bulbs fly over the counter in summer, three remained in their own family. So that will be four again.
“It started to itch when we saw this building empty,” Mark and Marleen say the day after signing the lease for Hoofdstraat 74, which until last year housed a bridal fashion store. On the corner of Minister Kanstraat opposite Harry’s Lunchroom, they will open the newest Toscana offspring in mid-April. The Chinese restaurant Kota Radja used to be located above the new salon for many years.
Popular frozen dessert
And as is the case with an upcoming renovation, the atmospheric images must for the time being come from the enthusiastic minds of the entrepreneurs, with the help of dozens of improvised pieces of taps on the ground. “Here comes the ice cream machine, there the luxurious Italian cakes next to the fruit smoothies and our new pride: the frozen yogurts with healthy and unhealthy toppings. They are unique in Emmen,” says Lozeman about the frozen treats.
It’s clear: the newest establishment must be one of a kind Toscana deluxe with, in addition to the dozens of types of ice cream, typical Italian products in the display cases. “We hope to extend the ice season somewhat with this. That we don’t have to go into winter lockdown at the end of October. And with delicious coffee and cake we can also open earlier in the day,” the couple looks ahead to their desired success formula.
Eros Ramazotti through the speakers
The location on Hoofdstraat also has symbolic value for the operators. “My parents started here further down the road. Immediately with at least twenty flavors of ice cream. A lot is different than then, but the basics remain the same: just make and sell super delicious ice cream.”
The Italian atmosphere that pervades the business must also remain recognisable. “In the beginning my father played the CDs of Eros Ramazotti and Laura Pausini completely gray. It sometimes drove the staff crazy, but customers felt like they were in a completely different world,” Mark laughs. “The feeling that you are enjoying Lake Garda while you are actually in Emmen. That is our goal,” Marleen adds.
She will continue to run the existing ice cream parlor on Wilhelminastraat. The ice cream counter on Raadhuisplein will also remain under its own management and is said to be a nice-weather shop for the hottest days.
Marleen Lozeman: “In Emmen this will remain the case for the time being. We still dream of expanding to Zwolle, but there are also excellent colleagues there who are well known locally, such as Talamini.”
New adventure on old nest
Mark Lozeman plunges back into the wonderful world of ice with the new business. “My father was 42 years old when he started, I am now 41 and have been addicted to the ice profession for twenty years. I really feel like I can take it a step further now. ”
The new challenge follows the annoying closure of a virtual indoor racing circuit in Emmen at the end of 2022. The entrepreneur wanted to conquer the world with his Sim Racing Emmen, but found too strong an opponent in corona. “That was the worst time of my life. Fortunately, we handled that neatly. After a short period at restaurant De Beren, I now know where I feel most at home and that is in my own family business. Back to the old nest with a new adventure.”