Muskego is about to Get its First "Cash Mob"

Muskego is about to get its first ever “cash mob.”

A cash  mob is a concept that originated with the Occupy Wall Street Movement and is modeled after “flash mobs.” National Public Radio, in a recent story, described a flash mob as being when “a mass of people invade a public space to make a scene.”

A cash mob is similar. It's “where large crowds of consumers show up at small businesses to spend money.” The goal is to help small businesses. Cash mobs have occurred in Milwaukee and across the nation.

And now the owner of the new ice cream shop at Idle Isle Park is bringing it here.

Kristin Formolo, owner of Idle Isle Ice Cream, has organized the first cash mob for her shop.  And she’d like Muskego to expand the concept to other small businesses.

To participate, consumers should converge on the Island Ice Cream shop on Saturday, July 28 between noon -3 p.m. They are asked to each spend $10 at the ice cream shop. Formolo said that normally consumers are asked to spend $20 during a cash mob, but she feels that would be too much to spend on ice cream.

“The idea is for the community to come out en masse to support independent businesses,” she said. “A cash mob is only for local non-chain small businesses like me. I’m just a woman with an ice cream shop.”

The Muskego Chamber of Commerce is advertising the cash mob on its website.

“Buy local. Join a cash mob,” the site urges.

“It’s a way to show community support,” Formolo said. “The idea of a cash mob is not new. It’s a national movement. It’s a new concept to Muskego, so I thought I would try it myself.”

She said the cash mob could be essential to the ice cream shop. As with most small businesses, the first year is critical. “I would love for Muskego to have some kind of cash mob organization,” she said, that could expand the concept to other small businesses.

As she spoke to Patch, customers trickled over from the beach to buy ice cream. The shop opened on June 22. “I really feel the support of the community,” said Formolo, noting her shop is the only business on Little Muskego Lake (the Water Bugs also sell concessions during their shows).

She got the idea for the shop by reaching a story on Patch about how the Muskego community was hoping to get a business at the beach. “There had been nothing here for 16 years.”

“I wrote a proposal, handed it in, and within two months it was reality,” she said.

Formolo, who lives in Muskego, has a PHD and previously ran a nationally oriented business that provided seminars on immigration.

“Ultimately entrepreneurship is my true love,” she said. “I like creating a new business and see it become successful. I’ve gone from a national business to smaller because I like the community touch. I like seeing the little kids at the counter with their excitement. And I like the lake. I grew up on a lake.”

The shop sells ice cream, 30 different kinds of candy, hotdogs, and chips. The most popular ice cream flavors are proving to be Blue Moon, Pirate’s Booty and Superman (which is a combination of blue raspberry, cherry and vanilla.”

Dennis Brower, the park manager, said the shop is good for the beach. “A lot of people buy the ice cream. They draw a lot of people.”