BUCKHANNON – A local ice cream shop is returning with fresh and frozen confections just in time for summer.
Sweet-A-Licious will make its return to the Buckhannon community this Friday, April 15 at 21 Madison Street. Owner of Sweet-A-Licious Michelle Jack said the shop will be open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. This Easter Sunday, they will be open at 2 p.m.
Sweet-A-Licious had to relocate after the building at 23-23B East Main Street burned down in the devastating Oct. 5 fire.
“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do – it was so overwhelming, losing pretty much everything,” Jack said this week. “I took some time I prayed about it and I thought if something opened up, then it was meant to be. I did some research — some checking around. I looked at a couple of different locations that didn’t work out and I had talked to Mr. Fig (Figueroa) about renting down here and we kind of went back and forth on some things, but I came back to him, and I said, ‘I’ve decided if it’s still available, I’d like to take it,’ and we agreed.”
“He has been a great landlord so far,” Jack added. “I’m very appreciative of him, giving us this opportunity and everything he’s done for us.”
Jack said she will miss her shop’s location on Main Street, but she sees the benefits of her new location.
“Main Street, honestly, was my ideal location except for the parking – I had an issue with parking all the time on Main Street — so I thought if I could get off Main Street, but still be close to everything, that would be perfect,” she said. “So, that is why I chose this location, right across from Jawbone Park where the summer is filled with all kinds of activity and right next to Mr. Fig’s restaurant, which has a lot of business, so it just really was a win-win.”
Don Paco Mexican restaurant and Sweet-A-Licious will share all the available parking around the two buildings and a new parking lot may be going near their buildings during this construction season.
“Pretty much everything is going to be the same, except we’re not going to start out with having hot dogs – that was one thing we had up in the shop – but ice cream-wise, pretty much everything is going to be the same,” Jack said. “We are going to add soft-serve; however, that will not be available on Friday.”
Jack said the soft-serve ice cream program is run through the West Virginia Department of Agriculture.
“You have to get a permit for your machine, and they come and see you, so my permit has been submitted, I paid the fee for the machine and I’m just waiting on someone from the Department of Agriculture to come to the shop,” she said.
The new location has also allowed Jack to expand to 16 different traditional ice cream flavors, vanilla yogurt, two sugar-free flavors, two dairy-free offerings, Italian ice and Bonnie Bell items.
“The standard, yummy ice cream things like banana splits and the hot fudge brownie sundaes are all still here,” Jack said. “The Blenjavas, which is a combination of ice cream, smoothie mix, milk and ice blended together are back, and those are always a big draw.”
The Sweet-A-Licious ice cream truck will also make a return after the newly located shop is up and running but will not be operating until then.
“I had a lot of people ask me about my mom — my mom was a daytime staple for me — and my mom is coming back to work for me and she’s really looking forward to it,” Jack said. “I’ve had to hire two new employees and then two of my old employees are returning.”
Jack said depending on business levels, she may be looking to hire more people to work in the shop.
“Everybody says that they think I’m going to be much, much busier at this location, so it’s possible I might have to hire more staff and we’ll do that,” Jack said. “I do ask people to understand when they come in that I have new people working and your wait might be a little bit longer, but I think you’ll find that it’s a nice atmosphere and I think it’ll be worth the wait.”
