Saturday, July 18, 2009

Just another day in Paradise

I don’t know that I’ve lamented to the blogosphere that the Nashville suburb in which we live does not have a single ice cream shop.  You know, the little mom-and-pop joints that serve up ridiculously generous soft serve cones and calorie-overloaded sundaes for relatively cheap?  The kind of place that, back home in Ohio, have lines out the door for the first week that they are open.

Not a one in our little hamlet.  (For all of you NW Ohioans, this translates to NO Mr. Freeze, Mr. G’s Barn, Melocreme, Handel’s, Netty’s, not even a Coldstone.)

So each time we travel to Ohio to visit our parents, one of the first stops we make is Paradise Ice Cream (at the corner of Glenwood and Route 20, to you locals).  It is SO good.  We know the owner Mark a little too well, as Seth has a habit of removing the island-decor and signage from the store walls.  But for the most part, he lets us have our way because he knows we’ll be back.  A lot.

We keep trying to convince Mark that he needs to open a Paradise South in our Tennessee town.  I’ve promised to make it my mission in life to bring him customers if only he would bring me the joy of a weekly Reese’s Pieces sundae with chocolate soft serve.

Mark might try to say it’s not a binding agreement, but since Seth is sporting his first Paradise shirt, and, um, since that’s a handshake, folks, I’m gonna take this recent snapshot to mean Paradise’ll be breaking ground in north central Tennessee soon.

paradise partners

Right, Mark?

A note to you all, Interpeeps.  If you have easy access to a good soft serve, count your blessings.

(The calories will count themselves.)

5 comments:

Sara said...

Mark is such a great guy. I think D would offer to move down there & run it. ;)

Kelly @ Sufficient Grace Ministries said...

My favorite is a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup flurry. There's a great place in Bowling Green that makes them. And, even in our little town, we can visit Ron's Super Valu. James loves the vanilla chocolate soft serve there. Yummy!

Anonymous said...

Monica, my cousin lives in Orlando, Florida; and has lived in Florida for 20+ years. She says that she has yet to see an ice cream shop like we have up in Ohio down in Florida. I wonder if it's a Southern thing, like you know, the accent and all? ;o) Maybe the Southern ice cream shop is not in the works for your friend Mark, but instead one of Jimba's next biz adventures!

Rhonda said...

I know what you're saying. Our's is called Buzy Bee and is open from April until Oct. The first two weeks and about the last two weeks has that unending line out in front because the entire county is sooo excited they are opened or hurrying to get their last chance before they close. Talk about fantastic! I never knew fully what I was moving into by moving into a small town until I'd had those small mom 'n pop type experiences this town has to offer. There is also an ice cream shop in Hale, MI we would stop at every summer growing up on our way to my grandma's house. Wonderful! Now I've gotten Dan trained! Those few times we've been able to go to Grandma's in the summer we've stopped there on the way and shared the joy. :) Can't wait for next week on the way to Grandma's house ;)

Heidi said...

OMG, Mark is such a wonderful guy! My husband and I go there when ever we can! Seth and Mark are so cute!