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A Taste of East Lansing Ice Cream by Nick Robinson
The ice cream shops in East Lansing are about as different and varied as can be, but they still find some common ground. In fact, there may be more common ground than most people think. With spring right around the corner, three popular ice cream shops on campus, Cold Stone Creamery, 200 MAC Ave., the MSU Dairy Store, 107 MSU Union Bldg., and Tasty Twist, 1307 E. Grand River Ave., dished out the scoop on why people scream for their ice cream. Tim Beemer, general manager and co-owner of Cold Stone, said that the stone on which they mix all the toppings into their ice cream is what makes them different. Beemer compared Cold Stone to Mongolian Barbecue, a restaurant where you create your own dinner. People can choose the ice cream flavor they want and add any mix-ins, or toppings. “The selection is almost limitless,” he said. “People can get exactly what they want.” Katie McPharlan and John Mudie, supervisors at the Dairy Store, said that what makes them special is the ice cream itself, which comes in 34 flavors. The Union shop is the second of two stores, the original located at 1140 S. Anthony Hall, and McPharlan said it has been around “forever.” In addition to ice cream, the Dairy Store also sells cheese and has lunch options. “MSU makes everything here,” said McPharlan, which she said adds to their uniqueness. Scott King, owner and operator of Tasty Twist, said that his store’s originality comes from their unchanging style. “It always stays the same,” he said. “The cones, topping, ice cream have been the same since we first opened in the ‘50s.” Tasty Twist is one of the oldest ice cream shops in East Lansing, he said, adding, “You would be hard pressed to find any business that has been here longer than we have.” King also said that they are only ice cream shop in the area that sells soft serve ice cream. Each store has their own distinct product, but what kind of business do they do? Cold Stone and the Dairy Store remain open all year. Beemer said that it’s corporate policy. “They require us to be open year round,” he said. Business remains strong throughout the colder season, Mudie said, adding, “The cheese sale is higher during the winter.” Mudie did admit, however, that the summer is definitely busier than the winter. “You will have to wait in line if you come in,” Mudie said. King said that Tasty Twist closes during the winter mainly because it doesn’t have indoor seating, an attribute that the other two stores share. All three stores claim to have a steady flow
of customers, but the time of day seems to differ. Mudie said that the biggest rush for the Dairy Store is usually close to 2 p.m., right after lunch. Beemer and King, however, said that their business is strongest during the evening, after dinner. “We sell twice as much at night as we do in the afternoon,” King said. They also said that the time of year matters for who comes in. All said that more students come in during the colder months and more families come in during the summer. “About 75 percent of the customers are students during December and the winter months,” Beemer said. “And it is almost the opposite for the summer months,” with the seventy-five percent of the customers being families and residents. Mudie also said that many of their customers during the warmer months are children on school field trips. With business for each store being similar, there is a sense of competition between the ice cream shops. “There have been a lot of stores,” King said, commenting on how there have been several shops that have failed to stick. “People think the [ice cream] business is easy.” Though it is competitive, the atmosphere between the stores is friendly. “If someone comes in and we don’t have what they’re looking for, we’ll say ‘Cold Stone’s across the street,’” said McPharlan. \ And store-bought ice cream doesn’t worry them either. “We
will never compete with a grocery store,” said Beemer, “because
it is inconvenient. People go to Meijer to get it all at once;
they don’t want to go to four different stores.” With business doing well, the shops are happy to give back to the university. “The Dairy Store donates a lot of ice cream to MSU,” said McPharlan. All three stores also support student organizations. Mudie said the Dairy Store gives discounts to several groups, and McPharlan said they are open to meet with any group to see if they can help. King said Tasty Twist is open to hearing from groups seeking support as well. “I rarely say no. They are bringing in the business for us, so we might as well support them,” he said. Beemer said that Cold Stone does several fundraisers for campus organizations. They also work beyond the university, working with a preschool in Lansing and the radio station WKAR. “We stay active in giving back to the community,” Beemer said. Above all, the stores honor customer service. “We’re not out to make money,” McPharlan said of the Dairy Store. King
said he “presses on the employees that those are the people
paying you, so treat them like you would want to be treated.” As for Cold Stone, “customer service is a big deal with us,” Beemer said. “We want people to enjoy spending their money here.” |
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