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Fayette screams for ice cream

Multiple locations offer variety of treats this summer

By MICHAEL BOYLAN
mboylan@TheCitizenNews.com

On hot summer days there is little to do but sit around, enjoy cool refreshments and ponder the mysteries of the universe.

One such mystery is the origin of ice cream, which some say started back with the infamous Emperor Nero and others claim didn’t come about until Marco Polo returned from his trip to China. Still more people disagree and cite the rule of Charles I in England as the time when ice cream was born.

Though all of this historical controversy is good for a debate underneath a ceiling fan for some, many more would prefer to just enjoy the delicious dessert. Residents of Fayette County are lucky for there are 10 places to get their ice cream fix, excluding the fast food restaurants that also offer a variety of cones, shakes and frozen delicacies.

• Baskin Robbins - Peachtree City (1007 N. Peachtree Parkway), 678-902-2300.

Though 31 is in the store name on their signs, there are 32 flavors at the location in Peachtree City, according to staff member Mary Patel. Her parents own the store, which has been open for five years, and she has worked there ever since. Patel stated that summers are their busiest time of the year and during this season they sometimes restock some flavors two or three times in a day. This is amazing considering that each flavor has its own three-gallon tub. Patel estimates that each tub can provide 100 kid’s scoops or roughly 85 regular scoops.

The staff at Baskin Robbins does make their own waffle cones but the ice creams and cakes are brought in by the suppliers. Patel said that the most popular flavor at the store is Mint Chocolate Chip but the kid’s sherbets, which include Splish Splash and Rock n’ Pop, are also doing well. The store also sells Bold Breezes, which come as either slushy or creamy (meaning slushy with nonfat frozen yogurt added to it), Cappuccino Blasts and shakes and malts. Among Patel’s favorites are Mint Chocolate Chip Shakes and Cappuccino Blasts.

Author’s favorite: Cappuccino Blast.

• Bruster’s Real Ice Cream - Fayetteville (120 Ga. Highway 314), 770-461-4729; Peachtree City (103 Lexington Circle), 770-487-8131.

The Peachtree City location, managed by Chris Patel, opened in December of 2002, while the Fayetteville location, managed by Charlene Artim, opened Apr. 27, 2004. Both stores make the ice cream and waffle cones on site and Artim estimates that they make 10 five-gallon buckets of ice cream a day during the summer, which is obviously the busiest time of the year for stores like Bruster’s. Both the Fayetteville and Peachtree City location have over 20 employees in the summer and the staff stays busy by making approximately 150 cones a day and also making the cakes which have become increasingly popular.

Though there are 140 flavors that Bruster’s makes, over 30 are available each day and both Patel and Artim claim that vanilla is still one of the more popular flavors. Among the other popular flavors at the Peachtree City location are Cookie Dough, Chocolate Raspberry Truffle, Birthday Cake, Cotton Candy Explosion and Chocolate Lovers Trash. At the Fayetteville location, Butter Pecan and Birthday Cake also rank among the favorites. In Patel’s favorite flavor is Mint Chocolate Chip and Artim’s favorite is Coffee Ripple. In addition to the regular ice cream menu, the stores also offer fat free and sugar free ice cream, frozen yogurts and sherbets.

Both Bruster’s also have specials such as half off Banana Splits on Thursday’s when you bring your own banana and the Peachtree City location has hosted blood drives, ice cream eating contests and pajama days to kick off the season.

The best thing about working in the ice cream industry, according to Patel, “smelling sugar all the time. Who doesn’t like that?”

Author’s favorite flavor: Peanut Butter Puddles.

• Dairy Queen - Fayetteville (425 N. Glynn St.), 770-461-6661; Peachtree City (300 Petrol Pointe), 770-487-2100.

The Dairy Queen chain started in 1940 and these two locations have been around in Fayette County for a long time. Though each store serves soft-serve ice cream in cones, the Blizzards, sundaes, Peanut Buster Parfait and Banana Splits are among the big sellers.

Asif Momin, the manager of the Peachtree City location, stated that the Brownie Batter Blizzard, as well as the Dream Pie Blizzards and the MooLatte’s were among the favorites of his customers. Mike Momin of the Fayetteville location concurred and added that the Blizzard Cakes were popular as well.

Dairy Queens also offer frozen treats like the Arctic Freezes (much like their former frozen drink treats the Mr. Misty), DQ Sandwiches, Buster Bars and Dilly Bars among others.

Both locations also have full menus of food, which range from hamburgers and hot dogs to chicken strips. New this month are the Chili Lime Chicken Strip Basket and both Momins seemed very excited about the addition to the menu.

Author’s favorite treat: Chocolate shake.

• Edy’s Grand Ice Cream - Tyrone (1520 Ga. Highway 74 North), 770-964-9700.

The store opened in May of 2004 but owner Shirl Smith has had a long history with ice cream, having managed or owned locations at Hartsfield International Airport, Six Flags and Georgia Tech. Though they do not make the ice cream on site, they do exclusively sell 45 of Edy’s Grand Ice Cream flavors and do create custom ice cream cakes for the customers.

“Chocolate is our most popular flavor,” said Smith. “It’s unbelievable. I’ve been in the business for 11 years and chocolate is still number one.”

Smith also cites Cookies and Creme, Mint Chocolate Chip, Cookie Dough and Mocha Almond Fudge among the more popular flavors at her store. Her favorite flavor is Pistachio.

While the store thrives on ice cream sales, they are looking to add a lunch menu soon. The store also sells smoothies, sno-cones, hot dogs, pop corn, cotton candy and cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory.

Author’s favorite: Cookies and Creme.

• Marble Slab Creamery - Fayetteville (170 Pavilion Parkway), 770-719-1145; Peachtree City (403 City Circle at corner of Hwy. 74 and Hwy. 54), 770-486-4933.

The first Marble Slab Creamery opened in Houston, Tex., in october of 1983, since then 266 more locations have opened their doors including the ones in Fayetteville and Peachtree City. Both stores make the ice cream and cones on site and both use the frozen marble slab (hence the name) and a specific mixing process to mix ingredients into the ice cream. This process keeps the ice cream from melting and also holds the mixins into the ice cream.

In addition to ice cream cones, Marble Slab also sells sundaes and shakes, as well as non-fat frozen yogurt, smoothies, ice cream cakes and pies, and homemade cookies and brownies.

Asif Shaikh, a staff manager at the Fayetteville location, estimates that they make 20 pans of ice cream a week at his location and each pan can serve over 50 people. Among the popular flavors at Marble Slab Creamery this summer are Sweet Cream, Birthday Cake, Butter Pecan and Peanut Butter. As for the big mixins, Shaikh stated that pecans, walnuts, strawberries and Oreos were among the most popular. Shaikh’s favorite ice cream concoction is Birthday Cake ice cream with Oreos mixed in.

There are 24 flavors at the Fayetteville location and Shaikh estimates that there are fresh containers of ice cream every two days in the summer. While many customers enjoy getting a cone or sundae at the store, Marble Slab Creamery also offers pints and quarts and gives the customers cones to take home.

Author’s favorite: Peanut Butter ice cream with Oreos mixed in.

• Scooters - Fayetteville (1415 Hwy. 85 North).

Formerly known as Scoops, the restaurant, which opened in May of 2004, changed its name so that people wouldn’t think they only served ice cream. While their menu is very good, the treats, especially the frozen ones, bring in a good crowd. Scooters is owned and operated by Sherry and Liam Bradley and Alice Carter is the manager.

According to Carter, the ice cream is made on the premises, as are the homemade fudge, brownies, blondies and cobbler. They sell a lot of shakes and smoothies at Scooters and of the 17 flavors that they have on display, the popular flavors are vanilla, chocolate and Birthday Cake, which happens to be Carter’s favorite.

Scooters is a small operation with a staff of 12 people and Carter stated that business fluctuates as the community is still learning about them. For the people that have discovered it, Scooters delivers some tasty treats.

Author’s favorite: Chocolate shake.

• The Malt Shoppe - Fayetteville (165 Banks Station), 770-460-5354

The Malt Shoppe opened in 1991 and Lee Riley has been the manager since Sept. of 1992. Though their ice cream has been provided by different manufacturers over the years, they currently serve Edy’s Ice Cream and sell shakes, malts and sherbet freezes as well as ice cream cones and sundaes. In fact, Riley stated that they sell more chocolate shakes than anything else, as far as ice cream treats goes.

The most popular ice cream flavor this summer is Cookies and Creme but Kona Coffee, Cinammon and Cotton Candy are among some of the more unusual flavors that have attracted a following. Riley estimates that they go through between 25-30 three gallon tubs a week and the restaurant staffs 19 people. Though summer is a popular season at The Malt Shoppe, the location next to the dollar theater and a menu that boasts burgers, and sandwiches brings customers in year round and sometimes makes December or January as big as July or August.

Author’s favorite: Chocolate Malt.

According to The NPD Group, a market research firm, the average person eats 26 servings of ice cream each year. With so many great options available for ice cream treats, as anyone can see in Fayette County, it is easy to see why.