In West Babylon, family-run Old Fashioned Ice Cream Shoppe marks 50 years
When Karen Adams was pregnant 33 years ago, the nausea was so overwhelming she struggled to keep almost anything down.
The exception? Black and white ice cream shakes from Old Fashioned Ice Cream Shoppe in West Babylon.
Lately, longtime customers like Adams have been reminiscing about why the store holds a special place in their hearts as the family-owned business celebrates its 50th anniversary.
“I think I was the only person who had a line of credit while pregnant,” Adams, 60, joked recently. “I would send my husband up there to get me a milkshake early in the morning and late at night.”
Customers said they'll continue to come from near and far for a fix of the homemade ice cream the shops churns out. At any given time, there are at least 40 flavor options, along with cakes and ices.
The store's building, which has withstood numerous car crashes, originally was a Carvel when Bob Stoehrer, 76, and his brother Dennis, 74, bought it in 1973.
Back then a cone was 15 cents and a 7-inch cake just $2.75. Prices now are more than 10 times higher, but Bob said the quality has held steady, and he credits that for the business' longevity.
“We wouldn’t sacrifice quality and at times it became very expensive, but we looked at the guys who did it the other way and they disappeared,” he added.
In 2019, the next generation of Stoehrers took over the business.
“I wanted to keep it in the family,” said Bob’s son Steven, 53, who worked in the shop as a teen.
After taking the helm, he renovated the business, buying all new equipment. Then the pandemic hit.
Despite escalating expenses, the family said they were determined to keep the shop's doors open and found new ways to draw customers, including the "limited time" flavors that Steve’s wife, Carol, 55, began concocting.
“We were already pretty creative but that taught us to be extra creative,” she said.
Carol also expanded their reach by turning to social media, with her posts attracting the attention of homemade ice cream aficionados across Long Island and beyond.
The family tapped into a new customer audience of Haitian and Jamaican immigrants by creating flavors such as soursop, a popular fruit in the Caribbean. Nondairy, gluten-free and no-sugar-added options also joined the menu.
The family has stayed old-fashioned in one aspect: they won’t hire food delivery services.
“We don’t know how our product will end up getting to the customer and we pride ourselves on knowing how everything looks going out of here,” Carol said.
Steven and Carol’s son Ryan, 23, said repeat customers are so common that employees start prepping orders for the shop's regulars when they see their cars pull up.
Lines stretch down the block on hot summer nights, according to the Stoehrers, who said they've also been known to get a steady stream of business during snowstorms.
Sometimes there are even sightings of the one-time sticky-faced kids who enjoyed their first ice cream cones at Old Fashioned Ice Cream Shoppe five decades ago.
Now they bring their grandchildren by for a few licks.
When Karen Adams was pregnant 33 years ago, the nausea was so overwhelming she struggled to keep almost anything down.
The exception? Black and white ice cream shakes from Old Fashioned Ice Cream Shoppe in West Babylon.
Lately, longtime customers like Adams have been reminiscing about why the store holds a special place in their hearts as the family-owned business celebrates its 50th anniversary.
“I think I was the only person who had a line of credit while pregnant,” Adams, 60, joked recently. “I would send my husband up there to get me a milkshake early in the morning and late at night.”
Customers said they'll continue to come from near and far for a fix of the homemade ice cream the shops churns out. At any given time, there are at least 40 flavor options, along with cakes and ices.
The store's building, which has withstood numerous car crashes, originally was a Carvel when Bob Stoehrer, 76, and his brother Dennis, 74, bought it in 1973.
Back then a cone was 15 cents and a 7-inch cake just $2.75. Prices now are more than 10 times higher, but Bob said the quality has held steady, and he credits that for the business' longevity.
“We wouldn’t sacrifice quality and at times it became very expensive, but we looked at the guys who did it the other way and they disappeared,” he added.
River Bauer Dobias, 3, gets messy at Old Fashioned Ice Cream Shoppe while marking the store's 50th anniversary with Diana Bauer, left, and Eliza Stoehrer. Credit: Linda Rosier
In 2019, the next generation of Stoehrers took over the business.
“I wanted to keep it in the family,” said Bob’s son Steven, 53, who worked in the shop as a teen.
After taking the helm, he renovated the business, buying all new equipment. Then the pandemic hit.
Despite escalating expenses, the family said they were determined to keep the shop's doors open and found new ways to draw customers, including the "limited time" flavors that Steve’s wife, Carol, 55, began concocting.
“We were already pretty creative but that taught us to be extra creative,” she said.
Carol also expanded their reach by turning to social media, with her posts attracting the attention of homemade ice cream aficionados across Long Island and beyond.
The family tapped into a new customer audience of Haitian and Jamaican immigrants by creating flavors such as soursop, a popular fruit in the Caribbean. Nondairy, gluten-free and no-sugar-added options also joined the menu.
The family has stayed old-fashioned in one aspect: they won’t hire food delivery services.
“We don’t know how our product will end up getting to the customer and we pride ourselves on knowing how everything looks going out of here,” Carol said.
Steven and Carol’s son Ryan, 23, said repeat customers are so common that employees start prepping orders for the shop's regulars when they see their cars pull up.
Lines stretch down the block on hot summer nights, according to the Stoehrers, who said they've also been known to get a steady stream of business during snowstorms.
Sometimes there are even sightings of the one-time sticky-faced kids who enjoyed their first ice cream cones at Old Fashioned Ice Cream Shoppe five decades ago.
Now they bring their grandchildren by for a few licks.
Some Old Fashioned Ice Cream Shoppe flavors
Oatmeal Cookies & Cream: sweet cream ice cream with crushed oatmeal cookies
Central Perk: coffee ice cream with chocolate chunks and Oreo pieces
Mom’s Yummy Crumb Cake: crumb cake ice cream with crumb cake pieces
Ruthie’s Banana Berry Crunch: banana ice cream with strawberry swirls and strawberry vanilla crunch
Good 4 U: black raspberry ice cream with brownie bits, chocolate raspberry minis and dark chocolate chunks
Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.
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Newsday Live Author Series: Bobby Flay Newsday Live and Long Island LitFest present a conversation with Emmy-winning host, professional chef, restaurateur and author Bobby Flay. Newsday food reporter and critic Erica Marcus hosts a discussion about the chef's life, four-decade career and new cookbook, "Bobby Flay: Chapter One."
