When It’s Cold Outside, People Think Of … Guess What? Ice Cream is Big in Alaska – and Wintertime Victoria
By BJ Lewis
Old Man Winter decided to pay Victoria a visit, bringing with him rain, wind and cold temperatures. Even if the weather has frozen some fingers and toes, clouded up some car windows, a lot of Victorians are braving the weather to fill their bellies with ice cream, of all things.
The wind caused the door of the Marble Slab Creamery to nearly take her hand off when Alane Archer entered with her foursome of ice cream-seeking kids.
Undaunted, the group was quickly at the counter placing orders and owner Glenn Schuck was on the job producing the desserts.
But why, oh why when the thermometer is dropping well below 40 degrees outside, would a person want to eat ice cream?
"I’ve just always liked ice cream," Archer said simply. "It doesn’t melt. The children like it. You ask them what they want to do, they want to come eat ice cream."
Archer said in the summer months she actually does not eat as much ice cream, but she says she gets a craving for it even with the temperature so low.
"Some people like hot chocolate. I eat ice cream."
Ariel Renolds concurred between bites of her dish of vanilla.
"It tastes good, it lasts longer and I love ice cream. It’s that simple," she said.
Schuck — owner and operator of the Marble Slab since 2000 along with his wife, Engracie — said the simple explanation of ‘I just like ice cream’ is what he has been hearing. He said they are busier in the summer months when school is out, but they are almost as busy during the winter months as well with people partaking of their assortment of ice creams, coffee, homemade brownies, pies and other desserts.
"It’s strange, someone mentioned to me, per capita, Alaska sells more ice cream than anywhere else," Schuck said. "In the colder months, people want to get out of their house and do something."
Schuck said they come eat ice cream. He said he couldn’t think of any hard and fast reason for it, just that people just want to be out.
He said the stores around the Slab do not see as much traffic as he does.
As long as Victorians venture out into the cold, Schuck said the Slab will "absolutely" be there to serve them cakes, coffees and scoops of ice cream. Bj Lewis is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6535 or bjlewis@vicad.com, or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.
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Copyright (c) 2007, Victoria Advocate, Texas
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