Longtime Merritt Island ice cream shop to reopen with new name, same community spirit
If the new ice cream shop on Merritt Island seems familiar, there's good reason.
Parkway Creamery, which will begin dishing out soft-serve treats at 1 p.m. Thursday, resides at the same location as Dairy Queen, which closed Feb. 7, 2023 . It has the same owners and employs some of the same workers.
A year and a day after closing the Dairy Queen they owned and ran for 28 years, Deb and Mike Gentile are bringing sweet treats back to 265 Courtenay Parkway, just south of Merritt Avenue.
"It's crazy that it's been a year," Deb Gentile said on Tuesday as her husband and grandson, Zeke Jewell, prepared for the reopening.
The Gentiles caused a stir on Merritt Island last year after posting this notice on one of the walk-up windows at the shop:
"The last 28 years has had its share of ups and downs, but with each passing year, Dairy Queen Corporate puts more and more unrealistic demands on us, leading us down a path that we would not have chosen."
Gentile said last year that she and her husband hadn't planned to close. Dairy Queen had occupied that spot since 1965, when it was opened by Verne and Helene Koch.
But Dairy Queen corporate mandates, such as a requirement to install an electronic system for taking orders and payment that would be compatible with smart phone apps and food delivery services, forced them to rethink their priorities.
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The Merritt Island restaurant, which has walk-up and drive-thru service, has always been a cash-only operation, and the Gentiles didn't want to change that.
They own the building and the equipment, but they had a one-year non-compete agreement with Dairy Queen. They closed their doors and took a year off to rest and regroup. They took an Alaskan cruise, spent time with family, but Deb said she didn't want to get too comfortable. She knew they would be back in ice cream eventually.
The menu will be similar to the previous offerings, with lots of soft-serve creations and hotdogs on a rotisserie. Guests can order blenders, ice cream mixed with treats such as Oreos, peanut butter cups and Andes Mints; dippers, chocolate-covered ice cream on a stick; and nutty bars, chocolate-dipped ice cream with peanuts.
Deb said she's not able to use her previous supplier, so it's taken time to find the right products, from cups and lids to gummy bears and Sour Patch Kids.
Mike said he's been working at the shop seven days a week since October, painting, putting together new tables out front and getting things in order.
The building looks fresh and inviting. Market lights crisscross over red and white tables in front of the building, which sports a bright red roof with accents in crisp white and aqua. A new sign is in the works, but won't be ready for opening day.
The Gentiles' daughter and Zeke's mother, Elise Jewell, made the menu boards and posters. Zeke's younger brother, Brekkan, 13, will be working there, too.
It's a true mom-and-pop business, Deb said.
The Gentiles have a long history of hiring local teenagers to work at the shop, and that will continue. Four are returning, and they've hired 11 new staff members.
All have been trained according to state safety regulations, and they've also gotten some old-fashioned math instruction. Because Parkway only takes cash, they've had to practice counting out change.
Deb said one of her favorite parts of the business is building relationships with her employees, giving them a safe environment and watching them learn a work ethic.
Grandson Zeke, 16, is now the employee with the most seniority. He started as a 12-year-old washing dishes and has grown to love it. The best part about working there is, of course, the ice cream. He never gets tired of it.
"Not only that, but also you get to meet a lot of other people, and you make nice relationships with the other employees," he said.
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"We've got some pretty good guys that are coming back," he said. "We'll make a good crew."
Deb said she expects it to be hectic for the first few weeks, and she asks guests bring patience and grace when they visit.
"They're 16," she said of most of her staff. "They've never had a job before."
But they'll catch on quickly, she said.
The son of the original owners, David Koch, still lives locally. He was the Gentiles' final customer last year, and he plans to be their first customer at 1 p.m. Thursday.
The Gentiles can't wait.
"The outpouring of love and support has been unimaginable," Deb said.
Suzy Fleming Leonard is a features journalist with more than three decades of experience. Reach her at sleonard@floridatoday.com . Find her on Facebook: @SuzyFlemingLeonard or on Instagram: @SuzyLeonard .
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Former Merritt Island Dairy Queen to reopen as Parkway Creamery
