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It’s the most wonderful time of the year, at least for those who look forward to the multitude of frozen treat options that the summer season brings.
Many popular seasonal ice cream shops have opened or are opening as the snow melts, with Haines Junction Frosty being among the newest to welcome customers on April 29.
In an April 28 interview, as he prepared for the annual opening, Frosty’s owner David Tomlin said the first few days of business were usually a “crazy rush.”
“People have to come and get their ice cream,” he said.
The restaurant offers 14 flavors of hard ice cream as well as a long list of soft treats.
A licensed establishment along the Alaska Highway, it also serves burgers, fries, and other meal options. It will be open daily until 9 p.m., with operations starting at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. on weekends.
“We hope to see you all here this weekend enjoying a burger and ice cream,” reads a post on Frosty’s Facebook page.
Tomlin said he hoped 2022 would be a busier season after COVID-19 wreaked havoc on tourism — and subsequently on Frosty’s — over the past two years. He acknowledged that it’s hard to say what the season will bring, as rising gas prices could mean potential travelers are choosing to stay closer to home.
A total of 16 staff members have been hired for the season at Frosty’s, many of whom are students who live in the community.
Meanwhile, in the territory’s capital, Whitehorse, Coyote Entertainment has upped its ice cream game over the past year.
The store, which started as a video rental store in Porter Creek, expanded to offer soft serve ice cream treats throughout the summer a few years ago.
In late 2021, they expanded restaurant operations by opening a second location in Riverdale that serves cold treats year-round, as well as a larger menu that also includes nachos, fries, hot dogs and more.
The Porter Creek store offered its first frozen treats of the season on April 4.
Just as the Riverdale site operates year-round, the Porter Creek site will remain open past the end of the summer season with changes to the video store so customers can order ice cream inside.
“We’re busy,” Coyote owner Cory Adams said. “Both places are really busy.”
Although the situation means a lot of work hours for Adams, it seems like the right time to expand his business.
The early April opening of Coyote Ice Cream in Porter Creek meant that by the time Easter rolled around, a special, limited-edition Mini-Egg twister was available at both locations for those who wanted to mark spring.
In addition to cones, Twisters, sundaes and more, the store also offers its own line of alcohol-infused ice creams available in containers that over-19s can take home.
The Coyote’s Riverdale store is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, while the Porter Creek store is open 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
For Yukoners eager to cross the border into Skagway, popular ice cream and fudge shop Kone Kompany opened for the season on April 23, celebrating its 40and birthday with 40-cent deals on soft drinks, hot dogs and cotton candy, plus ice cream.
The store operates under temporary hours until more staff are hired, typically opening at 10 a.m. or noon and closing between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. until May 3.
While many seasonal ice cream shops have opened their doors to an expectant public after a long winter, there is also a plethora of year-round stores and services filling their freezers with frozen treats and firing up slushie machines and ice cream parlor to prepare for those long lines of customers waiting for icebergs and more.
Contact Stephanie Waddell at stephanie.waddell@yukon-news.com
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