Hot spots for cool treats

By Katie Hoffman

Wisconsin summers may be short, but they’re definitely sweet. When these warm months roll around, the residents of Northeast Wisconsin are screaming for ice cream.  July is National Ice Cream Month, which means there’s no better excuse to round up your friends and neighbors and show your favorite ice cream shop love.

Ice cream has long been a favorite treat in Wisconsin’s history. The first ice cream sundae was served in 1881 in Two Rivers. Whether you scoop it, lick it or drink it, ice cream is still a huge part of Wisconsin’s culture 129 years after that first sundae.

Leon’s Frozen Custard, a drive-in located in Oshkosh, opened in 1947, and 63 years later is still serving hundreds of devoted customers daily.

Michael Schraa, the current owner, bought Leon’s from its founders 22 years ago, and the rest, as they say, is history.

“I’d been coming here (to Leon’s) for years as a child with my parents, and as a teen with friends. I was going to open another location when I approached the owner, who was ready to retire,” said Schraa.

The same aspect of loyalty through generations is true for Leon’s many regular customers. Now on Facebook, Schraa said their page gets a lot of comments from people who came in with their parents, and are now bringing their children and grandchildren in to experience the history. Not to mention the ice cream, which is actually custard, and yes, there’s a difference.

“One thing customers come in for is the custard,” Schraa said. “The bonus is the 10% butter fat content along with the 4% egg yolk, making it richer and creamier.”

Their most popular menu item by far, Schraa said, is the turtle sundae, with the runner up being their Avalanche creations, which mix your favorite ice cream with toppings like cookie dough or fruit. If your idea of ice cream is simpler, Leon’s always has plenty of the standard chocolate and vanilla custard, as well as a flavor of the day that changes every few days.

Leon’s Frozen Custard has always relied on the foundation of “super service,” and Schraa believes that has been the key to their success.

“We are customer oriented, and just do our best to put out the best quality product with low prices,” Schraa said. “I love the fact that it’s an oldies drive-in kind of place, with car hops. Customers really like that aspect of tradition.”

According to Schraa, Leon’s is a fun place to work and enjoy custard. Their hours, along with a complete menu and more fun facts, can be found at their website, leonsfrozencustard.com.

Just 40 minutes northeast of Leon’s, another drive-in by the name of Dick’s Drive-In can be found on state highway 55 in Kaukauna. Dick’s is a seasonal shop, open March 1 through the end of November, where consistency and customer service are the top priority.

“We pay special attention to the customers because we want to,” said hiring manager Eric Gauthier. “We don’t have a big corporate headquarters telling us what to do.”

It’s safe to say Gauthier knows his ice cream, listing the top menu items to be root beer floats and their many ice cream flavors. The creamy chocolate is also a top seller, combined with toppings like caramel or strawberries.

After being hired 14 years ago, Gauthier said he quickly felt the sense of community he’s now so fond of.

“I was surprised how well you get to know people you wouldn’t know otherwise,” Gauthier said. “We see people sometimes three or four times a week, and they’re the regulars who know us by name and look forward to not only their usual ice cream, but chatting with us.”

Sue Helms grew up in Kaukauna and is one of the regulars Gauthier speaks of. She remembers the times in her childhood when the drive-in’s owner would be getting ready for opening day.

“As a kid, myself and all the neighbor kids would wait for Dick’s red truck, and we’d all get together and run over and just watch him set up,” said Helms.

A few years later, as a teenager, Helms turned her love for the drive-in into a job, working throughout her high school summers.

“I remember when it would first open, the lines were crazy,” said Helms. “People just hungered for it all winter. Even if I wasn’t working that day, I was still there, waiting.”

Helms also shared her love of Dick’s with her family, including daughter Morgan, who has now been working at Dick’s for three summer seasons. Consistency has proven true at Dick’s for the Helms family, who claims that even though you wait a little longer, it’s worth it.

Even today, 53 years after opening, Dick’s is a popular spot for ice cream in Kaukauna. Although they use no formal advertising, Gauthier said pure word of mouth from their regulars helps reel in new customers.

“If you live in Kaukauna, you know about Dicks,” said Gauthier.

If you know about elephant tracks, you must know about Scoopers Ice Cream Parlor. Located in Waupaca and connected to the Wheelhouse Restaurant, Scoopers features Cedar Crest ice cream made exclusively in Cedarburg, Wisconsin.

Scoopers employee Ali Nellis says they are known for their gigantic ice cream sandwich and original two-scoop sundaes. But she, among many others, is a fan of the popular elephant tracks.

“Our most famous flavor has to be elephant tracks,” said Nellis. “It’s made with chocolate ice cream, a hard fudge swirl and Reece’s Pieces.”

Customers come from all over the area, not to mention all around the world, to get a taste of Scoopers’ flavors.

“We’ve had people from all over come to Scoopers, from places like Germany and Australia even,” said Nellis. “We’d like to think we’re world renowned.”

Nellis agrees the international customers are cool, but their heart and soul belongs to the people who have made Scoopers a part of their extended family. The employees meet new people all the time, but look forward to the regulars who come in and know them personally.

“We’re a very friendly, personal ice cream parlor,” said Nellis. “Obviously our customers come for the ice cream, but stay for the girls who work here, and the atmosphere. That’s how customers turn into regulars.”

Frequent customer Ashley Richardson lives in Neenah, but thinks of Scoopers when making summer plans with friends. Richardson also makes the trip if she’s just craving her favorite flavor, Rocky Road in a waffle cone, of course.

“It’s such a cool place to get together,” said Richardson. “Going to Scoopers is a fun, easy, cheap way to get out and do something with the girls. It’s the best ice cream, and that’s a fact.”

The ice cream-loving madness continues west of Waupaca, in Steven’s Point. Open for 29 years, Belt’s Soft Serve has its share of devoted regular customers.

Belt’s is a seasonal walk-up stand known for its fresh fruit sundaes, and 2-pound soft serve ice cream cone. If that weren’t enough to get you started on your journey to Steven’s Point, you should know they make their own brownies, cookie dough, and even peanut butter cups.

Like the other ice cream hot spots, Belt’s has it’s own set of familiar faces who sit through the long winter months, just waiting for opening day to taste their favorite treat.

Belt’s employee Amber Wiza is currently working her sixth season, and said this year has been by far the craziest opening she’s seen.

“We usually have a few die-hard customers who camp out the night before opening day,” said Wiza. “This year, I’d say we had about 12-15 tents set out the night before.  There’s definitely some pride that comes with being the first customer in line.”

Belt’s is a family owned business, dedicated to quality with a good value along with customer-oriented employees. The environment, according to Wiza, is really laid-back and fun. Whether you’re coming in for ice cream or coming in for work.

The usual line of cars at Belt’s is a testament to their hard work and great ice cream. Wiza has become accustomed to the non-stop movement associated with being a Belt’s employee, and wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I love seeing familiar faces at work, especially during the day when it’s not as busy and you can see them coming in,” said Wiza. “We always start making their usual order, and they really appreciate the personal touch that comes with knowing our customers.”