“Hello, my name is Jill Kraft and I am addicted to ice cream.” These are the words that I am prepared to say at the annual Ice Cream Addicts of New York meeting next month.
Just kidding. There is no such meeting. But if there were, I would have to sign myself up. I am pretty sure my addiction started as a very young child when my mother and I would have a special tin full of change that, once we had enough, would take us to the nearest ice cream shop.
These memories are what I remembered as I began my afternoon behind the counter at Ives Cream in downtown Norwich.
My first assignment upon joining the Ives crew for the afternoon was to help decorate the upstairs “everything” room. I call it that because it is not just for birthdays, meetings or graduation parties, it is for everything. Owner Katie Ives describes the room as “a blank slate.” Our job was to prepare it for an upcoming surprise birthday party.
Our decorating skills led us to the birthday banners, table cloths and some bright spring decor that looked welcoming for guests.
“We have had all kind of parties in here,” Katie said.
After getting the room semi-ready, I was informed it was time to start scooping. Being a person who is not willing to try anything new, (as some of you may have read when I worked at Garf’s Deli), the same rule applies when eating ice cream. Since the time I remember eating my first ice cream cone, I have ordered the same kind, the same way and the same size, every time: chocolate ice cream with chocolate sprinkles, in a cone.
So when Katie said hot fudge sundae, I gave her a look like she was crazy. She probably thought I was. Needless to say, I didn’t have to make it solo. Katie quickly saw that I was up the creek without a paddle and came to assist me.
After dishing out some cones, and making a mess of some others, it was time to learn how to make the actual product.
Alex Ives and Tina, the employee on duty that afternoon, explained that making the ice cream is not so much difficult as it is fattening. “We have to try it to make sure it’s good,” Tina said as Alex handed me pieces of cookie dough. So, 10 minutes and 15 pounds later, there I was maneuvering the ice cream - which had been circulated through the ice cream maker thingy (that’s what I call it) - into the package and then into the freezer.
Making a mess is what I do best, so of course after dripping ice cream on my feet and the floor, managing to drench Tina with not only water, but soapy water, and making a fool out myself more than once, I think I finally understood what goes into their daily work routine.
I thought I could leave Ives Cream knowing the recipe’s secrets too, but Tina informed me differently. “Your name is not Ives. If they told you, they would have to kill you.” On that note, I decided I didn’t really need to know anyway.
The secrets to Ives Cream success, I realized quickly, is not just the product, but the way the owners have dedicated themselves to service and to their customers. Katie described her dream to one day franchise the business. “I want one going up by every Starbuck’s,” she explained. “I put a lot into marketing the product and into our logo. The milk jug (their logo) is where it all begins, everyone of them tells a story.”
Referring to the design and layout of the shop, Katie said, “This is my template, the foundation of something great. I believe in my product and in my brand.”
After learning about the events they host, witnessing their friendly service and learning how their product is made are just a few reasons why Ives Cream beats the competition. By the end of the afternoon, I had made a decision. I would stop writing for the paper and become part of the Ives Cream crew. Trust me, I was certain it was the right career move.
After telling Katie of my plans, she said that just wouldn’t work – my decorating skills were not up to par, I didn’t even know how to make a hot fudge sundae and it would take weeks to clean up all the ice cream that I messed up.
Besides, she said, “Our employee roster is full. My son Brandon helps make the ice cream, my son Gatlin who is 15 is beginning to work behind the counter and wait on customers and the position for ‘cute’ has already been assigned to our youngest son Nolan, who is our official taste tester.”
So, here I am sitting here, at the same desk staring at the same computer and just wishing for the time of day I can go eat some more ice cream. Maybe today will be the day that I actually try Chai Tea, Mint Chocolate Chip, or one of the other concoctions the Ives have come up with this week.