Slinging soft-serve a labour of love

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This article was published 19/05/2015 (4093 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There’s nothing like ice cream to top off a long hot summer’s day, or to brighten up a bad one.

“Ice cream is comfort food,” Melanie Thomas, owner of Sub Zero Ice Cream, said.

Located on the corner of Jamison Avenue and Brazier Street, Sub Zero has been a neighbourhood ice cream institution for 29 years. Thomas, who is the third owner of the popular spot, has been a customer herself since the late 1980s. In 2005, she bought the business from its second owner.

“The menu is larger than it once was,” Thomas said, though much of the menu and the decor retain a retro charm that keeps customers lined up out the door on busy days. “A lot of these items are 29 years old. They’ve been there from the beginning.”

Specializing in soft-serve ice cream, Sub Zero’s parfait menu alone boasts 35 regular items. They also offer flurries, hard ice cream, novelties, ice cream cakes (available in any of the parfait or flurry flavours), and regular specials.

“For Mother’s Day we did the Oh Mama Parfait,” Thomas said with a smile. “We’ll do a Father’s Day special, Canada Day special, and we do a Pride Parfait, something with rainbow in it.”

Sub Zero Ice Cream is the kind of spot that locals take pride in, and where the staff get to know the regulars pretty quickly.

“We get a lot of people who come multiple times a week,” Thomas said. “People who really appreciate good ice cream.”

Those regular customers may have noticed a change last year. A number of factors kept Thomas away from Sub Zero, and the business was up for sale, with new ownership coming in to run the business June through September. However, the issues have been resolved, and Thomas is excited to be back behind the counter again.

“Some people coming in this year are surprised to see me,” Thomas said. “I want people to know that I’m back.”

Thomas said she’s been overwhelmed with the support the community has shown since she opened up last month.

“Seasonal businesses are not an easy go,” she admitted. “If you have a bad summer, you’re behind. This is a labour of love.”

Currently, Sub Zero Ice Cream is open seven days a week, 1 to 9 p.m. In June, they’ll stay open until 10 p.m. And, starting Tues., May 26, Thomas is introducing “Turn Back Tuesdays” a special, “limited time offer,” where parfaits are half-price from open till close.

“The two-dollar-something parfait was what I paid when I first started coming here in the late ’80s,” Thomas said of the promotion.

For just over $2, customers can afford to step outside their comfort zone and try a few of the 35 parfaits on offer. However, if you find yourself overwhelmed, Thomas has a go-to parfait ready for you.

“I always recommend The Larsen,” she said. The hot fudge, roasted whole Spanish peanuts, and peanut butter parfait has been a favourite of Sub Zero customers for decades.

“I love this place,” Thomas said. “I’m passionate about it. I love the customers. It’s important that people are happy, and they have a good experience when they come here.”

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