“More than an ice cream shoppe”

In 2017 Goodwin and her husband decided to move back to Nova Scotia from out west to be closer to family and when Dan’s Ice Cream Shoppe went up for sale, Goodwin felt it would be a good fit.  While evaluating the purchase, she connected with CBDC and they helped her to fund the purchase of the restaurant in 2017.

Walking into Dan’s Ice Cream Shoppe in Barrington, Nova Scotia; it’s an easy step back in time.  The 50’s and 60’s juke box music sets the tone for the restaurant’s theme.  Black and white checkered floors chrome lining the counter and red stools invite customers of all ages to enjoy an ice cream.

“We are more than an ice cream shoppe,” says owner Katie Goodwin.  While one of the customer favourites might be their soft-serve ice cream, their menu includes many fresh handmade meal items.

The restaurant experiences three busy spurts a day; lunch, supper and what Goodwin calls the ice cream hour.  Some customers visit several times in the same day.  “It speaks to the quality of the products we serve and is a huge compliment to the business.” says Goodwin.  “It is my long-term plan to operate Dan’s Ice Cream Shoppe for the next several decades.  I will keep the business name a tribute to the founder who built the business almost 40 years ago.”

It takes a lot to keep the hopping business successful.

Goodwin wants only the best quality of food and makes many of the menu items from scratch.  Some of their meats are cooked onsite for their subs, wraps and salads.  The bakery is producing breads, sub buns, baked cakes, cookies and much more six days a week.

Goodwin employs 16 to 21 staff to meet the demands of this well-loved business.

 “CBDC has a vested interest in the business,” says Goodwin. 

Goodwin says there is a learning curve when running a business for the first time.  “There are so many moving parts,” she says and credits the staff and previous owner for training her.

She also took part in CBDC’s customer service training that Goodwin found useful and interactive and should see the benefits roll out over the next few years.

Goodwin says some of the rewarding aspects of running the business is seeing long-time staff mentoring new staff some of whom are in their first ever job.

The most rewarding aspect is seeing happy customers eating their ice cream and enjoying the music.