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By Mike Varveris
The grand opening of the new Parker's Frozen Custard at Presidential Plaza, Boardman-Poland Rd. in Boardman will be Easter Sunday, March 23 at
10 a.m. and will be open daily from 10 a.m to
10 p.m. according to John Courter, manager. The business will employ 10 at the start.
The ribbon-cutting, featuring owners Thomas Gilmartin Jr., his son Brian, Courter, investors and area dignitaries, will take place this Friday morning at
10 a.m. March 21.
The frozen custard formula is the same as Sarah Parker's which operated at the original Parker's stand on Winona Dr. and Glenwood Ave. in Youngstown near Idora Park from 1936 to 1978.
Gilmartin Jr., son of former Rep. Thomas Gilmartin, a weekly contributor to Review Newspapers, bought the formula and some of the equipment from the Timms family a few years back and has sold Parker's Frozen Custard since then from a mobile unit.
One of the antique machines purchased was the hopper which receives the custard before it comes out as the finished frozen. Gilmartin calls the hopper "The Custard Cow," now the spoke puppet who can be seen on You Tube promoting the product.
Gilmartin says Parker' custard comes the most expensive items in the dairy section which makes frozen custard a "specific thing. It's not ice cream; neither is it self serve. It is "ice dream," he says. "Everyone who is 40 still remembers it as the original Parker's Frozen Custard."
He said and his son, Brian learned the art of making true frozen custard from Ross Manufacturing in Michigan.
Courter said that many area customers came by as he readied the store for the grand opening and shared with him stories of the original Parker's store. Most of them wanted to buy the frozen treat while they're there "and I was happy to oblige."
"I've been making some of the original 'bright white vanilla" and the cream chocolate every day for those who want to buy it, and they love it." he said.
Besides vanilla and chocolate which will be available every day, Courter plans to feature a couple of new flavours each week such as apricot mango, key lime custard, New York cheesecake with strawberries, pumpkin pie and a few others. "We make our custard every day and serve it when it's fresh," he added. "Some people refer to it as 'ice dream,' not ice cream."
The frozen custard will be available in regular cones, waffle cones, sundaes, floats, milkshakes, avalanches and hand-packed in quarts and pints. "There are plenty of seats inside, and you can enjoy eating it inside," he said .Courter, a Poland native who now lives in Boardman, comes to Parker's after many years as a 'professional salesman,' saying he has sold everything from "cars to yellow pages." He adds he's most happy in his newest job selling a product most people love..
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