Plymouth Ice Cream Shop Adapts to COVID-19 Business Environment
Many small businesses have been hit especially hard since the novel coronavirus pandemic began. The popular Plymouth ice cream shop Honey & Mackie’s is no exception.
“Our sales have been down significantly compared to what we would anticipate throughout these past couple months,” said Suzanne Varecka, owner of Honey & Mackie’s. “However, we’re incredibly, incredibly grateful for all of the support from our community, for everybody who does show up for us.”
A Honey & Mackie’s employee wears a mask as she prepares to serve customers.
Varecka said that the business continues to make modifications to keep those loyal customers coming back. In early May, the ice cream shop started offering a drive-through option during inclement weather. All people have to do is pull up to the tent, place their order, and park in an empty space until their treats are ready.
“Customers have been grateful that we have a way for them still to get their ice cream and stay dry on days when it’s raining or cold,” Varecka said.
New Flavor Honors Graduating Seniors
Honey and Mackie’s recently began offering a drive-through option during inclement weather.
Another recent change at Honey & Mackie’s is the addition of a new flavor of ice cream to honor the class of 2020. The commemorative flavor is an almond-based ice cream with sugar cookies mixed with yellow and blue sprinkles.
“For the first time ever, we are naming a flavor of ice cream after a specific group, and it is in honor of all of the graduates for 2020,” Varecka said. “We just feel like this is a really great way to honor their journey the past couple months and a way for them to celebrate all of their accomplishments even if they aren’t able to do it in the grand fashion that they were hoping to.”
Honey & Mackie’s new class of 2020 flavor.
Meanwhile, as Mother Nature starts to turn up the temperature in the Twin Cities, Varecka is hopeful that better days are ahead.
“I’m hopeful for some of the plans that the governor — and the direction that the governor — is going to give us in the next week or so will lead us to a safe way of opening up our location,” Varecka said. “We’re also hopeful that we can get some of our patio seating out. It is socially-distant just by nature already.”
