• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Subscribe
Program Guide
Watch Live

CCX Media

Skip NavigationMenu
  • News
    • Close
        • CCX News
          • CCX News Home
          • News Stories
            • CCX Daily Newcast
          • CCX News Special Reports
          • CCX Media Schools
        • Feature Segments

          • Business Matters
          • School Spotlight
          • Standout Student
          • Weekend Showcase
          • Newsmakers
        • News Tip

          Send us a story idea or news tip!
          Facebook Instagram Twitter
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
        • Apple News
    • Close
  • Sports
    • Close
        • CCX Sports
          • CCX Sports Home
          • Sports Tips
          • Hall of Fame
          • Upcoming Event Coverage
          • Play of the Week
        • Sports Coverage

          Adapted SportsAdditional SportsBaseballBasketballFootball
          GymnasticsHockeyLacrosseSoccerSoftball
          Swimming & DivingTennisTrack & FieldVolleyballWrestling
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter Instagram
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
          Shop/Order
    • Close
  • Cities
    • Close
        • CCX Cities
          • CCX Cities Home
          • The Connection
          • In The Community
          • Our Town’s Story
          • Community Resources
          • CCX Media Schools
          • City Meetings
        • Your City

          Brooklyn Center Local News and Events
          Brooklyn Park MN Local News and Events
          Crystal
          Golden Valley
          Maple Grove
          New Hope
          Osseo
          Plymouth
          Robbinsdale
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
    • Close
  • Create
    • Close
        • CCX Create
          • CCX Create Home
          • Channels
          • Resources
          • Meet The Create Team
          • CCX Create Virtual Tour
        • Get Creative

          • Make Your Own Show
          • Free Classes
          • Contact Us
          • Polka Spotlight
          • Diversity Minute
        • RueShare

          • Member Login
          • Member Guide
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter Instagram
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
    • Close
  • Subscribe
  • Program guide
  • Watch Live

No Samples Due to COVID-19, Plymouth’s Honey & Mackie’s Turns to Ice Cream Flights

11:35 AM | Saturday, August 22, 2020

Suzanne Varecka has spent this summer making dreams come true. Her Plymouth ice cream shop, Honey & Mackie’s, has introduced “a million new flavors this summer,” thanks to the creative minds of her employees.

“What I have been doing is going through and making everyone’s dream flavor,” Varecka said. “And every week, someone’s ‘dream’ comes true, so I’ve just been making all these random flavors.”

Those flavors include ice cream with names such as “Cookie Monster,” “Cherry Cola,” and “Bullseye.”

There’s just one problem. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, ice cream shops aren’t allowed to provide the small, spoon-sized samples to customers who want to try one of these unique concoctions.

“We’re not allowed to do samples, in particular, because we’ve had the mask mandate,” said Varecka, the owner of Honey & Mackie’s in Plymouth. “And that’s because taking a sample involves, one, removing your mask, having a spoon close to your face and your mouth, and then either giving the spoon back to us or discarding the spoon in a public area that we no longer have control over; which means somebody else could pick up that spoon.”

In other words, it could be an easy way to spread COVID-19.

With no samples available, the Honey & Mackie’s staff has become adept at describing the taste of the different ice cream flavors to curious customers. 

“Describing the flavors is incredibly important, particularly in the given environment,” Varecka said.

But even a perfectly-articulated description can’t replace the sensation of real ice cream hitting your taste buds. 

Introducing ice cream flights

Earlier this month, Varecka came up with an idea to solve the sample situation. On Aug. 17, Honey & Mackie’s started selling “sample flights.” For $8, customers can get six single scoops of different ice cream flavors packed neatly into a plastic tray that resembles a cupcake holder.

Honey and mackie’s sample flights

An example of a sample flight. Featured in the picture are Cotton Candy, Coffee Oreo, Raspberry Chocolate Chip, Mini Donut, Cookie Dough and Cookie Monster.

“I started it this week with the idea that we would just try it for a week and see how it goes,” Varecka said. “Is there really a customer demand for it? Is it feasible? What’s the feedback? And we’ve been blown out of the water the past few days.”

The serving size is a little big for one person, so Varecka says it’s probably best to share the sample flight between two people, but it’s an easy way to let customers try their various flavors in one visit. 

As word gets out about the sample flights, she’s asking customers to look at the flavor list online beforehand to help make the ordering process more efficient. 

“Come to the dipping cabinet with flavors in mind,” Varecka said. “That will help us help everybody more quickly.”

As for how long the sample flights will be available, Varecka says it will likely be a permanent fixture on their menu for at least the next couple of months, as she doesn’t expect the CDC guidelines to change anytime soon.

“There really is a desire to experience ice cream this way,” Varecka said. “So I’m going to say yes, that it’s going to be [permanent]. But don’t hold me to it. Like, if we come back to real samples sometime, like some miraculous thing happens, we may just go back to regular samples. But this seems to be a really fun way to meet people where they’re at right now.”

Delane Cleveland, reporting

Plymouth

Related Stories

Maple Grove’s North Metro Range Expansion on Track:  Relief will soon be on the way for law… Read More
Wayzata Students Help Fill Cafeteria Staffing Void:  On any given day, roughly 2,800 students make… Read More
Wayzata HS Senior Named U.S. Presidential Scholar Semifinalist:  A Wayzata High School student is on… Read More
Newsmakers: Superintendent Engstrom Talks Need for New Strategic Plan:  Robbinsdale Area Schools is in… Read More
Plymouth Plans for Pickleball at Zachary Playfield:  The Plymouth Parks and Recreation Department… Read More
Plymouth Police Warn Seniors About Scams:  Plymouth police visited residents of Trillium Woods senior… Read More

Footer

NAVIGATE

  • CCX Media
  • NEWS
  • SPORTS
  • CITIES
  • CREATE
  • Job Opportunities
  • Meet the CCX Media Team
  • ABOUT CCX MEDIA
  • Annual Programming Reports
  • CABLE COMMISSION

SUBSCRIBE

Get email updates for daily story previews. “Week in Review” video links, and programming previews.

Subscribe Today

CONNECT

HAVE A NEWS TIP? CALL OUR TIPLINE AT:  763-533-1710
Send us story ideas and comments!
Get in touch with us
               
 NEWS   SPORTS
 SHOP/ORDER

LOCATION

CCX Media
6900 Winnetka Avenue North
Brooklyn Park, MN 55428

Main Phone:  763-533-8196

CCX Media serves the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota, including Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Golden Valley, Maple Grove, New Hope, Osseo, Plymouth and Robbinsdale.
Copyright © 2022 CCXMedia | All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement
Web Design and Development by CEL Marketing PR Design and BizzyWeb | Log in