Twisters owners look to open year-round

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This article was published 24/03/2018 (2965 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When one thinks of ice cream, it’s usually paired with summer, but business is already booming at Twisters Ice Cream Shoppe, which has reopened from its winter hiatus prior to the snow melt.

Business has been so good, in fact, that its owners plan on keeping the shop, now in its 11th year, open year-round.

Recognizing that the public’s appetite for ice cream isn’t as strong during the winter months, they’re diversifying to include other things, such as sandwiches, panini wraps, soups, chilli, hotdogs, smokies and other fast-served items.

Ice cream can also be made more appealing during the winter chill with the addition of hot fudge and other things, co-owner Frank Iwasiuk said.

Better known on CKLQ and Star FM by his radio name, Frank McGwire, Iwasiuk is joined by wife Gerri and their nine-year-old son Ethan in running the shop alongside six employees.

The Iwasiuk couple purchased the business, then nine years old, from its original owners last year, with April 1 set to mark the one-year anniversary of their ownership.

Although they both carry day jobs —Frank in radio and Gerri in insurance —they had been looking for a family-type business for a while, and figured Twisters would be their ideal choice.

This early assessment has proven accurate, Frank said.

Although profitable from the get-go, Frank said that their goal is to “build the business up,” with their ultimate dream franchising it out.

So far, he said that they appear on track, with their space at 305 18th St. North undergoing a transformation during the off-season, during which public washrooms were installed to accommodate the business’s shift toward adding other foods, which Frank said is expected to take place this autumn.

The “family” angle runs high on Frank’s mode of thought when discussing the business.

While they’ve also attracted a stronger post-secondary crowd by offering students 10 per cent discounts, he said that the bulk of their clientele are families.

Most people who come in the door are youngsters with their parents in tow, or vice-versa depending on who’s got the sweet tooth that day, Frank said.

Behind the counter, Ethan has been learning how to use the till, and is becoming increasingly involved in the family business.

With a family behind the counter as frequently as possible, clients “can relate to us, and we can relate to them, so it’s a win-win,” Frank said.

As with any activity, the fact that the whole effort has been fun has helped a great deal, Frank said.

“It’s a joy to be in this business,” he said. “You can have your roughest day, but you come in here and serve ice cream to happy kids, happy people; you serve that treat and you know in some way you’ve made their day … It’s therapeutic in a way, and it’s one of the things I look forward to coming in every day.”

Twisters Ice Cream Shoppe is currently open from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. seven days per week.

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