A relationship that you knew had the power to destroy all that you had worked for, and went against much of what you value...yet you still, by force of sheer magnetism, dizzying desire and intoxicating charm, feel driven to keep going back to what you know could be your downfall?
This is the relationship I have with Chilly Willy's Ice Cream.
About 4 years ago, this wonderful little shop opened. It is a ray of hope - a beacon of light in a culinarily dark place...in a land where eating options range from "chain-blah" to decent ethnic cuisine, this light shines even brighter.
Now, technically, while the title of the shop says "Ice Cream", they specialize in frozen custard - and this, my friends, makes all the difference. The difference between "ice cream" and "frozen custard", according to Alton Brown, is eggs. True ice cream is just that, frozen cream, sugar, etc. Frozen custard includes eggs to the mix - and to my palette, brings about a wonderfully unctuous mouth feel...so smooth and creamy on my tongue.
I'm a "texture eater". Meaning - it often isn't the taste that lures me in, it's the feel of something in my mouth that gets my attention. This would be why raw oysters hold no appeal, and the Jimmy John's Potato Chips, with their extra crunchy, thick layers win out over all others. Chilly Willy's, you had me at "custard".
But, then, it gets better. As I have mentioned, I'm trying to reduce the size of my waistline (and reduce the amount of junk in my trunk, the badonk in my badonky-donk). To this end, Chilly Willy's offers an equally rich fat-free frozen yogurt option each week! So - it is much easier to save up Weight Watchers points for this treat!
And, to top it all off, they have dozens of specialty sundaes, "willi-waws" (a Blizzard, but you can't call it that, of course), milkshakes...any number of goodies that just keep you coming back for more!
And - they serve "real food" too - burgers, hot dogs, fries...but I'll be honest, I go for the cold stuff. The hot stuff is OK, but if I'm watching my waist, deep fried-fried is what I try to avoid.
The employees are very bubbly, enthusiastic teens, who are good kids - being a small town, everyone knows everyone, and I've met many through the schools in one way or another. How they keep going day after day with such a rabid customer base, I'm not sure. The shop is clean, and the aesthetics say "this is a fun place to be."
All in all, if I had to vote for a business that most represents what Olney could and should be, I'd vote for Chilly Willy's. Not only does it prize quality in their product, it listens to the heartbeat of the community, and is ever-changing to meet their needs. For example - last year they did not carry frozen yogurt every week, and each week they did, they kept selling out of it. This year they have a new flavor of it every week, and always seem to be well-stocked. It prizes the customer experience - never cutting corners for the bottom line, but understanding that if you go the extra mile to make customers happy, they will return your efforts 10 fold. And they have vision - it would have been easy to say, "Well, it's a town of 9000, and we already have a Dairy Queen - so we don't have the customer base or potential market share to make a place like this work." Gutsy, fresh, confident business acumen - and again, not limited by what "has always worked", but bolstered by belief that our community would support something that is truly good.
(Are you listening, Olney?)
And - they reach out to the community by creating events centered around the park directly next door. They sponsor classic movie showings on the weekends, where people can bring their lawn chairs, enjoy some food, and enjoy an evening with their neighbors. Movies range from "Casablanca", to "Back to the Future", and this summer..."Rocky Horror Picture Show". Can I dress up as Magenta and get away with it?
I will continue to budget WW points for visits to Chilly Willy's, because I know I will never be let down. Yes, it has the potential to unravel my health efforts - but, wisely managed, I believe you can have your frozen yogurt and eat it too.
So - when are we going next???
Location:W Gassmann St,Olney,United States
Mmm...Cookie Dough Williwaw.
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