- April 19, 2024
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Joining Palm Coast's ever-growing restaurant scene is a sweet treat the whole family will enjoy: homemade ice cream.
Sweet Melissa's Homemade Ice Cream, to be precise. The small family-owned shop is located at 160 Cypress Point Parkway in City Market Place. Melissa Herndon, the face behind the name, owns the store with her husband, Wilson.
"We have been blessed by our community," Melissa Herndon said. "They have come out and supported us like crazy."
Melissa Herndon balances the shop with her job as a teacher at Imagine School at Town Center. Herndon teaches seventh grade math there; one would think teaching full-time is enough, but Herndon said when she and her husband discovered how it easy and fun it was to make homemade ice cream, things just started snapping into place.
The whole endeavor began because of Wilson, she said. He's retired, but not ready to sit idle. The two of them signed up for a class on making homemade ice cream, realized how much they enjoyed it and that started the ball rolling.
Learning all the food safety requirements and getting those certifications was the hardest part, Melissa Herndon said. She said she's never worked in food service so the whole process is new.
The two of them create their own recipes. She's the barometer, Wilson Herndon said: she gets the final say on what's good or not.
They've got the classics, of course; but they also have unique recipes like Georgia peach cobbler, turtle cheesecake and apple pie. Their pie-themed ones, including their seasonal pumpkin pie ice cream for example, actually include whole pies blended into the ice cream. Besides scoop ice cream, they also offer milkshakes and malts and a variety of sundaes.
Wilson Herndon said he's also working on some healthier options, so everyone can have something to enjoy no matter the dietary restrictions. Their menu currently offers three different ices to that effect: blueberry lemonade, strawberry limeade and apple cider.
"We have developed a shop that is, you know, it’s family friendly. People just come here and they’re comfortable." — Wilson Herndon
The best part, Wilson Herndon said, is they are the kind of place where people come and visit with each other and them. It's been two months since they opened at the end of August, and already they have people who have come in multiple times, he said.
"We have developed a shop that is, you know, it’s family friendly. People just come here and they’re comfortable," he said.
Sweet Melissa's hasn't had a grand opening yet. Though they soft-opened almost two months ago, Melissa Herndon said they've been using this time to work out the kinks.
"Everything has just been a whirlwind and we haven't had a chance to have that true grand opening," she said.
The store is currently open Tuesday to Friday, 1-9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
