Jack’s Shack owner, Deborah Lorenz, and Troy Melquist, its manager, opened the shop last October. The couple named the ice cream shop after their favorite beach bar in Grand Turk Island in the Turks and Caicos.
By LOIS KINDLE
Jack’s Shack isn’t your typical ice cream shop.
Owned by Deborah Lorenz, managed by Troy Melquist and opened six months ago, it features close to 25 varieties of made-to-order, rolled ice cream prepared right before your eyes.
After freezing the liquid ice cream mixture at -14 degrees, Jack’s Shack manager rolls the solid dessert for a customer’s order. He will then add any of a number of desired toppings.
“It’s like going to a sandwich shop and getting your order exactly the way you want it,” Melquist said, adding their ice cream starts out as a liquid that is mixed and prepared as each customer chooses on a plate that freezes to -14 degrees F. The liquid turns into a more solid mixture in less than 30 seconds. The mixture is spread over the plate as it continues to freeze with any additional flavorings and rolled into a rich, delicious ice cream. “It’s all natural, with no additives or preservatives,” he said.
Melquist, 57, compares the process they use to making scrambled eggs, only by freezing the product rather than heating it.
“We’re a little bit different,” Lorenz, 54, added. “Our ice cream doesn’t sit in a barrel.”
In addition to standards like chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, customers have a wide choice of rolled ice creams to order, including S’mores, Mississippi Mud, Reese’s Cup, Mint Chocolate Chip, Butter Pecan, Banaberries, Amaretto Crunch and more, served in two sizes of cups – regular for $5.99 and senior, $4.99.
Vanilla, chocolate and swirl soft serve ice cream, low fat yogurt smoothies, parfaits, sundaes and splits, milkshakes, authentic Hawaiian Shave Ice and waffles cones are also available, as are coffees and a few other beverages. The shop also carries gift cards and a “little bit of swag,” Melquist said, in the form of T-shirts and hoodies, all with Sun City Center printed on the back.
“We pretty much do it all,” the military veteran said.
The couple originally thought to open a 1950s-style drug store soda shop before deciding to open an ice cream shop instead. They named it Jack’s Shack after their favorite beach bar in Grand Turk, one of the Turks and Caicos Islands. They hired two college students as employees.
The shop is not a franchise. Its owners, who heard about and researched the process they use, have total freedom to make their ice cream however the customer wants. The liquid they start with to make the ice cream has only five ingredients, and it’s their product. Unlike regular ice cream shops, nothing is carried over to the next day.
“People come in who are reluctant to try something different,” Lorenz said. “What we do is like making your own handmade ice cream, only faster. We’ve never had anyone try it who didn’t like it.”
Jack’s Shack is at 4864 Sun City Center Blvd., Sun City Center, in the King’s Crossing Shopping Center, to the right of Publix and next door to Sally Beauty Supply. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 8 p.m.; Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. and Monday 3 to 8 p.m. Credit cards, debit cards and cash are accepted.
For more information, call 813-419-4189.
Troy Melquist, manager of Jack’s Shack in Sun City Center, serves a cup of the freshly made, rolled ice cream, one of the close to 25 varieties prepared right before the customer’s eyes.
The chalk board at the entrance of Jack’s Shack features the plethora of options customers have.
Jack’s Shack is decorated in the bright colors of an island tiki bar.
LOIS KINDLE PHOTOS
Jack’s Shack is at 4864 Sun City Center Blvd., Sun City Center, in the King’s Crossing Shopping Center, to the right of Publix and next door to Sally Beauty Supply. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 8 p.m., Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. and Monday 3 to 8 p.m.
Customers can have a ball ordering toppings for their ice cream, which is made to order on site.
