Jan. 16—WATERTOWN — A local couple has received a $40,000 loan from the Watertown Local Development Corporation to open an ice cream parlor in a Washington Street plaza.
Members of the local economic development agency, also known as the Watertown Trust, unanimously agreed Thursday to grant Amy Voodre the loan to establish Shaboom’s ice cream shop in a storefront most recently occupied by Pie Zano’s pizzeria. She’ll run the shop with her husband Bill.
WLDC board member Marshall Weir, who also serves as the CEO of the Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency, looks forward to getting an ice cream cone at Shaboom’s.
“I think it’s an interesting idea,” he said during Thursday’s Watertown Trust meeting.
He mentioned that the new business brings back fond memories of Puff’s Ice Cream Store, the ice cream shop that was on Washington Street until it closed during the 1990s.
Shaboom’s will be a 1950s-themed ice cream shop that offers 26 flavors of Hershey’s hard and soft ice cream, pints and gallons of ice cream, ice cream cakes and sandwiches and bars, along with milkshakes.
The couple also plans to have a well-stocked candy counter and sell bubble tea.
The storefront is going through extensive renovations with new black and white checkered flooring and bright pinkish and blue painted walls. They plan to add table and counter seating.
The couple expects to open Shaboom’s during the week of Feb. 10 for Valentine’s Day.
Another WLDC board member, Mike Pierce, said the ice cream shop will complement other businesses in the plaza.
Piggly Wiggly, Chrissy Beanz and Gateway Liquor are among the plaza’s tenants.