Dreamette, the 68-year Murray Hill ice-cream destination, will branch out to the Beaches this spring.
Kyle Jones has the trade name license agreement to open a Dreamette in Neptune Beach at 309 Atlantic Blvd. in a former Yobe Frozen Yogurt location.
“I think there is a definite need for ice cream there,” said Jones, a property manager and a family friend of the Dreamette owner.
Jones said there are nearby yogurt and custard shops, but no soft-serve ice cream like the kind customers crave from Dreamette.
It will serve soft-serve cones and cups, dipped cones, shakes, sundaes, banana splits, floats, slushes and freezes.
The location should open between March 1 and April 1. It will offer walk-up and walk-in service as well as indoor and deck seating.
Being a block from the beach, the Dreamette “will have a real beachy feel to it,” he said.
The original Dreamette is at 3646 Post St. There are Dreamettes with license agreements in Mandarin and Macclenny.
Katy Figg, associate of retail leasing with Franklin Street real estate services, represented the landlord, Ansbacher Realty, in the lease negotiation with Jones.
Johnny Nettles has owned the landmark business for seven and a half years and is the fifth Dreamette owner since it opened in October 1948.
“We keep it the way they did it back in the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s,” Nettles said of the menu’s ingredients and attraction.
Nettles said the Neptune Beach location should do well, considering it’s in a busy area and also will be led by a motivated business owner.
The timing should work well, too. Nettles said the business is affected by the weather as well as the clock. After daylight saving time resumes March 13 and the temperature rises, customers are more inclined to partake.
“It’s like turning a switch,” he said of the time change.
People at home finish dinner and see it’s still daylight and think, “Hey, let’s go to Dreamette and get some ice cream,” he said.
Businessinsider.com reported in June that Dreamette was the best ice-cream shop in Florida, based on Foursquare users’ likes, saves, shares and other sentiments. The Foursquare app lets users find popular places.
“Ice cream dreams come true at Dreamette,” said businessinsider.com.
