Ice cream shop opens in downtown Albion

Photos by Tom Rivers – Paula Shipe is the first in line this afternoon to try out the Frosty Bucket at 43 North Main St. Hilary Clark is the second customer.

ALBION – Downtown Albion has new place for a cool dessert. The Frosty Bucket opened today at 2 p.m. at 43 North Main St.

The business is owned by Adam and Tina Johnson. They are also working to renovate a site next door, hoping to turn that space into a restaurant and bar. Mr. Johnson said the family is working to have that open in the fall.

The Frosty Bucket was more do-able, and should provide revenue to help the Johnsons tackle some of the other projects in the building. Johnson is also president of the Albion Merchants Association. He expects The Frosty Bucket will draw people to the downtown business district.

“We want to make use of the building, and get more people downtown and on the sidewalk,” Johnson said just before the business opened this afternoon.

Adam and Tina Johnson are pictured with their son Tyler when The Frosty Bucket opened this afternoon.

Johnson and his employees worked a month to gut the building and put in new floors, walls, a front window, and all the kitchen equipment, which required new electrical work. He also added outdoor tables and chairs. The tables should have umbrellas soon.

Johnson pushed to have the business open in time for the Strawberry Festival, which is June 10-11.

The Frosty Bucket will have a full-time employee and a team of part-timers. The business will initially be open 2 to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Johnson said a take-out menu will be added soon and lunch hours will then be included.

For now, the Frosty Bucket has several flavors of ice cream cones, milk shakes and sundaes, as well as cold beverages.

“We just want to make an impact in the downtown,” Johnson said.

Paula Shipe placed the first order, an ice cream cone with a scoop each of Cannoli and Deep Sea Treasure. Employee Kim Fisher, left, hands the cone to Shipe.

Shipe’s son Phil works for Johnson and has been busy for several months on renovations inside the building, with the past month focused on the ice cream shop.

“They’ve worked so hard on this,” Shipe said. “It’s beautiful. They did a great job.”