If you ask Justin Sandler what his favorite flavor of ice cream is, he hesitates for a moment. After all, he has about 80 flavors to choose from. Eventually he settles on cookie dough.
His younger brother Jordan is much more decisive, belting out “mint chip!” as he sits behind the register at , his family’s latest venture as Mineola’s newest ice cream shop.
The store, which boasts about 80 flavors of ice cream and ices as well as sugar-free varieties, held its “soft” opening with each of the family members chipping in. Matriarch Lisa recalls that her eldest son put down the tile floors and painted the walls just in time for the opening this past Thursday.
“Sunday I can start eating sweets because I gave it up for Lent,” resident Joe Grilo said, stopping by to say wish his neighbors good luck. “I think this is going to take off.”
The family is heavily involved in the Mineola Athletic Association, with John Sandler a coach and Lisa the treasurer. Justin plays in the oldest division for baseball while Jordan is a member of the travel soccer team. Their eldest daughter is a volunteer who is currently in Israel.
At the , owner John Sandler said that one of their intentions was to “give back to the community” with special discounts and deals to the local sports teams.
Soon, members of the Mineola Girls softball team wonder in, with the girls picking up a few flavors after some chitchat. Over in the back of the store a few of the younger boys – many Jordan’s age and carrying lacrosse sticks – let their creative side out and scrawl messages on the chalkboard in the back in brightly colored chalk.
Both of the Sandler boys will be working during the summer – which has the added bonus of not being too far from home – along with Justin’s friend David Kim.
The Sandlers are still working the kinks out of the store, with the boys operating off of a recipe list as they memorize exactly what goes into every shake, treat and sundae concoction. Wearing a pair of baseball hats and hoodies, their mother notes that the uniforms are being delivered later that day in time for the grand opening next week.
