July 2022 Business of the Month: Stoner's Ice Cream Parlor

Article by Heather Chamberlain, CEO, Theresa’s Gingerbread House, LLC Childcare Centers and President of the West Liberty Business Association
Nostalgia best describes the feeling that you are overwhelmed with when you are walking through the door of Stoner’s Ice Cream Parlor, located on the corner of 68 and W. Baird St in the heart of the village of West Liberty.  The Ice Cream Parlor boasts 40 flavors of ice cream, food, milkshakes and a variety of other desserts. They also offer the beloved pup cup for your dear 4 legged friend.
 
Behind the counter you will see a line of hard working high school students who are hand dipping your ice cream, and serving you delicious memories with a smile! You are transported to your childhood, and all the joy that comes simply from the anticipation of picking your flavor, and they are proud to serve the very best, Perry’s Ice Cream from New York. Perry’s has been in business for over 100 years and Stoner’s Ice Cream Parlor is proud to be the top seller of Perry’s hand dipped ice cream in the state of Ohio! Stoner’s Ice Cream Parlor is a family affair, owned by Jeff and Kelli Stoner, and their daughter Shae, a Senior at West Liberty Salem, is a familiar face you will see working all the time!
 

What are your names and occupations?
Jeff Stoner: I’m a contractor with Godwin Construction
Kelli Stoner: I’m a nurse manager at The James at OSU
 
When was your business established?
To the best of our knowledge, 1970. It was once the post office, and then an Arctic Cat Dealer.
 
How long have you owned the business?
We have owned the business for 4.5 years.
 
How many employees do you have?
We have 15 employees, mainly high school students who attend local high schools across 2 counties.

What is the history of your business in West Liberty?
Kelli: I remember emptying my piggy bank when I was little to go to the Ice Cream Parlor.
Jeff: In high school we were able to leave for lunch and the Ice Cream Parlor was one of the places we went in 84’, 85’, and 86.
 
What does your business offer residents of West Liberty?
We want to offer an overall feeling of “The way it was when we were kids”, nostalgia, and a family friendly environment that welcomes you in and allows you to leave with a smile and a memory.
 
What is something unique about your business or its owners?
We have food! We offer homemade shredded chicken, sloppy joes, hot dogs and lots of other yummy food!  We also home-make our waffle cones daily, we use Woodruff’s whole milk for our milkshakes!  We are located on the corner of US HWY 68 and we have tables and benches lined along the street so everyone can enjoy their ice cream and the beautiful view of downtown!
 
Do you offer classes, specials, or any other service that your town may not know about?
We are excited to announce that the month of July we will be offering the “Hometown Buckeye Sundae”! It will be made with Perry’s Ice Cream, Nutty Bon Bon, peanut butter sauce, whipped cream and topped with our favorite Marie’s Candy, a homemade Buckeye!
 
How are you involved with the community in West Liberty?
We are both members of the Lion’s Club and the West Liberty Business Association.  We donate to  WL-S Prom, all the ice cream served at the Cystic Fibrosis Walk, Logan Hills Festival, the West Liberty Ball Association, Logan County Chamber of Commerce, WL-S Athletic Association for Golf, WL-S Senior of the month, Simon Kenton Pathfinders, nurses week at The James at OSU, the Young Life Memorial, The Champaign County Fair, the VFW, the Athletic Association Field House and the Lions Club Family Day!
 
What do your customers love the most about your business? 
People truly come in to see the friendly kids who work at the Ice Cream Parlor!  People also love the portion sizes we offer!  They are always thrilled with the amount of ice cream they get and the extra time they have to sit and enjoy it.
 
What are your hours of operation? 
We are open 7 days a week, Monday – Sunday from 12 P.M-9 P.M.
We are open 12 P.M. – 8 P.M during the school year to allow our employees time to still get home and have time for extracurricular activities and school work. 
 
When you aren’t at your business, what are you doing? (Hobbies, etc)
We both work full time outside of our time at the Parlor, and we enjoy traveling, camping, spending time with our family and dogs, but this job is 7 days a week and non-stop.  We don’t close for any day except Thanksgiving so we are truly always working.
 
What is your favorite thing about owning a business in our small town?
We are carrying on a 50+ year tradition, and we are so thankful we get to serve up smiles and memories along with our ice cream.
 
What is your favorite thing about West Liberty? 
The close-knit community that cares about each other and helps each other out is the very best thing about West Liberty!  We love being a part of this community.
 
Is there anything else you’d like your customers to know? 
Our customers come from all over and we so appreciate all of the support you give to us!  Thank you to everyone who supports Stoner’s Ice Cream Parlor!

Stoner’s Ice Cream Parlor is located at 100 S. Detroit St. West Liberty, OH 43357 937.465.5950. Stop in soon and enjoy all they have to offer!