Dover is full of small-town charm, what some might call “hidden treasures” of the Midwest. Although no one would typically take a vacation here, living in this town has its advantages. One of the best things in Dover, something that no other town has, is Softies. Themed ice cream, slushies, and numerous local jobs make Softies one of the many staple businesses in Dover. Small towns are typically known for not having many interesting qualities. However, Softies is one of the few things that make summers in Dover interesting. Although Softies is a beloved ice cream shop visited by hundreds of Dover residents, it has one major flaw: It’s only open from March through October.
At first, this seemed like a major disadvantage for the business. If people buy ice cream at Miller’s Creamery all year, why not Softies? Closing for half of the year seems like a waste of opportunity for the owners. The answer lies in the fact that Softies is a largely outdoor establishment. There is no indoor seating, and no place to stay warm while customers are waiting for their orders to be made. They could, of course, wait in their cars, but there is another issue. Softies is a favorable part-time job for teens in Dover who are hoping to make a little extra money. With no indoor seating, the employees must constantly open and close service windows to serve their customers. Along with the cold air from outside, they are working with ice cream. This requires a cold environment that is far from pleasant in the winter months. Senior Sydney McCabe stated that she would “feel bad for the workers,” as the cold would not make an ideal work environment.
Some people would like to enjoy a frozen treat year-round, but several others prefer a warm dessert when it is cold outside. Another senior, Kacy Ireland, said that she “probably wouldn’t go there in December,” seeing as standing outside in the cold to wait for frozen ice cream seems almost counterintuitive. After conducting a small poll, the results were largely in favor of keeping the half-and-half schedule. From this information, one can only assume that every respondent who chose to keep the half-year schedule had a similar reasoning.
All in all, the consensus is clear: Softies should keep their current schedule and continue to close in the colder months. Dover residents will have to stick with Miller’s from November to February to get their ice cream.
