The Peru Gazette

Sweet Treat’s opening usually coincides with longer days and warm weather. This year the almost daily rain wasn’t the ideal weather to sell ice cream, but it gave Jeanne and Tim a less frantic pace to break into the business. The returning staff members became their instructors. Jeanne remarked, “The kids have been a godsend. They have taught us a lot. They’re our biggest asset.”

There have been some surprises. Jeanne said, “I never realized people like chocolate so much and the variety of things people like. I had a banana split order one day that had three different flavors and three different toppings.”

New business owners always like to make some changes and the Arnolds are no exception. They’ve purchased a flavor burst machine that makes eight new soft ice cream flavors. There’s a new planter-bench out front, a new flagpole has been installed and a new sign will be erected. Sweet Treat is open seven days a week from noon until 9 p.m.

Ironically Sweet Treat is located near the Route 22-Bear Swamp Rd. intersection where Jeanne’s parents, Joe and Cynthia Ondrek, operated Jeanne’s Dairy Bar in the mid-60’s. After four years they sold the dairy bar to Doris and Loyal Burdo and opened Iroquois Campground and RV Park further down the Bear Swamp Rd. Tim and Jeanne purchased the family business in 1999 and operated it until 2011.