'You have to chase your dream': Richlands ice cream shop turns old-school vision into reality
Jennifer Hall always dreamed of owning her own ice cream shop, and with her kids now grown, that dream has become a reality.
"It's always been a dream, but you have kids, and their dreams become your dreams," Hall said. "When they got grown, I was like, you know what, it's time to follow my dreams."
Triple C Sweets & Treats will likely solve any sweet craving you may have. Hall said they offer everything from old-school ice cream like banana splits and hot fudge sundaes, to items like cookie sandwiches, and both old-fashioned and crazy milkshakes.
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"I wanted the old-school, I wanted the ice cream that I remembered growing up," Hall said. "But then, of course, I have three kids that are younger, so they wanted the new modern, so we kind of incorporated the old-school theme and then the more modern like the crazy shakes."
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A song on Hall's youngest daughter's Bluetooth is what ultimately pushed her to take the plunge with the business, as she had been bouncing the decision back and forth.
"It said dreams don't chase you, you have to chase your dream, and I don't know, I live through music, I'm not gonna lie," Hall said. "It just hit me that night. You know what, it ain't gonna chase me, I have to do it. If I want this to happen, then you have to chase your dream. You have to put the effort or you'll never know, and I didn't want to live with the what if."
Hall opened Triple C Sweets & Treats about ten months ago, after a three month whirlwind of renovations. From traveling as far as Maryland for antiques to building entirely new walls, Hall and her family managed to open Triple C late last October, after getting the keys on August 1.
While she had the vision, Hall said her brother had the skills.
The building had originally been Fran's Consignment, and Fran's daughter ran it for a few years after she passed away. When she was ready to close, she told Hall about it being available. When Hall first got the keys, she said it was one open room, and it had dressing rooms all along the side wall. So, they immediately started demoing.
"We tore out all the dressing rooms and we built walls," Hall said. "Everything in here was like a purple, neon green, so, we painted and we painted and we painted. We had to build the kitchen area because there was no kitchen. There was no wall where we have the wall blocking the kitchen, my brother built that. He built everything in here, and then I started antique shopping."
The old-school booths in the shop, she drove six hours for one weekend, despite still working at Richlands Tire throughout the week.
"I would leave there, come here," Hall said. "My family was a big help though. My brother and his wife, they helped a lot, and then my sister, she actually lives three hours away, but she would come down every single weekend until I got done from the first weekend of August until open."
She said they busted their butts, and made it happen.
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The feel of the shop was important for Hall, as she said everything in the world is now so modern and fast-paced, she wanted it to be a place people could come to slow down.
She said there was a corner drugstore growing up that was her place, where she would go every day after school. She modeled Triple C after that drugstore's same theme. She said she wanted it to feel peaceful.
"I still remember going in and everybody in the drugstore acted like they loved you," Hall said. "Whether they did or not, they acted like they did, and I always felt that. I was like, that's what I want. I want it when you walk through the door and everybody would feel like they were somebody when they came in here."
Despite the long nights and endless driving, Hall said it's all been worth it, and she's been blessed by the feedback they've received.
"I didn't know where this was going to take me, and I knew from the beginning that owning a business in general was going to be good and bad, and there's been good and there's been bad," Hall said. "But I can say, the good has outweighed the bad. Some days, honestly, you feel defeated, but then there's always tomorrow. So, I can say I've been blessed."
She said the Richlands community is amazing, and although she does periodically check Google to see what reviews say, she hasn't seen any bad reviews in the ten months they've been open.
"There'll be the hit or miss customer who will complain, and there's always going to be that person," Hall said. "I try not to let those people bother me, because you're not going to be able to please everybody. But really, truly, that is few and far between."
Hall said she couldn't have done any of it without her family. It's why she named the shop after her kids. Triple C stands for her three children, Colby, Cody, and Caley.
Her youngest, 20-year-old Caley, works with Hall at the shop.
"I wanted someone to pass it on to, hopefully she'll carry on one day and everybody, they'll always have a place to come back to, and not only my family, but the whole community as well," Hall said.
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All of Triple C's crazy shakes are named after Hall's family members, and there are also special shakes that change every month. Next month, Hall said there will be one celebrating back to school, and one celebrating football kick-off.
For those interested in visiting Triple C Sweets & Treats, they're located at 108 W Hargett St. in Richlands. They're open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays from 2-8 p.m.
For more information, visit their Facebook page.
Reporter Morgan Starling can be reached at mstarling@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on The Daily News: Onslow ice cream shop owner wants community to feel at home
