'Come taste our ice cream': Get the scoop on Fall River's new family-run ice cream shop

FALL RIVER — Nothing says summer like a towering cone of ice cream.

With warm weather adventures fast approaching, the irresistible scent of freshly made waffle cones fills the air on Seabury Street luring locals to a sweet new Fall River shop.

Nonno's Ice Cream Shoppe opened its doors this past weekend across from Ruggles Park.

Father-daughter trio Steve Serio, Allyson Provost and Nicole Serio are keeping it all in the family at Nonno's as they embark on a quest to fill the void in ice cream options in the city.

The name Nonno's, which means grandfather in Italian, is a nod to Serio's other pride and joy — his daughter Allyson's young ones, 11-year-old Layla and 2-year-old Lorelei.

The shop opened on Friday the 13th — by chance, not by design — and while some might consider that a bad omen, Serio feels nothing but positive vibes about their future.

"I'm confident and hopeful once we get established and people know what they're gonna get when they come here that they'll be back," he said.

Serio was born and raised in Swansea, surrounded by ice cream staples such as Somerset Creamery, and Swansea's Eskimo King, Mister Peepers and Ice Cream Barn. For 35 years he watched lines form outside these popular summer spots before deciding it was time to throw his scoop in the mix.

"The ice cream business is just something that I've always wanted to do," Serio said.

So he teamed up with his daughters and made Nonno's Ice Cream Shoppe their family endeavor. Their journey began about a year ago, when Serio purchased the 270 Seabury St. building, which has been vacant for years and once housed a convenience store.

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Serio walked away from flipping houses and went back to school — Scoop School, that is — traveling to St. Louis, Missouri, and Daytona Beach, Florida, for extensive training on the ins and outs of owning and operating an ice cream shop.

Over the past several months, the Nonno's site has undergone a floor-to-ceiling interior renovation, which started in February and only wrapped up about two weeks ago. Exterior upgrades will follow, Serio said, but the focus at the start has been getting their doors open to the public.

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"With the weather getting warmer, I couldn't wait," he said.

And with the response he's gotten from the community, both in person and on social media, it seems many people share that sentiment.

"I'm blown away by the support we're getting... everybody's been great so far," he said.

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Nonno's may be located just off the beaten path, but Serio said he's OK with that since its closest neighbor happens to be a highly trafficked park.

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"Once we put the sign up I couldn't walk out the door without someone stopping the car and asking me when we're opening, people beeping and waving," Serio said.

While there is no seating in the building, customers can walk just a few feet from Nonno's front door and enjoy their treat on a bench or picnic table amid a pretty park setting.

So what makes Nonno's stand out from other Greater Fall River ice cream stops?

"Come taste our ice cream and you'll know," Serio said.

Signature flavors include Snickers and Almond Joy

Their menu features a palate-pleasing selection of 25 to 30 flavors of premium ice cream, made on the premises, for whatever mood you're in.

They have all the classic flavors, from vanilla to chocolate to coffee, as well as less conventional, tasty offerings such as Blueberry Pie, Key Lime Pie, Strawberry Cheesecake and Coffee Oreo. There are also frozen yogurt and non-dairy picks.

Serio is most excited to introduce their three signature flavors — Almond Joy, Chocolate Velvet and Snickers — which he is confident will be a hit with patrons.

"I've had people tell me they are hands down the best ice cream they've ever had in their lives... and those are people I don't even know," said Serio, who has doled out samples to passersby.

Nonno's makes their own waffle cones, a number of sundae creations, ice cream floats and Serio promises customers "the best milkshakes you've ever had in your life" there.

Once they get settled and things ramp up, Serio hopes they'll also be a go-to for ice cream cakes and sandwiches.

And they haven't forgotten their four-legged customers either. Serio said dozens of people visit the park everyday to walk their dogs, so he wants to have ice cream on hand for them as well.

Serio is the mastermind behind each unique flavor at Nonno's. In the course of gearing up for opening day Serio said he has whipped up countless batches of ice cream, taking bits from various recipes and tweaking them to make it his own.

Word about Nonno's has spread mostly through word of mouth and Facebook, but they've also been giving locals a taste of what to expect.

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In addition to handing out samples, he's dropped off a number of pints at one of Charlton Memorial Hospital's nurses stations and plans to do the same at the Fall River police and fire departments.

As the saying goes, team work makes the dream work, and that is especially true at Nonno's. It helps when that team has already had plenty of experience working together.

"I love that I get to work with my kids, I could not be happier," he said.

Allyson, a stay-at-home mom, will be largely in charge of back-end operations, Nicole left her job as a biologist to manage the front of the house at Nonno's — which includes a staff of 12 — and Serio is the master ice cream chef and overseer of the overall operations at the shop.

Serio said his 11-year-old granddaughter is also excited to someday lend a hand at the shop, which he looks forward to. "This is as much her baby as anyone else's," he added.

Looking for a pick-me-up? Check Nonno's out for yourself. Hours are currently Monday to Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.

For more information and to browse their menu, visit https://www.facebook.com/NonnosIceCreamShoppe.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Keeping it all in the family at Nonno's Ice Cream Shoppe in Fall River