By B.C. Manion
If you’re in the market for a soft-serve ice cream cone, a slab of fudge, some old-fashioned candy or a bit of nostalgia there’s a new shop in Lutz that may be right up your alley.
It’s not the most visible place, but owner Brian Vindick believes that once people learn about his specialty store they’ll drop by to check it out.
Once they taste his soft-serve, he’s confident they’ll be back for more. Or, perhaps they’ll be more interested in his specialty sodas, nostalgic candy, or frozen slush drinks.
Maybe they’ll just get a kick out of listening to Vindick wax poetic about his favorite places in the world – Philadelphia, South Jersey and the Delaware Valley.
The vast majority of the items he sells come from the Delaware Valley, with the exception of some of the sodas and old-fashioned candy.
If you’re curious about anything he sells, just ask; Vindick can tell you the history of each item.
In great detail. With enthusiasm.
“I eat and breathe the Delaware Valley. I love where I’m from,” said Vindick, who works as a restaurant consultant and has been dreaming of opening his shop for years.
“Everything in here has a story,” Vindick said.
“Sometimes you get customers who say, ‘Look, I don’t care, just give me an ice cream and let me get out of here.’ ’’
But for those who want to know more, Vindick is ready and willing to fill them in.
For instance, the shop offers Bayard’s fudge, made by a candy company that dates back nearly 100 years.
It sells Sifer’s Valomilk cups, a nostalgic candy produced by a family in Merriam, Kan., now in its fifth generation of candy makers.
The shop stocks A-Treat Sodas, a favorite of Pennsylvanians since 1918. That beverage maker still uses the raw ingredients it has used since the beginning.
The shop also sells Dr. Pepper, but not the kind you can get at just any supermarket. The brand he sells is called Dublin Dr. Pepper because it’s made from the original Dr. Pepper formula, which was bottled with Imperial cane sugar.
Vindick also sells Boost, a concentrated blend of citrus fruit syrup, created by a politician named Ben Faunce in 1913.
Vindick believes his unique items will appeal to various demographics – snowbirds who winter down south, transplants from the Philadelphia metropolitan market and people who like nostalgic candy and ice cream.
“I chose Lutz for the exact reason that I’m in between everything. I’m in between Carrollwood, New Tampa, Land O’ Lakes and northern Tampa, such as USF (University of South Florida) and the more urban areas.”
He’s confident his business will do well.
“Once people know I’m here, I’m ok,” he said.
He also noted there are lots of potential customers who pass by him every day, as commuters make their way down US 41 to get to work and back.
He hopes he can get some of those passing motorists to take a slight turn and drop by to see him at 127 Flagship Drive in Lutz.
To learn more about Philly Cream of Tampa, call (813) 949-5200.
