'Scoops' dishes out desserts, smiles

SANDUSKY — When traveling around downtown Sandusky, the Gill family always believed an ice cream shop would make for a really cool addition. And now, with their latest business venture, they believe it's the cherry on top to best complement the central business district. Four family members — leading with Kim Gill and her daughter-in-law, Rachel; along with Kim's husband, Jeff; and their son/Rachel's husband, Jackson — recently opened Sandusky Scoops, 158 Columbus Ave., within the Marketplace Downtown. Like whipped cream and hot fudge, both Kim and Rachel boast differing but harmonious backgrounds to make this investment successful: • For Kim, she operates South Shore Pedicabs with Jeff. They operate electric-powered bicycles that can pull passengers to places in and around downtown Sandusky. "It's a scary venture to go into something like this," said Kim about Sandusky Scoops. "But after we started the pedicab business, we realized it wasn't that big of a deal, so we decided to go into this together. It's also comforting knowing Rachel's many years of experience in the industry." • For Rachel, she worked at Cobbs Drive-In, a longtime and renowned ice cream stand in Sandusky. "With having such a walkable downtown, ice cream was the one thing you couldn't really get anywhere on foot," Rachel said. "It's so nice to be able to grab ice cream and then walk on the (Jackson Street) Pier." Sandusky Scoops receives its product from the Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream company. Based in Wisconsin, it's described as a "super-premium, dense and very rich" ice cream, Kim said. Customers can order upward of two dozen different flavors, ranging from chocolate to blueberry cheesecake and even iced latte da. There's also a Fat Elvis, which incorporates bananas and peanut butter, as well as sundaes, milkshakes and flights or small portions of a variety of ice creams. Thus far, customers seem to enjoy what Sandusky Scoops serves, making people on both sides of the freezer smile. "It is a very good ice cream," Kim said. "It's something different for Sandusky that, we think, a lot of people will enjoy." For the summer season, Sandusky Scoops will remain open from noon to 9 p.m. daily. The Gills, who offer Sandusky-related souvenirs in the store, are aiming to keep the business open year-round.