New ice cream shop opens by Fountain Lake in Albert Lea

 

An Albert Lea chiropractor and his family opened a new ice cream shop Friday near Fountain Lake.

Eat’N Ice Cream Shoppe, owned by Eaton Sport & Spine Owner Jeff Eaton, features soft-serve ice cream, Dole whip, slushies, flurries, banana splits, malts, milkshakes and other products.

Eaton said he opened the shop, at 424 Bridge Ave. in Albert Lea, because the community did not have a similar establishment.

The seasonal shop is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Depending on how busy weekends are, it could stay open until 10 p.m.

“There wasn’t anything like that in town, and Albert Lea needed something fun and needed a place for high school kids to work that was different than what was available,” he said. “And (we) just wanted a place for families to come up and have a quick, cold treat.”

Eaton said he opened the store after realizing there were ice cream shops in Owatonna while walking with friends.

“As we’re walking back, I said, ‘Well, this would be fun to have in Albert Lea. We don’t have anything like that,’” he said.

Eaton met the owner of the Owatonna-based ice cream shop The S’Cream, Gale Crandall.

“He’s kind of been really integral in helping us get to where he are,” Eaton said.

Eaton, 36, has hired 14 mostly high school-age employees to work in the shop, and the store’s manager is Robyn Sailor.

A patio has been built on the west side of the building.

“We think it’s a good spot,” Eaton said.

“We’re new. We’re unique. I think Albert Lea has been missing something like this. We’re trying to offer a family-friendly environment for people to come up. We’re trying to offer affordable, frozen treats, and hopefully the service backs that up.”

Eaton’s three daughters, Jayce, Brityn and Rowan, are featured on the shop’s logo.

Sailor predicted Eat’N Ice Cream Shoppe will be successful.

“This is the right time, the perfect location, and I think it will do very well,” she said.

“The ice cream is great flavor, and we do have healthy options.”