Since 1950, neighbors across Lindenwald and the city of Hamilton have flocked to a neighborhood ice cream stand for creamy soft serve cones and Dixie Burgers with their sautéed onions and steamy buns. That tradition came to a halt in spring 2022 when the stand failed to reopen for the summer season.
"Sweden Creme will not open this season. It was a tough decision but necessary one. Our deepest apologies to all of our loyal customers who stood by us," the stand's owner posted on Facebook May 9, 2022.
Fans were heartbroken, writing messages such as "you will be missed," and "is there something I can do to help?"
A follow-up post thanked people for the outpouring of support, but the shop remained shuttered.
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Then, last week, like spring crocus pushing up through the frozen ground, fans spotted a new message on the Sweden Creme Facebook page. It was a picture of neon lights spelling out two simple words: Stay Tuned.
On March 1, another message appeared outlining a plan to reopen this summer, along with what appears to be a change of ownership. WVXU has reached out for comment but as of this writing hasn't heard back.
"As Sweden Creme transitions into new ownership we just want to say we are thankful to Teddy [Young, former owner] and those who have made this possible. We are anticipating a late April opening date," the March 1 post reads.
It goes on to state that Dixie Burgers, soft serve, splits, sundaes, onion rings, corn dogs and more will be on the menu.
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"We will keep things simple this first year as we transition into our adventure serving our wonderful neighbors and friends. We will have all new staff and are looking to interview and hire some employees for the season," the post states.
According to the Facebook post, operating hours would be 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday until school is out, then 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily after that.
"I'm so happy Lindenwald will be able to walk to get ice cream again!" one Facebook user responded. "So glad to see that you all will be opening back up! So many kids and families will be so happy!" added another.
