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The reason they won't is the same reason the Aurelius ice cream business opened that Sunday, April 12, and not its planned first day of Friday, March 20. With the coronavirus pandemic, the Reese's dining room is closed and the Millses waited a few weeks seeing how the state's efforts to enforce social distancing played out, they said Friday.

"With more time, people became more accustomed to social distancing. It became a habit," Penny said. "I see that as people come here. They're very conscious, patient and respectful."

Indeed, with gorgeous weather that first Sunday, the business was greeted by a nonstop line of people spaced 6 feet apart, said the Millses, of Port Byron. On advice from the Cayuga County Health Department, they and their staff remind customers of that distance when necessary, and sanitize any surfaces that are touched often. 

That's been a learning curve for both the new owners and their staff of about 25. But that staff, many of whom are college students who worked at Reese's under previous owner Tom Watkins, have been helping the Millses with the rest, they said. The only thing they can't help do is balance the schedule. Jamison said that with all the students home already, it's hard to get everyone hours. 

Watkins himself was also "completely amazing" as he turned the business over to the Millses, they said. He bought it in the early 2000s from his uncle, Bill Reese, who opened it in a former Carvel in 1973. And Watkins personally showed the new owners everything about operating it, including a 40-hour "boot camp" on making Reese's ice cream the third week of February. Penny, who has taught in the Port Byron school district for 20 years, called it "one of the hardest-working vacations I've ever taken."

"He wants it to continue, to prosper," Jamison said of Watkins and his former business. "He really took the time to make sure we're comfortable in what we're doing."

Now the Millses are making Reese's their own. Though some ask, they don't plan on bringing miniature golf back. There's nothing left of the old course, which was torn down years ago, so it'd be "a huge financial prospect," Penny said. But they will use the land for something else in the future. And they've already added a few flavors to the Reese's lineup, as well as a cinnamon maple oat milk hard ice cream for vegans, made by Byrne Dairy. If it sells well enough, the business could begin making its own plant-based ice cream, Jamison said.

Other additions to the menu include tater tots and a children's meal. The Millses always look for them when they're ordering food, as they have two daughters, Mallory and Alivia. And though Reese's customers can't eat inside the dining room — which features new lighting, decorations, carpeting and paint — they can still order hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, salads and more to go.

The business is truly a family one for the Millses. Jamison's parents, George and Sharon Mills, are part owners. It was Sharon who showed him a Facebook post in June about the business being for sale, he said. He emailed Watkins the next day for a showing, and the Millses closed on Reese's in November. 

Jamison, a lifelong resident of Port Byron, had been looking for opportunities like Reese's for awhile. He's worked for a few restaurants over the years, including the Old Erie in Weedsport and the Sherwood Inn in Skaneateles. For the last 18 years, he was an employee of Zurich Cinemas, owner of several movie theaters in upstate New York. Penny, meanwhile, is a Jordan native who worked at an ice cream stand in high school and college, then in retail and restaurants before her teaching career.

She and Jamison talked about buying a business like Reese's closer to their retirement, she said.

But when the opportunity presented itself, it "screamed" at them — the way we all do when ice cream is involved.

"It's been an amazing few weeks," Penny said. "Hopefully we can let people inside soon, so family and friends can enjoy it. We really want it to be a fun, family-friendly and inviting atmosphere."