AUBURN | The black and white checkered floors and red spin stools at Poppy's at Mattie Street聽suggest a style of a different time. The popular '50s sweet spot may be harkening back to the past, but the idea behind the treat shop is still the same.
When new owners Cash and Amy Holtby had the opportunity to reopen the popular聽ice cream shop earlier in the year, Amy said the thought of running a business was daunting at first.
鈥淢ark Locastro came up with the whole theme for the restaurant,鈥 Holtby said. 鈥淗e still owns the building, but approached my husband and I about taking on Poppy's. And after thinking it over, we decided to move forward with opening for the summer.鈥
The first few days were an adventure, Holtby admits.
鈥淚've never twisted an ice cream cone before, and scooping hard ice cream is a lot harder than I thought,鈥 she said. 鈥淢y twists are still not perfectly straight, but I'm getting used to it.鈥
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Poppy's officially welcomed customers聽during聽its grand opening Sunday. Holtby and her husband continue with the ice cream tradition that gave Poppy's its name聽in Auburn, but added a new '50s-inspired聽menu to the mix.
Patrons can look forward to hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken tenders and french fries, among other foods. Holtby also had children in mind when creating the menu. Thanks to her own three children, she came up with a child-friendly menu that includes a soft-serve cone for dessert.
鈥淲e're a fun family place and we want our menu to show that,鈥 she said. 鈥淥ur long-term goal is to stay open year-round, and hopefully adding the menu and maybe offering pizza in the fall will let us聽do that."
The long hours that come with聽running a business are new to Holtby, who is a mom of three, but聽she said聽she likes working in her own shop.
鈥淚 love that I can bring my kids to work and that they can see me doing something like this,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 have a 4-year-old daughter, Isabella, and she wears pig tails and聽she runs the show. Having her here makes me happy.鈥
With temperatures soaring well into the聽90s, business is booming 鈥 especially after dinner, Holtby said. She spends most of her time at the shop, but she said the long hours are nothing compared to the smiling faces she sees every day.
"Everybody loves ice cream, and although I'm here a lot, I do love my new job," she said. "It's a perfect place for family, and seeing all the kids come in and leave happy is the most rewarding part."
Staff writer Sistina Giordano can be reached at 282 -2237 or sistina.giordano@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter at CitizenGiordano.
