5 hours Ago
WHILE BUYING supplies at Fox Hardware in Penacook to spruce up their gardens this spring, customers can now also order a soft-serve ice cream swirl after a corner of the store was transformed into Sweet Dreamz ice cream shop. This isn’t just your basic chocolate and vanilla. Owner Kim Mitchell is offering to more than 30 flavors such as maple, pistachio and pink cotton candy.
The place is open for all ice cream lovers, and designed to help build community in the village, which is a part of Concord. The shop features locally sourced ingredients such as milk from Contoocook Creamery for frappes and Woodstock Inn Brewery root beer for floats. The ice cream shop takes up about 200 square feet of the hardware store and features a walk-up window.
Outdoor seating is coming soon, and families can walk to nearby parks to enjoy their frozen treat, Mitchell said. Mitchell and her husband, Dave, bought the hardware store at 325 Village St. about two years ago.
The idea for Sweet Dreamz was born from a cold-weather hankering for ice cream. “It was the middle of winter, and all my ice cream shops were closed,” Mitchell said. “I was like, ‘Why? We live in New England.
We need ice cream year-round.’” That all-season market for frozen treats seemed to be confirmed during the soft opening the past two weekends. “We had people outside shivering with coats, jackets, hoodies just waiting to get ice cream and that made me just so happy,” she said.
“I was with them. I couldn’t feel my fingers because it was freezing.” The name came from Mitchell’s desire to be a small business owner, but the hardware store didn’t quite do it for her.
“The hardware store is my husband’s baby, so I was like, ‘What can I do to spice things up?’ Because for me hardware is boring,” she said. “Then I started thinking about ice cream.” It ended up being the perfect mix.
Speaking of a mix, Mitchell has a machine that basically offers different flavors on demand, which can even mix multiple flavors for more than 100 options. One customer recently ordered a custom strawberry cheesecake flavor. “I wanted to go for a real premium product with the flavors — nobody has that,” she said.
Ice cream sizes include kiddie ($3.50), small ($4), medium, ($4.50) and large ($5).
Premium Sundaes run $6.25. All the classic toppings are also offered.
The hours right now are from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday and 2 to 7 p.
m. Saturday and Sunday. When the ice cream shop isn’t open, customers can pick up ice cream pies, ice cream sandwiches and soft-serve pints from a grab-and-go freezer.
Yes, pints. “It tried it, and it works. It tastes just like soft serve,” Mitchell said.
A little farther north, a new ice cream and coffee shop, Cup & Cone , is set to open next month in Berlin. The location at 83 Main St. appears to be the former Mountainside Craft Beer & Cigars spot.
“Enjoy some ice-cold ice cream after a long day on the trails — from mega sundaes to specialty coffee, there is something for everyone at Cup & Cone,” its Facebook page reads. The shop will hold an open interview for jobs on April 19. The Grateful Skier Restaurant & Bar is set to open this spring with a “Deadhead” theme in Lincoln.
The location inside the Kancamagus Lodge has been home to multiple other restaurants, including CJ’s Penalty Box sports bar, over the years. The place is set up for live music. Maybe some Grateful Dead cover bands? “If Jerry Garcia and Warren Miller opened a bar, this would be it,” its Facebook page reads.
As part of the renovation, contractors made a “a cool archeological discovery” when pulling up the carpet in the dart room — the old CJ’s floor designed to look like a basketball court. Also in Lincoln, Alpine Pizza , a wood-fired pizza place, opened by the folks at Alpine Adventures, known for its zip line and other outdoor adventures. The place is described as a “laid-back après-ski atmosphere,” but they also offer takeout for a cozy night at home or at the Airbnb .
“Whether you’re coming off the slopes, exploring the trails, or just craving a perfect slice, we’ve got you covered,” its website reads. “Our menu is inspired by the flavors of the mountains — classic Italian traditions meet bold, hearty flavors, with a focus on fresh, locally sourced ingredients.” The restaurant also features signature cocktails and 16 beers on tap.
It appears Seacoast Current , part of a “digital and broadcast” media company, may have fallen for an April Fools’ Day prank when it posted a story “OMG It’s Happening ‘ In-N-Out Burger ‘ is Coming to New Hampshire” on April 2. The piece gushed about the burger chain’s potential to open in Nashua. It all started with an April Fools’ Day Instagram post that announced the California-based chain would be opening at the Pheasant Lane Mall .
“Since @thenashcasino opened, things are building back up at the mall! Finally something different!” the post read. For some, more of a prank disclosure is needed. The headline on Seacoast Current later changed to “‘In-N-Out Burger’ coming to New Hampshire turns out to be a prank.
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