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NEW BUSINESS FOCUS | Ice cream and other frosty delights

Peter Piper’s Parlour Cones and Café debuts just as summer temps loom on the horizon “I can’t get away from the alliteration,” said Peter Moore with a laugh, a reference to the plosive peez and concussive kayz in his latest venture, Peter Piper’s Par
Owner Peter Moore, manager Kelly Richardson, servers Kaede and Marissa, and ice cream customers Cal and Evan at last Friday’s opening of Peter Piper’s Parlour Cones and Cafe. DON RICKERS

Peter Piper’s Parlour Cones and Café debuts just as summer temps loom on the horizon

“I can’t get away from the alliteration,” said Peter Moore with a laugh, a reference to the plosive peez and concussive kayz in his latest venture, Peter Piper’s Parlour Cones and Café.

The grand opening of the ice cream joint was last Friday, and many locals were on hand to sample the chilled delights. The parlour is located just down the strip plaza from Moore’s main business, Peter Piper’s Pubhouse, at 110 Highway 20 East.

“Ever since the Log Cabin and Lazy Loon’s ice cream counter closed [on Highway 20 West], I felt that Fonthill would support another ice cream vendor,” said Moore. “So a couple months ago, when the owners of Ziya Blue came to me and said that they were relocating to the Pen Centre, I decided to move on my idea.”

Fonthill already has a gelato vendor, on Pelham Street, but Moore believes there is plenty of business for both.

In addition to 24 flavours of hard and soft ice cream, Moore will offer soda, coffee, and milkshakes (which he is calling Cyclones, as a tribute to the school teams at E.L. Crossley).

Those in search of milk or dark chocolate bars will, sadly, have to look elsewhere.

“No chocolate, and no pastries either,” said Moore. “We have some great bakeries in the area, and I don’t want to upset their applecart.”

Rather than tables, the plan is to have wall bars with stools. But given the state of the pandemic lockdown, “I'm in no rush, obviously,” said Moore.

The walls have been hand-painted by Moore’s kids, and by those of his manager, Kelly Richardson.

He is also taking advantage of a free picnic table offer from the Town, and will have a few outside the shop as soon as outdoor service is permitted again.

During the school year, the ice cream parlour will be open Monday to Thursday, from three until eight. Fridays will be three to nine, Saturdays twelve to nine, and Sundays twelve to eight.

The ice cream will be provided by an all-female-owned company in St. Thomas called Shaw's. Chapman's, located in Markdale, and Canada’s largest independent ice cream producer, will also be a supplier.

Moore said that the opening day had been a success, but “what a battle to open a business during a pandemic. Countless delays…I just got the cash register delivered and programmed today.”

Contacted for a follow-up on Sunday, Moore said that rules limiting the number of customers inside at any one time worked well, “as for many of our staff it’s their first-ever job.”

The most popular flavours as of Day Three? Shaw’s Moose Tracks, followed closely by Shaw’s Grammy’s Cupboard.

“It’s been great to see our young team learn.”