This weekend marks a big weekend for three Martensville High School students. Carson Heuchert (17), Alex Garchinski (16) and Wyatt Strueby are the proud owners of Cones Ice Cream, which will open on June 4th in Martensville’s Kinsmen Park.
The three business partners and long-time friends were brainstorming ideas on how to make some extra money this year and were looking for something outside the typical jobs that you see high school students working in. “We just thought we could do a bit more than what is normal for kids our age and we thought that by opening an ice cream shop, it would be a great experience, we could have some fun and also learn some entrepreneurial skills that could help us later in life,” Garchinski explained.
Planning for this journey began this past February which saw their initiative take this from just being an idea shared among friends to a reality that an entire community can benefit from. The trio created a business plan, submitted their proposal to the City of Martensville, contacted Foothills Creamery as a supplier and have recently been spending their time cleaning and setting up the Kinsmen Park Ice Cream shack. Although much of the work has been done by the three owners, Garchinski noted that there were many others that have supported them through this, and without their help this dream would not be possible.
Heuchert, Garchinski and Strueby all have fond memories of spending time as children in Kinsmen Park sampling different ice cream flavors and are looking forward to providing an opportunity for local kids to have those same memories. “It was such a good memory for us to have and now to be able to pass it on to others is such a good feeling,” said Strueby.
“Martensville is constantly growing and is starting to feel more like a city but having an ice cream shop in the middle of town just has a small-town feel to it – a place where everyone knows each other and can help bring the community together,” Heuchert added.
Cones Ice Cream will be ran entirely by the three and will be open this Friday from 3pm-9pm, Saturday June 5 from 11am-9pm and Sunday, June 6 from 11am-9pm. They will have 16 different flavors, plus two sorbet flavors and will also provide lactose free options. In addition to ice cream, there will also be floats, freezies and water available, with the possibility of more options being added throughout the year.
If successful and the business proves profitable, there are plans in place to continue operating next summer. “We know that we want to do this for a couple of years, but once we are ready to move on, we have talked about the possibility of passing it down to other kids like us that are looking to learn about business as well. It would be nice to see it turn into a tradition where the local ice cream shop is run by kids – that’s not something you see in every city,” Garchinski stated.
To follow the current COVID guidelines, masks will be required when placing an order and sanitizer will be available. Regular sanitizing of the space, as well as physical distancing will also be done.
Be sure to swing by Cones Ice Cream, located in Kinsmen Park next to the tennis courts this weekend and throughout the summer. Follow ‘Cones Ice’ on Facebook to learn more about what flavor options will be available and to watch for updates.
“We look forward to seeing everyone this summer! Come on out and see what we have to offer as we tried to bring in something for everyone and be as inclusive as possible,” said Heuchert.
PHOTO CAPTION: The trio of Carson Heuchert (17), Alex Garchinski (16) and Wyatt Strueby are the new owners of Cones Ice Cream in Kinsmen Park, which opens June 4.
