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For the Long Run
A Scoop of Nostalgia Carolina Cones serves more than ice cream
MAY 2017
18 LAKE NORMAN CURRENTS
othing signals spring has arrived in the Lake Norman area quite like the opening of Carolina Cones. Now in its 34th year of business, the independently owned ice cream store on Old Statesville Road in Cornelius has served ice cream scoops to generations of families. Owner Gary Winge even remembers the late NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt bringing his children in for a treat. When Carolina Cones opened in 1983, there were no other ice cream stores in the area and few restaurants. “There was Ace Hardware and us on Hwy 115,” says Gary. “We’ve seen a lot open and a lot close over the years.” Gary says customers come for the quality, quantity and price. “We give a large product for the price, and we sample every ice cream from our six vendors and only pick the best,” he says. A dose of nostalgia is also part of Carolina Cones’ charm. The train track circling the ceiling and vending machines filled with trinkets and candy are a throwback to simpler times. “If our customers weren’t so loyal, we wouldn’t be where we are now,” Gary says. “We try to keep up the old fashioned look of the store.” Checkerboard tables and a small playground outside invite people to slow the pace of life. At the same time, Carolina Cones has made changes and additions with the times. The menu now features soft
Owner Gary Winge sits between two teenage employees. He’s employed approximately 600 area teens at Carolina Cones over the years.
serve handdipped yogurt and Dippin’ Dots. Twenty-two years ago, Gary added a garden center that has helped boost longevity in an increasingly competitive ice cream market. Gary’s mother ran Carolina Cones for 15 years, and now his sister-in-law, Danielle Winge, manages it. Much of Carolina Cones’ day-to-day business is in the hands of a teen workforce. For many, it’s their first job experience. “We have the best of the best kids working here. It’s satisfying to see these kids succeed,” Gary says, adding that he has employed approximately 600 area teens. He’s even received letters and emails from former employees years later thanking him for valuable work skills they learned while scooping ice cream. Many former employees, like Hunter Busse of Davidson, are now adults with children. Busse worked at Carolina Cones in the late ’80s. She says it’s a bit of a deja
Riding the carousel is also a treat at Carolina Cones.
vu experience whenever she brings her three children to Carolina Cones. “One of my fondest memories was flipping on that train. That was the big attraction then,” she says. “You went for a sweet treat and
to be with friends and family.” — Holly Becker, photography by Brant Waldeck
Carolina Cones 20801 N. Main Street Cornelius 704.892.8190