Iceberg Ice Cream in Lavallette has been enjoying sweet success for the past seven years. It has become one of the most popular places for ice cream in the area and a place where kids and families gather. Known for 24 homemade ice cream flavors, sundaes, yogurt, soft serve, and ice cream cakes, the ice cream shop is a favorite among locals and vacationers.
Owner Elizabeth D’Aloisio, originally from the North Jersey area, has been vacationing with her family at the Jersey Shore since she was a little girl. She and her husband have spent the last several summers running an Italian restaurant (Lenny’s Pizza & Italian Grill) in Lavallette and when the ice cream shop was for sale in 2006, she decided she would buy it.
“This is a happy place and I truly enjoy making people smile,” says Elizabeth. Lavallette is a favorite beach town for families and the summer season is bustling with activity. The winters slow down, she says but it is a nice time to relax after the summer season.
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Hurricane Sandy had a dramatic effect in the Lavallette area. Nearby Seaside was practically destroyed and up and down the Mantoloking Coast, there was millions of dollars of destruction. The process of rebuilding is still underway. Twenty six inches of water flooded the ice cream store and it’s belongings, such as ice cream machines. Equipment and miscellaneous items were even toppled over. It took several months for Elizabeth to even get back in the store to start the renovations.
She did her best to prepare for Hurricane Sandy by placing sandbags and boarding and taping the windows. “We were all very concerned with the storm and what impact it would have.”
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She and her family even had to evacuate their home and move out of the area for a few months. Once she was able to get back , it took two months to repair the damage. Navy Seals helped her remove the debris from the store and her part time employees even donated their time. “The community came together and there was so much local support. We all knew we had to work hard and fast to get our businesses up and running.” Other businesses in the area banded together and collectively shared a positive outlook.
Elizabeth took the opportunity to remodel the store and change the interior and offer new items, such as homemade fudge and flavored popcorn. Her husband made a new table for the interior that looks like boardwalk planks. She even rebranded the store’s logo in bright pink font and changed the web site.
She wanted to pay tribute to Lavallette and the neighboring towns that endured so much during Hurricane Sandy. In the winter, she ordered wooden signs in the shape of beach badges from a local shop owner and they now hang on the wall with pride.
“I did not know what to expect for the summer. This area was really damaged and we all just hoped for the best. Overall, it has been a good season so far and I know that by next summer, it will all be back to normal. There are days when it is slow, especially during the week and other days are very busy. The holiday weekends have been very terrific and a lot of traffic in the area.”
She loves making people happy and she says that she has been serving happiness since her doors opened a few years ago and will continue to do so – summer after summer.
“I am seeing a lot more day trippers and out of town visitors coming to support our local shops. With a lot of hard work and determination, the doors to Iceberg Ice Cream opened on May 18.”
She employs 15 part time workers and having jobs available to them was very important to her. Elizabeth says she is grateful to be back in business to serve the local community.
To learn more about this business and others affected by the storm, please visit http://bit.ly/19EYgjm. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the WCEC’s “We’re Storming Back” Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Program provides free workshops, training, and resources to New Jersey businesses affected by Hurricane Sandy to help them to recover and thrive.
About The WCEC
The WCEC, a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit corporation, is a U. S. Small Business Administration’s Women’s Business Center. The WCEC provides the tools for individuals to successfully own, operate and grow their small businesses, thereby investing financially, intellectually and emotionally in their communities. The WCEC provides more than 150 classes, seminars and individual consulting sessions each year for more than 5,000 participants. For more information please visit hwww.wcecnj.org/.
