Custard's first stand- Frozen treat restaurant opens soon

smoyers

We've seen the temperatures leap into the mid-90s over the past few weeks, often pulling the humidity gleefully along with it. In addition to murdering my once-lush lawn, it also has delivered a strong blow to my normally cheery disposition.

So maybe this new frozen yogurt shop opening this week is coming just in time. It's called Illustrious Jack's, and it's set to open at 1740 Broadway, the former home of Taco Bell and TCBY.

The business is owned by Cape Girardeau developer Dave Gerlach, his father Paul and friend Chris Edmonds. They leased the property beginning July 1 from the Wescoat Trust.

(The Wescoat family owns the property, as well as the building Dr. David Crowe is in, and the strip mall that includes Ken's Cleaners. They also sold a lot of property to Southeast Missouri Hospital.)

David Gerlach tells me the new frozen custard restaurant will be similar to Ted Drewes, the famous St. Louis establishment that I've often heard advertised during St. Louis Cardinals ball games.

It will feature frozen custard treats, smoothies as well as a full line of coffees and specialty drinks later this fall. Frozen custard is a form of ice cream, but Gerlach said it is a premium ice cream.

That's more than just a fancy name, meaning frozen custard has a 10 percent milk-fat content and an amount of egg, which makes it thicker and causes many -- myself included -- to think it tastes much better than regular ice cream.

Their specialty treats are the concrete and the turtle. Concretes are like Dairy Queen Blizzards, except made with frozen custard. Turtles are vanilla custard, hot fudge with pecans and caramel. They also will feature a vast array of cones, shakes and malts.

The name Illustrious Jack's comes from a character created by the business owners that will sort of set the theme of the restaurant. Sort of fun. Sort of different.

"Illustrious Jack is an addled adventurer," Gerlach says. "He has a sidekick that's a penguin. We're still working on it, but we think it's going to be neat."

They hope the concept becomes so popular that they can franchise it regionally.

The store will feature indoor and outdoor dining as well as a drive-through. They plan to hire 20 to 25 people.

"We think we just have a tremendous product here," Gerlach said. "The demand is good. We wanted to bring Cape another ice cream option."

Could be worse

You think gas is expensive at $1.20?

An e-mail I got from Bob Blank, who owns Bi-State oil, puts it into humorous perspective.

The e-mail points out that a gallon of Diet Snapple, at $1.29 for 16 ounces, would cost $10.32. Lipton Ice Tea would cost you $9.52 a gallon. Gatorade would keep you cool for $10.17 a gallon. Ocean Spray, which I think tastes like expensive and over-sugared Kool-Aid, would cost $10 a gallon.

Let's get back to the automobile. Brake fluid costs $3.15 for 12 ounces. That's $33.60 per gallon.

Vick's NyQuil, which I use to help get the kids to sleep (just kidding), would cost $178.13 per gallon. Pepto-Bismol (which editor Joe Sullivan always seems to be taking as I head toward his office) would cost $123.20 a gallon. Scope (which he insists I take before I'm allowed into his office) would cost $84.48 a gallon.

And this is the real kicker: Evian water costs $1.49 for nine ounces. That would cost $21.19 per gallon. FOR WATER!

Here's how Bob summed up his e-mail: "So, the next time you're at the pump, be glad your car doesn't run on water, Scope, Whiteout or, God forbid, PEPTO-BISMOL or NYQUIL!!!!"

Just a little humor to help ease the pain of your next trip to the pump.

Inflating tires

Plaza Tire continues to grow.

The Cape Girardeau-based business just opened a new Plaza Tire service last week in Benton, Ky. The new facility there is near the Benton Wal-Mart and consists of five service bays, a showroom and a customer waiting area.

The Benton location will be the 39th store in the retail chain and the fourth Plaza Tire in Kentucky.

The November 2001 issue of Tire Business magazine listed the family-owned company as the 33rd top North American tire dealership based on the number of retail stores operated. Plaza Tire was established locally in 1963. The company presently owns 38 retail stores throughout Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Arkansas. They're nowhere near finished, though.

Two new stores in Benton, Ky., and Kennett, Mo., will expand the retail chain to 40 stores later this summer.

Workforce women

The women of Generation X, those between the ages of 25 and 34, have narrowed the wage gap with men, compared to women in the late 1970s and early '80s.

The Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2000, women between 25 and 34 earned, on average, 82 percent of what men the same age earned. That's up from the 68 percent reported in 1979.

Based on weekly earnings, Labor Department economists Marisa DiNatale and Stephanie Boraas found that women in 1979 made an average of $440 a week, while men made $653. In 2000, the pay for women rose to $493, but the pay for men fell to $603 a week.

At the same time, the number of women in the work force rose, too, climbing from 44 percent in 1983 to 46 percent in 2000. The number of men, however, declined, falling from 56 percent in 1983 to 54 percent in 2000.

The biggest gains, however, for women were the percentage of them in executive, administrative and managerial positions. In 1983, just 38 percent of those positions were held by women. In 2000, 51 percent were taken by women.

Summer sojourns

With just two months left until school starts, the chance to make the most of summer's remaining days is looming large in would-be travelers' minds.

According to the 2002 American Express Leisure Travel Index, many Americans are looking at short, weekend getaways as an easy way to get away from it all, even if it's for just 48 or 72 hours.

Of the 1,006 people the company polled, 63 percent said they still have plans to get away sometime this summer, if only for the weekend, as many as four times. That's one weekend trip more than last summer.

On average, the typical price paid for a weekend getaway will be around $519, but 30 percent said they'll spend as much as $1,000, while 11 percent said they'd spend more than $1,000. Twenty-six percent said they'll spend between $250 and $500 for their weekend getaway.

And how will they get to their destination? Most (61 percent) will travel by car this year, similar to 65 percent in 2001. Forty-four percent plan to fly this year, on par with 46 percent who flew last year.

Scott Moyers is the business editor for the Southeast Missourian. Send your comments, business news, information or questions to Biz Buzz, 301 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0699, e-mail smoyers@semissourian.com or call 335-6611, extension 137.