No screaming, but hand-dipped ice cream is back

When Baskin-Robbins packed up its 31 flavors earlier this year, frozen-treat lovers were left cold at the thought that there would no longer be a place in town where old-fashioned ice cream would be dipped by human hands, that there would only be soft-serve drawn from lifeless machines.

Now, with the opening of Old Town Cafe and Ice Cream Co. in downtown Cape Girardeau, those people have cause to scream for ice cream again.

Dennis "Doc" Cain, who owns Port Cape Girardeau restaurant, announced the opening of the ice cream parlor last week. The parlor will be inside Port Cape at 19 N. Water.

Cain said when he heard about the "unfortunate situation" at Baskin-Robbins -- the store was forced to close when its parent company decided to pull out of smaller markets -- he saw it as his chance.

"We had always wanted to open an ice cream parlor," Cain said. "But we didn't really have the location to necessarily do it. But we were making a few changes to our existing areas here, so we decided to put the ice cream company in our existing business."

The ice cream parlor is in the area of Port Cape that previously had been the restaurant's front dining room but had been closed when Cain decided to serve lunch and dinner in the bar area. The restaurant will now also be open for Sunday lunch after about a five-year hiatus.

"We think with the ice cream parlor, it lends itself to Sunday lunch," he said.

The new ice cream parlor will feature 16 flavors, from traditional flavors like butterscotch and chocolate, to sherbets and blends to unusual flavors like chocolate-covered caramel and hard chocolate. The shop will also have sundaes and old-fashioned shakes, "the good, thick kind," Cain said.

They'll also make you a banana split, and with the 16 flavors, Cain said that means there are 4,000 variations. The ice cream comes from a Kansas City company called Belfonte Ice Cream Co.

Old Town Cafe will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

No laughing matter

Orange juice isn't just for breakfast anymore, and comic books aren't just for kids anymore either.

So says Andrew Johnson, who is planning to re-open his Mo Better Comics store after a six-year absence. Johnson sold the store, and the new owners renamed it Marvel and Legends, which still operates on Broadway.

Johnson is just about to come out from under a non-compete agreement that expires Nov. 1, so he will open Cape Girardeau's second comic book store the next day at 407 Broadway.

Johnson, 43, has been collecting comics since he was a kid in Cairo, Ill., reading everything from Spider-Man to Batman, to Fantastic Four to ... well, everything.

While he was off, he attended comic conventions across the Midwest and replenished his supply of modern comics to go along with his huge collection of older comics.

There will be two comic book stores in town -- you can also buy comics at some grocery stores -- and so let's hope Johnson is right when he says comics are more popular than ever.

"They're bigger than sports cards, as collectibles go," Johnson said. "There are a lot more companies and a lot more comics to choose from. Plus, with the movies, like Batman, X-Men and Spider-Man, that's helped."

He says his average customers used to be college age, making up more than 60 percent of the customer base. Next is high school kids, and then some younger people.

"But a lot of comics have darker themes and are for grown-ups," he said.

He said there are about 40 to 50 titles that come out each week. Johnson will offer a subscription service, meaning he will hold titles that subscribers collect until they come in to pick them up. He will offer some form of discount.

He will also sell action figures and "mini-busts" of super heroes.

Johnson is also preparing a comic book show for Nov. 3 at the Arena Building. He hopes to hold these periodically and to eventually bring big names to the area.

Albertsons update

I get a call about twice a week from someone who thinks they know who has purchased the Albertsons building.

But the answer as of last week was no one has yet, according to Glenn Wilson, a partner in the Nashville-based development group named MRW Retail. MRW bought the building a few months back.

"There's nothing yet," Wilson told me Wednesday. "We hope we have something soon."

Wilson said he's spoken with a number of interested tenants such as Kohl's, Kroger and Food Lion. He's also spoke with numerous others he wouldn't name.

But Wilson said that some of those who are interested in the building want to subdivide it and others want to use the whole building.

Wilson said he hopes to have a deal finished in the next 30 days.

"I mean, I'd like to have one tomorrow," Wilson said.

Over troubled watersLarry Duffell gave me an angry call last week. He was upset that the bridge scare stories that we have done -- you know, the ones with pictures that show what look like a chain holding the Mississippi bridge up -- has cut down business on his East Cape Girardeau, Ill., restaurant Courtney's.

"It's not too comical, especially considering we're trying to make a go of a new business," he said. "We normally get 200 customers in here, but now we're getting 50."

The Missouri Department of Transportation assures us the bridge is safe and will last until the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge is finished next year. As far as that chain, MoDOT area engineer Stan Johnson tells me those chains were temporary until they got braces put on there.

It's OK, folks. Go on over to Courtney's and get a piece of pie.

Auto-matic

Greg Gross of Greg's Auto Repair in Scott City is adding Greg's Auto Sales. Due to customer needs, Gross is planning on keeping an inventory of four to six reconditioned cars on his lot. All cars will be pre-inspected and sell in the price range of $1,500 to $4,000, Gross said.

Gross, by the way, is a lifelong resident of Scott City. He is a GM-certified technician and is also certified by the American Service of Excellence Institute as a master technician.

Quickly

Our best wishes go out to Jim Govro, who was hospitalized with kidney stones for a time last week. I understand he went home late last week and is recuperating. Jim is expected back to work Monday. That's where he needs to be to get that Sears deal done.

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.