With its familiar red and white building and retro-style signage, the Custer City Drive-in is more than just a place to satisfy a sweet tooth; it’s a testament to community, nostalgia and the simple joys of a small-town summer.
Here, stories of the past and present melt seamlessly into a flurry of memories that every scoop of ice cream helps to preserve.
“I have very fond memories of coming here when I was a kid and teen,” said owner Jessica Defilippo. “I think that coming here is an experience that everyone in our community can remember and share; that is what ties us together.”
This is Defilippo’s fifth summer owning the Custer City Drive-In, which has been open since 1952.
“Every year, I have a customer stop and tell me about how they used to come here as a child and the nice memories that being here brings back for them,” Defilippo said. “Or, they tell me that they have traveled from states away just to come back here and visit us for the summer.”
Defilippo tries to appeal to those older customers while still keeping her business fresh.
“The building is older, and we try to keep that retro feel with promotions such as our Oldies Night in August when the girls dress up in poodle skirts, some of them skate and deliver the ice cream out to the customers,” Defilippo said. “People bring their classic cars and we have a car show right out back.”
That is just one of many clever and unique promotions that Defilippo and her staff run throughout the summer season.
Earlier in the year, they held events such as Spring at the Freeze, where they cooked breakfast and held a vendor fair. Another popular promotion this year was Stuff the Stanley featuring the popular cup.
“I got one of those pink Stanley’s back when everyone was losing their mind over them,” Defilippo said.
“For $10 you could fill your cup with hard or soft ice cream and enter your name to win the pink cup in a drawing that was held back in April.”
Right now, they are offering a variety of exciting new menu items, such as their Samoa Sundae featuring the popular Girl Scout Cookie served with toasted coconut ice cream and hot fudge. This Sunday, for Father’s Day, they will offer dad a free small milkshake.
Some other popular items they will offer as limited editions include their popular apple crisp sundae.
“That is one people wait all year for. We offer it for two weeks at a time and it sells out quickly every time,” Defilippo said. “We also do peaches in August when the peaches are nice and ripe; we do peach ice cream, peach sundaes and fresh peach milkshakes.”
