When Cheryle and Vinny Romine moved to the De Soto area a year and a half ago, they just couldn’t believe there wasn’t an ice cream shop in town, other than the Dairy Queen.
The Romines, who are both 50, filled that gap this month when they opened a shop downtown called GiGi’s Ice Cream and Treats, 110 N. Main St.
The two celebrated their grand opening on June 17.
GiGi’s sells 12 flavors of ice cream: chocoholic; vanilla; strawberry; strawberry cheesecake; salted caramel cold brew; birthday cake; cookie dough; butter pecan; cookies and cream; mint chip; peanut butter cookies and cream; and rainbow sherbet.
Cheryle said they will rotate a couple of flavors in and out, but the 12 staples will be permanent flavors.
She also said the shop soon will add sugar-free ice cream because people have been asking for it.
The shop’s scoop sizes are called rugrat (kid size), munchkin (regular), lil bit (double) and big guy (triple). Cones come in cake, waffle or waffle cone taco. A variety of toppings are available, too.
The shop offers Fitz soda ice cream floats, sandwiches (made from two cookies and a scoop of the customer’s choice), and a la modes, with brownies and gooey butter cake from the Just Be Kind Cafe down the street.
Cheryle said the shop also offers many original treats, like the Dragon, which comes with two scoops of ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream and waffle crumbs for the scales and wings.
She said the shop’s waffle cone taco is popular and features a chocolate-dipped waffle taco with two scoops, two toppings, whipped cream and a cherry. She also offers a street taco, which is half the size of the waffle cone taco.
Then there’s the Leaning Tower of Pleeeease-ah, as in “please don’t fall over,” Cheryle said.
It is a waffle cone with three large scoops of ice cream with either sauce or drizzle and a mountain of whipped cream and a cherry on top.
Vinny said his favorite ice cream flavor is butter pecan, and Cheryl said she loves all the flavors, although she also is partial to the butter pecan.
Cheryle said the shop will remain open during the winter but will offer some seasonal products with apples, peaches and pumpkins.
In addition to ice cream, the shop sells snacks and Fitz soda, as well as some ice cream and sugary-themed crafts, candles and paintings from local vendors.
The Romines originally are from St. Louis but lived in Imperial before moving just outside De Soto. Together, Cheryle and Vinny have six children and five grandchildren.
Cheryle said when they moved to the De Soto area, she missed her family and friends and began looking for something to keep her busy and a way to make new friends.
She and Vinny tossed around the idea of opening an ice cream shop for more than a year before Vinny, who owns his own construction business, found the perfect spot in a century-old building that had once been a dental office.
Vinny custom-built the counter and bar.
Cheryle said the shop has a retro vibe with pastel colors. She said a local artist, Heather Koch, painted the outside to make it scream that it was an ice cream place. She said her daughter designed the gnome on the wall.
Cheryle said she named the shop GiGi’s because that is what her grandchildren call her.
She said the business is going well and “she loves visiting with customers, learning their stories and stories about De Soto.”
The couple has two employees, Kylee Borkowski and Angie Albright.
The shop is open noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Military members and first responders receive a discount.
