Dreamette Ice Cream Springfield is on the way.
Owners Jimmy and Mari Van Soest said March 18 they expect to open the ice cream shop in about eight weeks.
The city is reviewing a permit application for First Coast Walls and Ceilings Inc. to build-out the shop at 1401 N. Main St. in a former service station in Historic Springfield.
The site is several blocks north of Downtown.
There are signs of progress already.
The city issued a permit March 16 for Thompson Awning to install awnings over the windows.
The dreametteicecream.com site says the shop is coming to Springfield in the spring next to Fred Cotten’s Landmark BBQ. It is seeking employees.
Jimmy Van Soest is president of Dreamette of Springfield Inc.
A Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, working in the Avondale office, Van Soest said the couple expects to invest about $100,000 in the project.
It will offer walk-up service with outdoor standup tables and a counter in the breezeway. There is no seating.
“We drove around the city trying to get a feel for where a Dreamette would be appropriate,” said Mari Van Soest, a nurse for 33 years.
“Springfield was first on our list,” she said. “It was the oldest part of town”
The Van Soests said the Springfield area continues to attract interest.
“We want to be a part of improving Main Street and providing more for the residents there and helping to bring it back to life.”
The Van Soests expect to hold events that support schools and nonprofits and to offer activities that engage the community.
“We want to be an experience other than eating a cone of ice cream,” Mari Van Soest said.
“We really feel like it’s a ministry for us because we want to invest in the community. We want to do outreaches and spirit nights for the schools.”
Jimmy Van Soest worked in the car business for three decades, including as a dealership general manager in Gainesville.
The building permit application says the 1,900-square-foot, 92-year-old building will be renovated at a construction cost of $60,000.
Springfield, established in 1869 and the city’s oldest neighborhood, has been adding restaurants, retail stores and breweries on the main corridor leading north from Downtown.
The 1401 N. Main St. structure was built in 1930, according to city property records.
Investor Michael Trautmann bought the property in 1999.
He said previously it was built as a Standard Oil service station and maintains zoning permission for automotive uses.
The building is masonry on structural brick. He said Standard Oil fully remediated the property.
Its previous tenants include car stereo installation and window tinting and political campaign offices. The last tenant was a custom motorcycle design business.
In September 2019, restaurateur and Springfield resident Andy Zarka opted against opening a concept at the building. He and his wife, Marlo, envisioned leasing and converting the structure into Springfield United, a soft-serve ice cream shop that also would sell beer and wine.
Zarka, who owns European Street Cafes, decided against the project because costs exceeded expectations.
RAM Architecture of Jacksonville is the contractor for the Dreamette Ice Cream Springfield renovation. Legacy Engineering Inc of Jacksonville reviewed the plans for code compliance.
The San Marco Dreamette also plans a spring opening.
The city issued a permit March 11 for the San Marco Dreamette in San Marco at 1905 Hendricks Ave.
C.E.M. Builders Inc. of Jacksonville is the contractor for the $35,000 project.
Brian and Deanne Roes plan to open the San Marco Dreamette in March, according to the SanMarcoDreamette Facebook page.
The original Dreamette ice cream shop opened in 1948 in Murray Hill, near Riverside. Current owner Johnny Nettles bought it in 2008.
He has licensed other locations over the years.
Nettles said previously he trains the operators how to make the menu items and run the locations.
He said most of the licensed locations are walk-ups with some exterior seating. Some are walk-ins but without interior seats.
