BizBeat: Central Dairy gets a deep cleaning, keeps charm

Signs on the doors and statuses on social networking sites spread the word to customers that Central Dairy's ice cream parlor was going to be closed all last week. The favorite Jefferson City eatery closed to get a jump on spring cleaning.

Betsy Dudenhoeffer, director of marketing, said the parlor was getting a deep cleaning, but no big changes. A fresh coat of paint was applied to the walls and ceiling. The floors were waxed, the booths cleaned and stained, and the freezers were sufficiently hosed down and cleaned out.

Dudenhoeffer noted that even with signage posted, and crews working, people still came in expecting to get their ice cream fix. The marketing director laughed as she explained how people would even walk around the scaffolding, seeking their sweet treat, which of course was not available as the freezers were emptied for cleaning.

People commented on the possible changes, asking Central Dairy to keep its charm, and not change too much.

"Its kind of a time warp because its stayed pretty close to when it originally opened," Dudenhoeffer said.

The nostalgic atmosphere of the parlor isn't just for customers. Central Dairy is able to keep its costs down because it hasn't had to make many cosmetic changes over the years. The parlor, which opened in 1933, still has the booths from the 1950s.

"We're not changing anything," Dudenhoeffer said.

After a week of snow and ice, the hometown favorite reopened Saturday with its normal hours and a sparkly new shine.

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