SEMINOLE — When a vendor delay derailed their construction schedule during a road trip, Jason and Leah Jones joked about an escape plan: Why not sell ice cream?
Hours later, they had a business plan.
The Sugar Shack, the couple’s family-owned ice cream shop, opened Nov. 15 at 13051 Park Blvd. in Portobello Square, serving Hershey’s ice cream and hand-blended milkshakes.
“We’re both in construction, and it’s a tough business,” Jason said. “We were looking for something more lighthearted. Everybody who wants ice cream is happy.”
The couple, who have four children ages 6 to 15, said they wanted to create a family business their kids would embrace — something their construction company hadn’t achieved.
“It’s something they can be more involved with, that we could all start together and watch grow,” said Jason, whose family still has the construction business.
The timing aligned with their need to expand office space. Their former office in Portobello Square required minimal renovations: new flooring, fresh paint and construction of an indoor-outdoor “shack” feature that defines the space.
“We didn’t want to just be another ice cream shop in a shopping center,” Jason said. “We wanted to create a destination.”
First-week sales exceeded expectations, Jason said, and the couple has discussed expanding to multiple locations across the Tampa Bay area.
“We’ve seen such a huge turnout,” Leah said. “We couldn’t do any of it without them (the community).”
For more information, visit sugarshackseminole.com.