SEMINOLE \u2014 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?<\/p>\n
Hours later, they had a business plan.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
The couple, who have four children ages 6 to 15, said they wanted to create a family business their kids would embrace \u2014 something their construction company hadn’t achieved.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“We didn’t want to just be another ice cream shop in a shopping center,” Jason said. “We wanted to create a destination.”<\/p>\n
First-week sales exceeded expectations, Jason said, and the couple has discussed expanding to multiple locations across the Tampa Bay area.<\/p>\n
“We’ve seen such a huge turnout,” Leah said. “We couldn’t do any of it without them (the community).”<\/p>\n