New Ice Cream Shop Keeps Customers Cool in Occoquan

On those hot summer days, Occoquan visitors can often be overcome with heat exhaustion as beads of sweat trickle down their brow.  Situations like this are what prompted Margie Blanton and her husband Barry Blanton and their grand children to start their MJs Ice Cream-N-More, located downstairs at 201 Union Street. While the location has been an ice cream shop since the 1960’s, the Blantons have put their own unique spin on a classic frozen treat.   

The Blantons started their business after years of wanting to start such a venture. After Margie Blanton was laid off as a property manager two years ago and her unemployment was getting close to expiring, she and her husband decided to act on their entrepreneurial aspirations.  It wasn’t until Blanton was looking for a property for someone that she heard a mention that a local ice cream shop was for sale. After doing some research, Blanton noticed that on Yelp that customers said that the previous owners ice cream was “dull and boring.” 

Blanton saw this as an opportunity to transform and change the culture of the shop with MJ's Ice Cream-N-More.  Using her marketing and advertising experience as a property manager, Blanton knows the importance of providing a unique experience to customers. Blanton started the transformation by painting the inside of the shop to make it more “bright” and appealing.  Blanton also found novelty items, including a piñata to place in the middle of the shop.  Finally, she switched some signs around to make the shop more noticeable to people passing by.

A little over a month old, the ice cream shop has unique and different flavors along with the quality customer service and products that are an Occoquan trademark.  These flavors include York Peppermint Pattie and Peanut Butter Marshmallow.  The Rocky Road even has Reese's Pieces on top to match the inside of the shop and the Cookies and Cream has a unique placement of the cookie on top which forms a wedge. 

Blanton says her malts and milk shakes and everything in the shop have a unique and different taste.  She starts off with the basics, but “has [her] own recipes and flavors.”  She says that her shakes “are made with simple syrups beside the milk, and the coffee has cream instead of just milk.”  Finally, she has been told that “she has the best fudge in town.”    

On the menu the shop has everything from banana splits, strawberry shakes and coffee.  Leslie Serrano says that “coffee is her favorite ice cream” and outside the shop, Jeanie and her friends were enjoying a cone of butter pecan.  In addition to the shop’s ice cream, milk shakes and malts, MJ’s Ice Cream-N-More also has hot dogs, ice tea, nachos and cheese, fresh fruit, popcorn and pastries on the weekend.  During the fall, the shop will also have caramel fudge apples, hot cider, donuts and hot chocolate. 

The shop has future plans including a Grand Opening Celebration abd possibly introducing a popcorn machine and candy for children.  They also plan on offering a buy one small cone, get one small cone free offer for customers.    

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