Family Express acquires six Freedom Oil stores, another station in McCordsville – The Times of Northwest Indiana

Just after opening a new vintage ice cream parlor in a Crown Point strip mall, Dairy Belle will soon open its sixth location in Dyer.

The 71-year-old Region institution, which has been serving scoops since it started in Hammond in 1950, is opening next to Pop's on U.S. 30 in Dyer, about three miles west of its existing location on U.S. 30 in Schererville.

TheColao family, owner of Dairy Belle, is friends with Pop's owners, which led them to open next to Pop's Italian beef restaurants in Crown Point and now Dyer, Natalie Colao said.

The new ice cream parlor in Dyer will be around 1,800-square-feet with indoor seating, an outdoor patio and a drive-thru. It will be the first Dairy Belle to occupy a newly constructed location, and it will be open year-round.

"They're ready to break ground," Colao said. "Assuming everything goes as projected, it should be open mid-summer."

The goal is to have the ice cream shop open by mid-June, in the midst of the busy season.

Dairy Belle will serve familiar favorites like soft serve ice cream, Dole Whip pineapple, sundaes, malts, flurries, shakes and build-your-own banana splits.

"It will be the same menu as the other location," Natalie Colao said.

Both businesses could benefit from being so close to each other, Colao said. People could grab a dinner of Italian sausage, gyros or Reuben sandwiches at Pop's and then swing by Dairy Belle for dessert.

"We have lines down the street on U.S. 30," she said. "They do well at that Dyer location and get lines down the street on U.S. 30. We're not sure exactly what to expect. They might need to put in a stop light."

The new Dyer location should draw from a wide area, including south suburban Illinois and Munster.

"We've gotten questions from customers about whether it will take away from our Schererville location," she said. "But our Schererville location draws from Schererville, Merrillville and Hobart. This should attract more people from Dyer and St. John."

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Family Express acquires six Freedom Oil stores, another station in McCordsville - The Times of Northwest Indiana