After 27 years in business, Sammy's Kitchen founder Kevin Salameh opened Sammy's Ice Cream next door in early June, and now the family-owned local business serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as Hershey's ice cream and a variety of other sweet options just a block from the Boardwalk.
Sammy's Ice Cream had a temporary opening last year to test out handcrafted desserts, but they put time and effort into the off-season to have a grand opening this summer with a full menu. This season, Sammy's is offering free ice cream to kids under 10 and advertising the lowest ice cream prices in Rehoboth.
“There are other places that sell Hershey's. [ice cream]”But we offer a great selection,” said Evan Hrivnak of Lovell Consulting, which works with Sammy's Kitchen. “When you combine that with low prices, seating and air conditioning, we think it's going to be a really good place for families, kids and groups.”
The closure of Royal Treat last year allowed Salameh to pursue a lifelong dream of opening an ice cream shop, but he said he didn't feel comfortable starting this type of business while Royal Treat's owners, the Fornwald family, were still in business.
“I know them,” Salameh said, “and they're really nice people, so it's not a competition or anything like that. They closed their shop, so I decided to open one.”
Hrivnak oversees digital marketing for Sammy's, but his role was expanded when Salameh asked him to spearhead and manage the ice cream project, which was a convenient location on the right side of the restaurant, which was only used until noon when breakfast customers left.
In addition to Hershey's ice cream, Sammy's Parlour also serves milkshakes, sundaes, floats and smoothies. Specialties include frozen chocolate bananas, sugar-dusted Liege waffles, freshly made cotton candy from the machine and ice cream flights with six different flavors. Sammy's ice cream also offers gluten-free and lactose-free options.
Sammy's Ice Cream is open daily from 12pm to 10pm at 32 Wilmington Ave. in Rehoboth Beach. If you refer a friend to Sammy's Ice Cream, you'll get 20% off your order.
“After 27 years in business, [Salameh] “We realize that sometimes it's not about the money,” Hrivnak said, “it's about being a part of people's time in Rehoboth.”
For more information on the new ice cream, visit sammyskitchenrehoboth.com/ice-cream
