“We had caught wind that the Lewisburg Freez had decided to close permanently. I had been looking for a place of my own for a couple of years and this was a great opportunity, conveniently located very close to our Drive-In in Milton.”
Jacob May is the owner of the new “May’s Freez,” the ice cream parlor that has replaced the popular “Lewisburg Freez” that closed down last fall.
For May, the process of obtaining a lease was “great,” and hiring was “surprisingly easy,” as a lot of students in the area were very excited to be able to work in a new ice cream shop.
The shop employs 12 people and operates best with three to four employees at a time. According to May, while one employee is taking an order, the others start making the items on the order, a very “efficient process.”
The biggest obstacle May faced was opening up on time. He was hoping to be open about a month before the shop was able to.
“This was due to supply chain issues with some of our supplies and equipment. However, we felt that rushing things would have caused more harm than good, and we wanted to be able to serve the best product possible,” said May.
According to May, the difference between May’s Freez and Lewisburg Freez is the efficiency. The interior of May’s Freez shop is set up in a way that allows workers to take, make and hand out orders in the quickest way possible at the highest quality.
May said, “We spent a lot of time coming up with the best layout and are confident that we found it.”
May always dreamed of owning a business. His family has been in the restaurant business for 67 years. He’d been working since he could walk and make pizza boxes, so finally being able to claim ownership and start something new is an amazing feeling for May. He’s also very grateful to have developed new relationships with a new customer base in the Lewisburg area.
May acknowledged how much his workers contribute to the success of the business.
“We appreciate all the hard work that all of our employees have shown. Worth mentioning is my girlfriend Meghan, who has spent every day helping me run the shop. She has been a huge help and has made this season go as smoothly as possible,” May said.
According to the owner, the reaction to the shop has been positive; people say every day that they’re happy the shop is open. The busiest hours are 6-9 p.m. but crowds can show up at any time.
The customer favorites for soft serve are Peanut Butter, Chocolate/Vanilla Twist and Black Raspberry.
May also has a personal note for all Bucknellians.
“I just want to make a special note that we’re so grateful to see as many Bucknell students as we do,” May said. “Every single one of them have been outstanding customers with great manners, which isn’t something we see all the time!”
May’s Freez is open Monday to Friday 2-9 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday 12-9 p.m.
