It was a celebration Saturday as friends of The Ice Cream Hut came out to celebrate the iconic Altona burger joint's 50th anniversary.
Guests were treated to kid's activities, and deals on ice cream, fries and more!
A local institution
"It's been here forever," said Vanessa when asked why she and Darryl made the move to buy the restaurant just a few years ago.
"It's an icon in Altona so, why wouldn't you want to be a part of that?" added Darryl.
For many of us, The Hut, as it's commonly known as, has become a fixture in our lives, whether it's to grab an ice cream after baseball practice or for just a treat, or, like myself, going there for a basket full of taco fries as a kid with my dad and brother after church on Sunday (on the days mom was working, of course). These are memories that were created, and lasted, through generations.
"Everybody has been here or knows somebody that's been here," said Vanessa. "Or they brought their kids when they were little and now, they're bringing their grandkids. We get all kinds of stories."
In fact, Darryl noted, they have customers from all over Canada and the U.S. pop in saying they visited 30 years ago.
"It's incredible, actually," he said.
"Even for us, we have pictures of our kids when they were little at The Hut," added Vanessa.
Creating opportunities
The couple are also quite proud at being able to offer so many local youths the chance at their first job.
"That's important because it's got to be a good experience," said Darryl. "We keep it light and fun here."
"If you talk to our staff, and I say this very confidently, they'll tell you that if they've had another job before, this is their favourite one. They love it here," added Vanessa. "We're good to them and they're good to us in return."
Many of those young employees even return to their jobs at The Hut during summer break from university, she noted, saying the seasonal nature of their business allows for that.
Family roots
For Darryl and Vanessa, it's more than just being a part of The Hut's legacy. Owning the burger and ice cream joint is a family tradition.
Vanessa's grandparents, Bill and Dora Driedger, were the second owners of the restaurant, followed by her uncle Chris and aunt Karla Driedger years later. And Vanessa is fairly confident there will be a fourth generation of ownership in the future.
Family is also reflected in the menu with a burger, the Mama C, honouring Vanessa's mom who passed away last summer. She credits Darryl for the idea which, initially, started as an experiment.
"He always wanted to have a burger that was 'ours' here. There's a few, like the Jake Burger and the Hut Burger, that's come from previous owners. My mom's favourite burger was the Big Mac, so he put together his own twist on the Big Mac sauce and called it the Mama C. It's been great. People love it."
Darryl's ingenuity doesn't stop there. Every year during Burger Week, hosted by the Altona and District Chamber of Commerce, customers get to sample his latest creation for a limited time.
"That's my favourite week of the year because I can put something out there and it's going to go because it's Burger Week," he said.
"I'm thinking for next year already. I'm already searching and looking and trying to find something," he added, noting the creation has to be unique, taste good and not be too messy.
'We truly love it'
"I get up every morning looking forward to coming here and when we close (at the end of the year), it makes me sad," said Darryl. "I can't wait to get back. I would stay open longer and open earlier if we could."
The pair agree that being a part of customers' stories and interacting with the community is one of the things they enjoy most about the job.