Kline's Dairy Bar facts for kids
Kline's Dairy Bar is a popular ice cream shop with four locations in Virginia, United States. It started in 1943 in Harrisonburg from the Kline family's home. After the first owner, John Kline, passed away, the business grew to include three more locations. Kline's uses a special, old-fashioned way to make ice cream called "continuous freeze." This method adds less air to the ice cream as it freezes. This makes the ice cream very thick and creamy, much like old-fashioned frozen custard. Because this way of making ice cream takes more time, the shops only offer three flavors each week. They let their customers know the weekly flavors on their website and Twitter page.
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The Story of Kline's: How It Began
In 1943, John Kline asked his father, Grover Kline, for help to start Kline's Frozen Custard. They began by selling their ice cream from a window at their house. John later married Bess, who worked nearby. Bess became well-known to customers as she worked the window for many years.
When John Kline died in 1974, Bess sold the business to Sam Fletcher. Bess continued to work at the shop, even after Fletcher sold it to Mike Arehart in 1979. Mike Arehart bought the business with help from his father, Dick Arehart. Bess stayed on to teach Mike how everything worked. Mike Arehart still owns the two Kline's shops in Harrisonburg today. He has kept the original ideas of the business alive for many years.
Mike Arehart's sister, Kim Arehart, joined the business in 1979 after college. She helped Kline's open a new shop in Staunton, Virginia, in 1997. In 2008, she opened another store in Waynesboro, Virginia. Mike Arehart still owns the two Harrisonburg locations, while Kim owns the two other shops in Virginia. Both Mike and Kim have continued to use the original ice cream making style. Kim says this old-fashioned way is what makes Kline's special.
How Kline's Makes Its Special Ice Cream
The "continuous freeze" method Kline's uses to make ice cream is quite rare, especially on the East Coast. While it's popular in some parts of the Midwest, like Milwaukee, this custard-like ice cream is hard to find in Virginia. In this method, the ice cream freezes and mixes at the same time. Very little air is added during this process.
A more common method is "soft-serve." This way of making ice cream churns it first, then adds a lot of air while it freezes. The soft-serve method allows for bigger batches and creates a lighter, airier ice cream. Large ice cream chains, like Dairy Queen, use the soft-serve method.
Because Kline's uses the continuous freeze method, they make smaller batches. This means they cannot work as quickly as bigger chain businesses. However, Kline's ice cream is much denser because less air is added. This also means each cup or cone has more milk, fruit, and flavor. Each batch of continuous freeze ice cream takes about two minutes to make. Even so, it does not produce as much ice cream as the soft-serve method. The machines slowly push out the final product, making only about 10 gallons an hour. Despite the time and effort, Kline's makes fresh ice cream every day. To manage the production time, they only offer three flavors each week.
Delicious Flavors and How to Get Them
Since Kline's makes its ice cream fresh every morning, and it takes a while, they have one special flavor each week. They always offer chocolate and vanilla. The special flavor changes weekly. This helps them stand out from bigger ice cream chains. They choose not to mix many flavors. Instead, they focus on these three simple flavors, along with milkshakes and sundaes. The special flavor of the week is chosen from 12 regular options. These include peanut butter, black raspberry, and Oreo. You can find out the special flavor on Kline's website, their Twitter page, and on a sign outside the shop.
The quick service and simple menu continue through their ordering process. Customers order at a walk-up service window. This is similar to how John Kline's family home operated in 1943. After ordering, customers can sit on nearby benches and tables to enjoy their treats.
Hog Wild BBQ: More Than Just Ice Cream
When Kim Arehart opened the Kline's shop in Staunton, Virginia, in 1997, she also opened Hog Wild BBQ. This is the only Kline's location that offers more than just ice cream. Its menu includes Carolina-style barbecue, hot dogs, burgers, and other side dishes. Hog Wild has become well-known in Staunton for selling barbecue by the pound at good prices. Hog Wild can also provide catering for events with up to 200 people.
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