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Wednesday, June 23, 2021
Columbia Gorge News
www.columbiagorgenews.com
GORGE LOCAL — IN BUSINESS
'Why wouldn’t you want to live upstairs from an ice cream place?'
Alana Lackner
■ By Columbia
Gorge News
“We wanted to live upstairs be-
cause why wouldn’t you want to live
upstairs from an ice cream place?”
Shannon said.
It’s the subject of daydreams for
Of course, living above the shop
many sweet-toothed little kids who
watched “Charlie and the Chocolate isn’t all sprinkles and chocolate
sauce. On more than one occasion,
Factory” one too many times, the
type of thing that seems too good to the Zilkas have forgotten to lock the
doors and went downstairs to come
be true. But it’s not too good to be
face-to-face with hungry customers.
true: Shannon and Jonathon Zilka
“They don't even knock, they just
live above an ice cream shop.
Shannon’s Ice Cream, located on come through and stand there, and
I come out of the kitchen thinking
E. Fourth Street in The Dalles, just
everything’s locked up and all of a
opened a few weeks ago, but it’s
been a work in progress, and a pipe sudden there’s someone standing
there going ‘Oh!’” Jonathon said.
dream, much longer than that.
The business has also been a lot
Jonathon had been thinking
of work. After months of renova-
about opening an ice cream place
for years inspired by his friend of
tions to meet ADA requirements,
more than 20 years, Goody Cable,
opening has provided its own
he said. Cable owns Rimsky-
unique challenges.
Korsakoffee House in Portland.
“We spent so much time making
Even so, the dream didn’t quite
it that we really didn’t think about
come together until they found
running it, the systems you have to
the house that would become
get in place,” Shannon said. “Just
Shannon’s Ice Cream.
working all day, close the doors,
It was Jonathon’s brother, who
clean up and then ‘Great, time to
lives in The Dalles, that found it,
make ice cream!’ We’ll get it sorted
Jonathon said. The second he and
out, but it’s a little overwhelming.”
Shannon saw the building, every-
It’s made even more overwhelm-
thing just clicked.
ing by the fact that it’s just Shannon
“It’s like when something’s in
and Jonathon working at the
the back of your mind and you get
shop. The pair has yet to hire any
the right scenario, it just falls into
employees.
place,” he said. “When we found
“We’re busy making ice cream
this house it just all clicked together and not wanting to do paperwork at
and I said, ‘Yes, Goody will be so
the moment,” Jonathon said.
However, Shannon thinks they’ll
proud.’”
The house would end up being
find employees when the time is
right.
more than just a shop, but would
“It’s kind of a flying by the seat of
also be a home for the Zilkas.
A pair of customers enjoys ice cream on Friday, June 11, outside of Shannon's Ice Cream on E. Fourth Street in The Dalles.
Alana Lackner photo
some signature flavors and use, like,
local hazelnuts and peaches, what-
ever we can find locally, and just
try to make some great stuff from
it,” Shannon said. “Kind of Gorge-
themed flavors.”
Shannon’s idea includes poten-
tially showcasing coffee from local
places in an espresso ice cream
flavor. It’s important to her that the
community becomes part of the
shop, because when she thinks of
The Dalles, she thinks of communi-
ty, she said.
Shannon said the first time she
ever came to The Dalles, they were
making the drive to Montana and
stopped for breakfast at Momma
Jane’s.
“There were a bunch of farm-
ers all sitting at one table just
talking about how there’d been
an early wheat harvest and they
were scrambling,” Shannon said.
“Everybody had to help each other.
Like, everybody take all the tractors
to one person’s field and plow it
and then for the next one, and they
were just all helping each other out.
I thought that was so cool. It always
stuck with me.”
Shannon’s Ice Cream is open
Jonathon Zilka serves a customer ice cream on Friday, June 11 in Shannon's Ice Shannon and Jonathon Zilka stand inside their ice cream shop, Shannon's Ice from 2-9 p.m. Wednesday through
Cream, on Friday, June 11.
Cream on E. Fourth Street in The Dalles.
Sunday and is located at 318 E.
Alana Lackner photo Fourth St. in The Dalles.
Alana Lackner photo
our pants operation, but like, cool
things have just appeared right
when we need them, so we kind of
figure that’s going to happen with
employees too. The right person
is going to show up like Mary
Poppins.”
The pair may not need Mary
Poppins, however, because they
themselves have a lot of ideas for
the shop. Jonathon said they’re
considering adding pastries.
Additionally, Shannon said she
wants to take the ice cream in a
local-themed direction.
“The goal is to come up with
Targeted
Funding
David West of Centerville was the
proud winner of the Klickitat County
Republican’s raffle for an iTargetPro.
Garrett Towle, the KCR’s fundraising
chairman, organized the fundraiser,
which lasted approximately 8 weeks.
The winning ticket was drawn at the
KCR’s Central Committee meeting in
June. The iTargetPro integrates a la-
ser round with a target and an app on
a phone. “I was pleasantly surprised
to hear my name announced as the
winner,” said West. “Responsible gun
owners know that practice of funda-
mental skills is vital to proficiency.
With the cost of ammunition way up
and the supply almost non-existent, I
am happy to be taking this home.” The
money raised from the raffle helps the
KCR fund their Lincoln Day Picnic and
support candidates running for office.
Contributed photo
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