Frosty confection dreams become tradition

NECEDAH, Wis. — What started as a single window drive-through has become a staple in the community of northeastern Juneau County. Rocky Road Ice Cream, on the corner of Highway 21 and County Highway G, begins its 15th season this spring, serving delicious dairy treats.

The roadside ice cream stand started as an idea from Sabrina Blundon and Megan Wesolek’s grandparents, Richard and Sharon Winters. Later, it was run by their mother, Lori Winters. This summer, it is Wesolek and Blundon’s turn, along with Blundon’s fiance, Tony Wilson. As a gathering place for the community, Rocky Road Ice Cream serves more than shakes and sundaes; it also serves espresso, cheese curds and a full lunch menu.

“This was always something my grandpa wanted to do,” Blundon said. “Fifteen years into it, it’s nice to see what they envisioned for it, and it continues to bring people in.”

Rocky Road Ice Cream is open seasonally, beginning this year March 13. Serving treats made by Cedar Crest Specialties Inc., in addition to soft serve mix from I AM Dairy Distributing LLC in Baraboo, dairy products have been a mainstay at the business.

“It’s important to support our local farmers because we know they’re having a hard time,” Blundon said. “We buy from a family business and that remains important to us. We’re family run and we want to see other families continue to do well, whether it be our suppliers or the farmers themselves. We don’t want to outsource to someone cheaper or sacrifice quality just because of price. We know these people personally and seeing each other have success keeps us going.”

Last summer, the ice cream stand faced adversity. The intersection of 21 and G was closed from July through September to transition from a 2-way stop to a traffic circle.

“The roundabout hurt us really bad last year,” Lori Winters said. “During the construction, I had to talk to the crews every day when we were opening so they would remove the barricade from our driveways. It was tougher on us than the years with COVID.”

A little more than a month into the new traffic pattern this year, Blundon has felt an uptick in patrons who are making the stop.

“We’re going through 90 gallons of soft serve a week,” Blundon said. “We’re selling 36 gallons of hard scoop ice cream a week right now. Those numbers will increase when it gets more into our peak season, but for the first month we’ve been open, I think we’re in a good place.”

Rocky Road Ice Cream’s full food menu includes Italian beef sandwiches, pulled pork and more. Meat is sourced locally from Wisconsin River Meats in Mauston. Wilson is in charge of the kitchen, cooking the meats and smoking pork. Coffee drinks have been added including lattes, cappuccinos and their signature espresso shake.

“My mom handled the business for six years,” Blundon said. “This is a test year, with all of us working together and seeing how we can take care of it. There’s a lot that goes into it that we didn’t know about, so it’s been good to see that side of it. We’re starting to figure out the extra behind-the-scenes logistics that can keep us moving forward.”

Rocky Road Ice Cream has also expanded its boundaries, remodeling what used to be the home of Blundon and Wesolek, adding an addition onto the house turned restaurant. In past summers, a food truck would be parked next to the house where Wilson and his team would prepare the food orders. With the addition, the food can be prepared mere steps away from the ordering windows.

“Adding the kitchen has really improved our workflow,” Blundon said. “It’s more temperature controlled as well, which improves how we work and our communication.”

As the restaurant enters a new chapter, its place in the community as a spot for families to gather continues to create memories for those who spend their summers in the area.

“This place has been a core memory for us,” Wesolek said. “We’ve grown up here; we have watched kids that come here every summer grow up. We remember seeing kids come to the window at 7, 8 years old who are now driving themselves. We’re getting to experience them growing up and being that place that they can come back to.”