Carl D’s, More Than Your Average Ice Cream Destination
Photo by Ross Vetterkind

Carl D’s, More Than Your Average Ice Cream Destination

Carl D’s, a local soft serve ice cream shop has been serving the community for three years now, though Carl D’s serves the community way more than just frozen treats.

Carl Debolt, owner of the shop answered the phone cheerfully saying, “Every day is a dream selling ice cream.”

Among the many different flurry combos Carl D’s also features over 20 different flavors of gourmet popcorn which are all hand made by Debolt and his staff at the shop.

Michael Lackey, 22, and a staff member at Carl D’s said he recommends the triple play. A mix of caramel corn, cheddar and butter popcorn.

Perhaps the best thing Carl D’s serves, is its own community with charitable donations all over the Stevens Point area.

“He’s a giver. He loves to give,” Lackey said.

Carl D’s located at 1232 Park St, Stevens Point. Photo by Ross Vetterkind

Thank you cards cover a wall in the shop, from St. Josephs Parish, to the Humane Society Of Portage County.

Saturday May 5, Carl will be serving cones for his fundraiser “Cones for Camp” with donations going to kids in the community so they can attend the YMCA Camp Glacier Hollow. They’ll be serving mandarin orange and orange twist which Debolt said is the taste of summer.

Though they serve frozen treats, summer isn’t the only time Carl D’s is open. The shop also sells chicken noodle soup and chili as well as their ice cream during the cold months which some on Facebook are saying really hits the spot.

Carl D’s was also open Christmas Day serving peppermint cones for the Salvation Army.

“We hope to make that a Christmas tradition,” Debolt said. “I’ve always lived by the idea that if you can’t help others out, what good are ya?”

He doesn’t stop there though, he donates to the area schools in Stevens Point, both the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and local public schools.

Carl D’s is located near the Historic Southside Railroad complex and around the corner from Belts’ Soft serve.

“Instead of opening another place that offered Bud Light or Budweiser, I felt like an ice cream shop was better,” Debolt said.

Debolt said that the location was chosen because he thought the over flow from Belts could come over to his shop if lines were long.

“Think about car dealerships when they locate near one another, or Walmart for that matter. People want to be near those businesses because they help each other grow,” Debolt said.

He explained that together, they help make that area the ice cream destination in Point.

All the baked goods for the flurries are made in the shop so they can be added to the flurries from the oven. Example ingredients include puppy chow, brownies, and now, chocolate chip cookies which are featured in their new product, ice cream sandwiches.

“We use real cheesecake chunks, never syrup” Debolt said. “The only flavors we enhance is our chocolate and our vanilla to help make it unique to our shop.”

Be it popcorn, soup or love for the community, Carl D’s serves more than just ice cream.

Aaron Zimmerman
Reporter
Azimm667@uwsp.edu

About Aaron Zimmerman

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