March 2022 Press Release
Old Country Store Introduces Miss Anne’s Ice Cream Shoppe to the Community
March 2, 2022 — For nearly 50 years, Old Country Store’s ice cream parlor has served international, national, and community neighbors. It recently unveiled a bright, new look and logo for the renovated treat destination — Miss Anne’s Ice Cream Shoppe — old-fashioned candy, ice cream, and toys. General Manager Brooks Shaw said the rebranded ice cream shoppe is modeled after the 1890s style ice cream shoppes and pays tribute to his late grandmother (and founder Brooks Shaw’s wife), Anne Shaw, who loved Blue Bell ice cream. “She was the heart and soul of our business and the store,” Shaw said. “The logo is a rendition of my favorite picture of her. We all miss her so much.”
Updates to the ice cream shoppe include new vanilla-colored walls replacing the once red velvet color, expansion of select current and old-fashioned candies, and an area with toys for the young and the young at heart. Miss Anne’s Ice Cream Shoppe offers up to 16 flavors of Blue Bell ice cream, handspun milkshakes, malts, root beer floats, and homemade waffle cones. With the expansion of the ice cream shoppe, Old Country Store’s retail space increased to 3,000 square feet.
During the ice cream shoppe’s rebranding celebration, guests received a free scoop of ice cream. Among them were four generations of Tom Mapes’ family including his daughter, granddaughter, and great-grandson. “I heard about the happy hour, and I called my grandfather,” Alexis Carlton said. Mapes accepted the invitation from his granddaughter gladly. “I would never turn down ice cream or the chance to spend time with family,” he said. “We always came to the Old Country Store on Sundays for ice cream when I was young, and we would play putt-putt golf,” Carlton said.
Jackson resident Mae Miller walks to the restaurant almost daily for exercise, but she made a special trip inside for the free ice cream and to check out the new candy selection.
“I love ice cream,” Miller said. “I wanted to try this root beer candy and these old-fashioned Neapolitan coconut slice bars.”
Trisha Bloodworth and her two children, Anderson and McClain, were playing a friendly game of checkers in the ice cream shoppe before the unveiling. “We stop here frequently,” said Bloodworth, who lives in Marion, Arkansas. Anderson, 8, is a fan of the restaurant’s salad bar and McClain, 10, likes the candy.
Sheila Williamson brought Brian Russell to Miss Anne’s Ice Cream Shoppe to enjoy his favorite frozen treat. “The Shaws are a Godsend,” Williamson said. “I love what they stand for, and it’s nice to shop here because they support high standards.”
Shaw said this is an exciting time for Old Country Store as the location continues to assess and look for new ways to grow. “We’re always working to improve,” he said. “We’ll never be finished because we have lots of ideas.”
