BETHEL, CT — A Bethel institution that has scooped its way into local hearts for half a century is celebrating in style.
Dr. Mike’s Ice Cream, the pint-sized shop at 158 Greenwood Avenue known for its rich, handmade flavors and legendary chocolate lace, will mark its 50th anniversary on Saturday, June 7, with a community celebration and an official proclamation from town leaders designating the day as “Dr. Mike’s Day.”
Owner Dave Nussbaum, who purchased the business in May 2020 at the height of the pandemic, has helped usher the iconic creamery into a new era without compromising its old-school quality. “COVID forced us to reinvent how we operated,” Nussbaum said. “We ran the whole business from the parking lot that first summer.”
Related: Nothing Beats A Scoop Of The Good Stuff: Bethel’s Best Ice Cream
The shop was transformed from a tiny walk-in to a two-window, takeout-only operation that more than doubled its available flavors—from 8 to 15—and laid the foundation for online orders and home delivery. The result? Business has boomed. “The silver lining was that it helped us grow,” Nussbaum said.
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Still, some things haven’t changed: “We’ve never compromised on quality,” he said. Dr. Mike’s continues to churn out its small-batch ice cream using high-fat cream, the finest ingredients, and big, generous scoops. Customer favorites include Madagascar vanilla and the ever-popular chocolate lace—a flavor born out of a chance encounter with a local chocolatier offering up “scrap” caramel-filled dark chocolate pieces.
With about 20 staff members—many of them local students—and the help of his wife on operations and social media, Nussbaum has kept the business humming. “We use Facebook, Instagram, and word of mouth,” he said. “That’s all we need.”
Yeah, but who’s Dr. Mike? The shop was named for a dentist, Dr. Michael Burnham, whose daughter Matu, and her partner, Peter Seltzer, opened the store in the rear of an old Knights of Columbus lodge. Seltzer would have much rather chased his muse as an artist, preferring canvas to cookie dough, but the Universe had other plans. People Magazine tapped his Rich Chocolate tops in the U.S. in 1981, and there was pretty much no turning back…
Saturday’s celebration kicks off at 1 p.m. outside the shop, where fans can enjoy their favorite flavors and pay tribute to the business that’s been part of Bethel’s sweet tooth since 1975.
“This place is special,” Nussbaum said. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it. If you do it right—serve the best ice cream in big portions at a fair price—people will keep coming back.”
And they have—for 50 years and counting.