It s fresher, said one customer at the Hillside Dairy Store who was also purchasing ice cream cones for her and her son. And my son drinks their chocolate milk by the gallon. Located on the outskirts of the city of Wilkes Barre, Hillside is now in suburbia, surrounded by housing developments. This population is key to the success of their stores. And residents in the area appreciate the quaint, traditional farmstead in their neighborhood landscape, Conynghams say.
Ice cream is the product that drives the profitability.
Hillside produces 1000 gallons of ice cream per week. It is sold through their two retail stores by the half gallon and at the ice cream dipping counter. They also have a branch ice cream parlor in a department store in Wilkes Barre and supply some restaurant accounts. A renovated truck provides a mobile dipping counter which is taken to farmers markets, company picnics, schools, parties, carnivals and other events. The dairy plant uses all the milk produced by the Hillside herd except a few of the winter months when ice cream sales are down.