She smiles and all the other customers can see she loves ice cream. She's not alone. Tyler's owner Vickie Miller added an awning over the front of the store to keep customers dry in the rain. In Merrimack, at King Kone, Peter Jennings stays consistently busy throughout the summer, in all kinds of weather, and most of all at night. Night time is also busy at the Amherst Ice Cream House.
More people are home and looking for an after-dinner treat.
Shop owners also pay attention to their customers' tastes. Although more vanilla is sold than any other flavor, that's only because so much of it goes into the making of sundaes, banana splits and other concoctions, said Jake's owners Susan Wickett and Joan Wentworth. At Jake's the biggest selling cone is Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, a hit with all ages. Old-fashioned flavors like rum raisin, maple walnut, and peppermint stick appeal to older customers. Men tend to like Bailey's Irish Cream, and women want anything chocolate.