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Mister Softee is scooping into Center Moriches, setting up its second Long Island brick-and-mortar shop, replacing the longtime fan-favorite Ultimate Ice Cream & Ice on Montauk Highway.
“For the past five years, our Mister Softee trucks have been proud to serve this amazing community,” Mister Softee Long Island posted on social media. “Now, we’re taking the next step and opening a Mister Softee store right here in town.
“We’re honored to carry on [the Ultimate Ice Cream] tradition, and we can’t wait to welcome you through our doors to enjoy your favorite cones, shakes, and sundaes,” the post continued.
The shop’s owner is Antonio Guler, 26, of Shirley. A grandson of longtime Mister Softee truck franchisee Giovanni Digristinia, Guler is aiming for a Sept. 19 opening.
Guler noted that his store will continue to offer the beloved $1.50 ice cream cone special from Ultimate, which officially closed on Sunday.
“We’re going to keep everything basically the same as the previous owner,” Guler said. That means the Italian ices will remain, as well as the scooped ice cream.
“We’re just going to be adding the Mister Softee self-serve,” he said.
Here’s what else you need to know about Eastern Suffolk’s first Mister Softee store
Here is some other key information shared by Guler about the Mister Softee store in Center Moriches.
• It will be open year-round.
• The store will have walk in service, instead of sales at a window.
• The buy one, get one Tuesday specials will continue — the same kind that Ultimate had.
Community says it will miss Ultimate
“Best of luck! You have big shoes to fill!” Rosemarie Catherine wrote.
Joanne Schaefer added, “Our family sure will miss Ultimate Ice Cream. The owner did an amazing job and was always so friendly. Wishing the best of luck to the new owner.”
Later, Lanore Baker chimed in, “I’m so sad to see Ultimate leave but understand life calls us different ways.”
Mister Softee first tested the Long Island waters earlier this year, successfully opening a brick-and-mortar location in East Islip. Fans lined up in the cold of winter for cones and sundaes.
As far as Center Moriches goes, Guler called it “the perfect little town.”
“It’s a nice little tight-knit community,” he added.
Related story
Top photo: At right, Antonio Guler, owner of the new Mister Softee shop in Center Moriches. His grandfather Giovanni Digristinia, a Mister Softee truck franchisee for nearly 50 years, is on the left (Facebook).
