Glenview Dairy Bar is once again serving cool summer treats

As the warm days of late spring transition to summer, the Glenview Dairy Bar, a seasonal walk-up ice cream stand located in the village's downtown, is once again serving cool treats.

Chip Boedicker and his sister Luane Gabuzzi run the Dairy Bar, which has been owned by their family since being purchased by their late parents, Chuck and Janelle Boedicker, in 1991. The family is fourth owner of the business, which was opened in 1955.

Dairy Dream in Libertyville, a similar establishment, is also owned by the family and is run by their sister Teri Synnestvedt, and her husband, Justin.

Their family patronized the Dairy Bar when they were children.

Boedicker said they would walk more than a mile from their Glenview home to get ice cream. "That was always a big treat for us as kids."

When she was growing up, Gabuzzi was enrolled in a reading program at the nearby library, and she would receive ice cream afterward as a reward for her efforts.

"I'd come over here and get a banana split," Gabuzzi said. "This was always the fun place to be."

Seeing that it was always busy, their dad, a sheet metal worker, often visited with the prior owner and inquired about the possibility of purchasing the business. Then one day, their mother noticed an ad in the newspaper that stated the Dairy Bar was for sale, Gabuzzi said.

"This was always my dad's dream," she said.

After purchasing the business, their parents continued to work in their professions, then spent another several hours working hard into the night at the Dairy Bar. Janelle worked at Avon for approximately 30 years, Boedicker said.

Eventually their parents went to work at the Dairy Bar full time, and Boedicker took over at the sheet metal business. In later years, when their parent's health declined, Boedicker and Gabuzzi stepped in to help, and they have run the business full-time for the last several years.

A varied menu is offered, but the basic flavors of soft serve are vanilla, chocolate, vanilla-chocolate twist, orange sorbet, and a vanilla-orange sorbet "Dreamsicle" flavor.

Usually open from the beginning of April to the end of October, this year's opening was delayed due to precautionary measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Customers can get ice cream much like they always have, though they are asked to observe social distancing guidelines while in line and wear masks.

"It takes a little bit longer, but we're doing the best we can to keep everybody safe," Boedicker said.

Many of the Dairy Bar's employees over the past 29 years have been family members. Gabuzzi said there have been shifts of workers that were all cousins.

She also likes to see children "grow up" as they progress from toddlers to teens, and some of those kids have taken jobs at the Dairy Bar.

"We have wonderful customers here in Glenview," Gabuzzi said. "My dad used to say it's a lot of work, but it's always worth it to see the kids' eyes light up when they get their ice cream."

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