Frozen nostalgia

SPRING VALLEY— The name Tastee-Freez conjures up feelings of nostalgia when thinking of childhood memories involving ice cream, especially for those in the Midwest. The glory days of the iconic little buildings may have passed, but the neon ice cream cone sign still glows in Spring Valley and has for 65 years, enticing those passing by to stop in and indulge in a frozen treat.

In 1950, Leo Moranz of Joliet invented a new soft-serve pump and freezer which revolutionized the industry and far surpassed the equipment of the day. His invention allowed for faster service and a better quality ice cream. He formed a partnership with entrepreneur Harry Axene and together they marketed what was destined to become one of America’s favorite destinations for fast food and frozen treats.

Expansion was rapid throughout the ‘50s. According to its online history, there were 315 locations in 1952. By 1957, the number of locations had grown to 1,800, and Tastee-Freez was, from then on, forever linked with ‘50s Americana.

Like many other institutions, Tastee-Freez struggled through later decades, and many stores closed or evolved into other businesses. Those which survived often did so by evolving into complete fast food operations. Today, many Tastee-Freez locations are incorporated into Wienerschnitzel restaurants which are owned by the California-based franchise company, The Galardi Group, which acquired the rights to Tastee-Freez in 2003.

There are 36 stand-alone Tastee-Freez locations left, with 10 of them in Illinois. The Spring Valley location is among the oldest, if not the oldest store, in Tastee-Freez’s history. Annie Abraham, owner of the Spring Valley location, said the building was constructed in 1949 and served as a pilot store.

Tastee-Freez has since embedded itself in popular culture on several occasions. Probably the best known example of this is its inclusion in John Mellencamp’s (then performing as John Cougar) classic song “Jack and Diane.” The song lyrics are “Suckin’ on a chili-dog, outside the Tastee-Freez.”

S.E. Hinton featured it in her 1967 novel “The Outsiders” when she wrote, “We stopped at the Tastee-Freez to buy cokes and rest up.”

Cheech and Chong included it on their 1971 debut album, in the skit “Waiting for Dave” by saying, “Head on straight north ‘til you come to the Tastee-Freez, make a right and go 97 miles straight ...”

It’s also mentioned in Trisha Yearwood’s 1991 song “She’s in Love With the Boy.”

Maddi Loiselle of Hennepin, who has worked at the Spring Valley Tastee-Freez for two years and whose favorite treat there is anything chocolate, said, “It’s just delicious, and everyone here is very personable and friendly. We get a lot of families, especially on Sunday.”

Jessica Rico, who has worked there for four years, loves the “Muddy Sneaker,” a concoction of chocolate ice cream, peanut butter candy, butterscotch and chocolate syrup.

“My favorite customers are an elderly couple who come every weekend. They don’t even speak through the window, they just hold up two fingers and we know what they want. Every week they get the same thing, two chocolate ice cream cones. It’s sweet,” said Rico.

The Spring Valley Tastee-Freez will be celebrating its 65th anniversary on Sunday, June 28. There will be a car show from 1 to 5 p.m., with the winner receiving ice cream for the season. From 3 to 8 p.m. there will be live music from “Double D and the Sensations,” and of course, there will be ice cream served all day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.