Alice’s Place celebrates 25 years in Elburn

ELBURN – Audrey Hanson opened Alice’s Place at 208 S. Main St. in Elburn in 1992. Twenty-five years later, people are still lining up outside the little white building to place orders for cones, flurries and sundaes. Alice’s Place also serves diner-style food, such as hamburgers and a new favorite, deep-fried mac ’n’ cheese bites.

Elburn residents Jennifer and Steve McIntire and their two children, 12-year-old Mya and 6-year-old Liam, were enjoying ice cream at a picnic table on a recent Saturday evening. Mya’s favorite is the brownie and cookie dough flurry, while Liam favors the puppy chow.

The family comes to Alice’s Place twice a month and even more regularly during softball season, Jennifer McIntire said. She said her daughter plays on a local team. She said they like the friendly service that usually comes with a smile.

“They don’t worry when 6-year-olds spill, and they always have wipes for small fingers,” Jennifer McIntire added.

Liam likes to sit outside and watch the trains. He also likes Hanson.

“We find it really hard to go anywhere else for ice cream,” Jennifer McIntire said with a smile.

Steve McIntire said they like to support the local businesses. But it’s more than that. He said that Hanson takes care of them, especially the baseball and softball teams.

“She always treats the team well when they come here after a game, and she’s generous with sponsorships,” Steve McIntire said.

Village President Jeff Walter said he and his family have been coming to Alice’s Place since they moved to Elburn 11 years ago. He said there is a family tradition of coming on both opening and closing day. His wife’s family members from Toledo, Ohio, also have their own tradition of coming to Alice’s Place when they visit.

“Audrey has always been a great supporter of the community,” Walter said.

He said Hanson provides an opportunity for young people in the area to have a good job and develop a good work ethic. He added that Hanson always has collections going for causes in the community and was a big contributor in bringing the fireworks back to Elburn this year.

“She’s definitely an icon in the town,” Walter said.

Ally Van Bogaert, 20, has been working at Alice’s Place for seven years. She said it’s a fun place to work – she gets to see everyone from town, and her co-workers are fun to work with. What does she think about Hanson?

“She’s awesome,” Van Bogaert said.

The affection Hanson’s employees feel for her doesn’t end when they leave her employment.

Former Elburn resident Amy (Isberg) Shuflin, 31, began working at Alice’s Place when she was a 15-year-old Kaneland High School student and continued until she was 21.

She, her husband and their two children now are living in Venezuela. They were in town visiting family and made it a point to come to Alice’s Place for some ice cream and to say hello to Hanson.

“I love Audrey,” Shuflin said. “She’s like family. She always wants to know about us. I always come back just to say hi.”

Hanson said she likes to say there is no boss. She works right alongside her employees, working just as hard, if not harder, than they do. She said it’s her choice to do it.

She gets to work at 6:30 a.m. to make sure everything is done by the time she opens at 11 a.m. Keeping the equipment maintained and running, cleaning and sanitizing everything, setting up the prep table and mopping the floor are all done before she runs home to take a shower and get back in time to open.

Twenty-five years later, Hanson said she still really enjoys what she does.

“Watching the kids eat their ice cream – that’s the best,” she said. “Seeing their faces light up – they love sprinkles – especially the rainbow ones! And if you give them a few extra, oh, my gosh!”

Helping to bring the fireworks back to Elburn was her “all-time favorite thing.”

“It brought everybody together,” she said. “It was simple, it was easy, and everybody had a great time.”

She said she wanted to let all of her customers know how much she appreciates them.

“I wouldn’t do it year after year if I didn’t enjoy my customers,” she said.