The wait is over, and for the first time in over a year Perry has ice cream.

The brainchild of Hotel Pattee Owner Tom Maxwell and General Manager Aaron Lenz, the Frio ice cream shop is now open in its location across the alley from City Hall on 1st Street in downtown Perry. The shop held a soft opening Monday evening for friends, family, and anyone who happened to pass by, but as of Tuesday they’re officially open for business. The project has been in the works since Maxwell identified a need the City had for a dedicated ice cream parlor. Now that it’s open, Lenz is excited that all their hard work is paying off.

“About two months into this project, it’s nice to see people standing in here eating ice cream now, and eating ice cream myself! (I’m) feeling an energy in here that we haven’t had outside of construction and quiet, and me working with power tools. (It’s) nice to faces and happy ice cream people. We’ve got lots of staff on, they’re still learning, they’re still training, but they’re super ambitious to take care of everybody and have some fun!”

Frio offers 20 different flavors of tub ice cream, chocolate and vanilla soft serve, and shakes. However, Lenz recommends their signature dish, called “The Frio,” which is soft serve mixed with any of the many toppings offered. The shop is open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Lenz says they’ll see how the hours work out, and he may adjust them later.