Every Tuesday, college students from all over the Main Line arrive at Gumdrops and Sprinkles, located on Lancaster Ave. in Wayne to take advantage of the 10 percent off discount.
The store’s owner, Paula Mulcahy of Admore Pa., has had a passion for ice cream ever since she was a little girl.
“I’ve worked with ice cream since I was a teenager. I’ve always enjoyed creating the product I sell, taking simple ingredients and turning them into a special combination, and seeing people enjoy what I’ve made,” Mulcahy said.
The eye-catching store uses an array of color on the walls that are accented with green hanging lights, giving it the “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” look. This immediately alerts all of your senses.
Before Mulcahy opened her ice cream shop, she received her degree in teaching and decided to take that on as her professional career. The teaching led to a certain type of boredom that eventually ignited her love for the ice cream business.
“The boredom from teaching came in the summer when I wasn’t in school. Having the summer job filled that void and, at a certain point, I enjoyed it so much that I decided to make it a full-time venture. I still feel like a teacher in some of the things we do, giving tours to children’s groups, hosting craft activities at our parties and educating people in general about what we offer,” Mulcahy said.
The store hosts birthday parties, events, and other things that would appeal to the general interest of someone living in the area.
Gumdrops and Sprinkles features a plethora of different flavors of homemade ice cream that are made frequently in the store to have it taste as fresh as possible. The experience is complete when you get to the topping bar and realize that you can use all the toppings you want for free.
The store also offers a wide selection of candy, including bulk candy, sugar-free candy, novelties and several flavors of fudge as well. A hot seller among teens right now is “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” candy bars.
The store does its best to bring in as many costumers as possible to come enjoy their ice cream.
“Our big promotion relevant to you and your classmates is our college Tuesday special. If you show a current student, faculty or staff I.D. any Tuesday, you receive 10 percent off your entire purchase. We also post promotions, specials and updates to our Facebook and Twitter pages frequently,” Mulcahy said.
Allison Crowley, sophomore history major, is among the many Cabrini students who frequent there on Tuesday nights for the discount. “The ice cream is so good. I go there almost every week with my friends to get some and to sit down and socialize. After we’re done eating, we always buy a ton of candy,” Crowley said.
Students can eat in or buy things to take home.
“We do so much to devote as much time as possible to ensure that we offer the best homemade premium ice cream we can, bringing in a the best quality selection of candies and chocolates, and we really enjoy what we do,” Mulcahy said.
