Bradford’s iconic business, the Custer City Drive-In — which marks the beginning of spring in the area with its opening in March, and the end of summer when it closes in September — is now up for sale, said owner Theresa Fair DeFrank.
On Monday, DeFrank said that after almost 40 years of owning and operating the popular seasonal business, she has decided to put the small road-side shop up for sale to give her more time to spend with her grandchildren.
Over the years, DeFrank has employed a mix of high school and college students as well as young and middle-age adults who scooped ice cream into cones and served hot-dogs, hamburgers and milkshakes to customers on hot summer days and cool summer nights.
“I’ve been so fortunate over the years to have so much good help and caring people,” DeFrank said of her longtime business.
In sharing some of the history of the business, located at 974 South Ave. in the Custer City community south of Bradford, DeFrank said her parents, Jake and Gene Farrell, bought the facility from Eleanor and Michael Nenno when she was 10 or 11 years old.
“My parents were actually 50 years old at the time … and had all of us children work it,” she remembered. “We had like five or six younger ones who worked it.”
DeFrank believes the Nennos had owned the business 23 years before her parents bought it. She also believes the Nennos had purchased the facility from a man who had a Tastee Freez franchise, the name the business was known as years ago, before the franchise was dropped.
DeFrank said she worked in the business alongside her parents and siblings during the summer months until she took over the business as a young woman.
As for the sale of the drive-in, DeFrank said she is uncertain when that will happen, but until then will continue to operate it until it sells.
“I’m in no hurry and I’m not rushing out, this could be a couple of years process,” DeFrank remarked, stating she will continue to run the business. “We’ll see how it goes and see if there is anyone really interested.”
She said her staff are great employees and hopes they would remain intact when the business is sold.
“I’ve got to say, I’ve got a lot of good kids” working in the business, she added. “I would tell anybody interested (in the business) to keep all these kids because I’ve got an awesome crew.”
As for her retirement plans, DeFrank noted she has a couple of grandchildren visiting her whom she would like to spend more time with during the summer months.
“I want to be able to go and visit them,” she added.
DeFrank admitted that some of her grandchildren were concerned about their future ice cream consumption when she told them she was selling the drive-in.
“The older ones, especially, when I told them (about the sale) said, ‘Really, no more ice cream?’” she commented. “But (I said) we can still get ice cream.”
