| Let's look at some Jersey Freeze
history........... Most of us remember the downtown Jersey Freeze Ice Cream store that operated out of the small white building next to Monroe Foods that is now the home of Suppers Made Simple.. But how many of you remember the Jersey Freeze when it was located just east of Tyrrell's Coffee Shop? Confused ? Read on.... Ok, for you "youngsters", here's the story: Ethel and Everett Tyrrell operated a GREAT little restaurant on the town square at the corner of Hwy 14 and Washington Street in the building that is now Prudential Real Estate (before that it housed Wildlife Trading Co.) Tyrrell's Coffee Shop had the best beef burgers ever and kids spent hours hanging around Tyrrell's after school and after ball games. After the Tyrrells, there were several owners of this great restaurant. Two were the Dawsons, and the Rempps. In the true sense of entrepreneurial spirit, the Tyrrell's added an ice cream store to their operation. The story is told that the Tyrrell's had Jersey milk cows on their farm east of Monroe and thus the name "Jersey Freeze". The original Jersey Freeze was a small building (maybe 12 ft X 12ft) that sat east of their restaurant where the west lane of Hwy 14 is now located. We don't have records of the dates but the original Jersey Freeze was probably opened in the early 1950's. The original Jersey Freeze disappeared in the 1970's when the 4 lane came through down town Monroe. The Jersey Freeze had several owners over the years. Wilber and Dessie Broderson come to mind.  Monroe was without a Jersey Freeze until 1992
when brothers, Brad and Lynn Donahue re-established the Jersey Freeze.
They were sitting around one day, hungry for some ice cream and decided
that they would open an ice cream store. A few days later construction
began and in May 1992 the new store opened. Since they owned the land
near where Jersey Freeze began, the JERSEY FREEZE name was a natural.
Lynn was somewhat familiar with the ice cream business having owned 2
Baskin-Robbins stores in the 1980's.They contacted Mary Tyrrell Cupples in Nebraska and asked her permission to use her family's Jersey Freeze name. She thought it was a great idea to re-establish the Jersey Freeze. The name has been registered and is now owned by Donahue Bros. Inc. By 2000, Jersey Freeze had outgrown the downtown location. Since Highway 163 was being re-routed south of Monroe, a second location near the 163 -14 intersection (Exit 29) seemed like a good idea. In July 2000 Jersey Freeze No. 2 was opened at its present location on Highway 14 south. In 2005 the downtown location was closed. Jersey Freeze No. 2 continues to operate at the new location. The Jersey Freeze season typically begins the 3rd week of March and ends early in October. If you have information that would help fill in some of the gaps in the history of the Coffee Shop and or the Old Jersey Freeze please contact: Lynn Donahue at jerseyfreeze@iowatelecom.net. |
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Highway 14 South Monroe, IA 50170 Phone: 641-259-2059 info@jerseyfreezemonroe.com |
