Whirl-A-Whip Sees Several Hundred Customers A Day

By Jennifer Ball

Owner Brent Barnes stands outside of the Whirl-A-Whip on Route 4. They have fifty different flavors of ice cream made to order.

The Whirl-A-Whip, 309 S. 3rd Street, has been an ice cream stop in Girard since 1957. There are only two locations in the entire United States, the other one located in Stanley, North Dakota. Girard resident Brent Barnes is the owner.

“Every ice cream is made to order,” Barnes said. “That’s what makes it unique. In other words, there aren’t fifty tubs of ice cream. When somebody orders, we make every one to order.”

The ice cream shop has fifty flavors of ice cream, including cinnamon twist, white chocolate chip, chocolate peanut butter, and many others. A cup or cone costs $2.50. In addition, they serve food, such as hamburgers, horseshoes, and deep-fried tacos. They also serve shakes and malts.

The ice cream shop is a Route 66 stop, and is in all of the books and magazines, Barnes said. He sees people from all over coming to Whirl-A-Whip. He has even had some international travelers from the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

Barnes bought the shop in 2013 after it had been closed for four years. He decided to buy it because of its historical importance to the town. “It’s a landmark, and they were going to close it,” he said. “It’s been very busy since.”

Barnes said that he will surprisingly get several hundred people through there a day. In addition, Whirl-A-Whip has amassed 1,451 likes on Facebook. “It’s unbelievable since Girard is such a small town,” he said.

They are open everyday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. People may call ahead and have their order ready for them when they come. The Whirl-A-Whip also does delivery. Their delivery option is available Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is one of the things people like a lot about Whirl-A-Whip, Barnes said. They do a lot of deliveries to businesses and elderly people who have trouble leaving.

They are located right on Route 4. “We’re on a major highway,” Barnes said. “That makes a big difference.”

Barnes said he doesn’t have time to do much else because he is so busy working full time at the Whirl-A-Whip. But he does enjoy his job. He said that at the end of the school year, 300 or 400 kids will come by wanting ice cream. “It’s a special treat; it makes their day,” he said.

Barnes said he also gets some of the kids from the church. The First Baptist Church, 310 W. Madison St., hosts a summer day camp for children. “They get all excited to get an ice cream,” he said.

Source: Whirl-A-Whip Sees Several Hundred Customers A Day Whirl-A-Whip Sees Several Hundred Customers A Day

Source of the article is found at this site