What’s old is new again at Dairy Joy, thanks to owners Chris and Karrie Mueller. The couple, who also own South Tampa’s Xtreme Juice, purchased the ice cream establishment in late 2018 and immediately got to work restoring the shop to its 1950s-era glory. “Dairy Joy is a piece of Tampa history, and we wanted to be a part of that history,” says Chris Mueller. “The store was founded in 1958, and although Karrie and I weren’t born yet, we really do love that time period and want our customers to feel like they stepped back in time when they visit our store.” But the Muellers did stray from the time period a bit; for the first time in its history, the previously cash-only business accepts credit and debit cards — one of customers’ biggest requests. “Although our ticket average is very low, some customers just don’t carry cash, or they prefer to use their debit or credit cards,” Mueller says. “It was an important and necessary change.” Dairy Joy is still serving up hard and soft serve ice cream cones, sundaes, milkshakes and hot dogs daily. Mueller says to check back often for updates. “Our store is going to be jaw-dropping 12 months from now.”
WHAT TO KNOW: (813) 839-5485 | 3813 S. Manhattan Ave. | facebook.com/dairyjoytampa
Open daily, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
