Though the season’s officially over, there are a few more days to enjoy a taste of summer.

Mel-O-Creme, located at 1512 Woodville Road (SR 51) in Millbury, will be wrapping up its season soon.

For folks in this area, this ice cream parlor has been a community mainstay for four decades. Its annual opening reminds us that nicer weather is coming. When closing time approaches, we’re all reminded to enjoy the last of the warmer weather before heavy fall sets in.

Bob Reino celebrates 40 years.

For all 40 years, the establishment has been owned by Bob and Pat Reino of Northwood.

As one would expect, a lot has changed since the establishment opened its doors.

Back in 1971, this area of the country was known as the “Steel Belt,” a vast expanse of land home to manufacturing plants scattered across the Midwest. Today, because of the loss of many of these jobs, the region is now referred to as the “Rust Belt.”

Bob Reino spoke of the local changes, noting that a number of businesses have come and gone in and around Mel-O-Creme over the years.

“I’ve seen a lot of changes to the area in 40 years,” he said. “We saw the Woodville Mall go up – it went up about the time we started. I think The Press began around the same time.

“In 1971, a small ice cream cone at Mel-O-Creme cost 25 cents. Today, the cost is $1.90.”

What sets Mel-O-Creme apart from many other ice cream parlors is the fact that is offers an extensive array of food. Of course, there is ice cream, hot dogs and burgers, but that is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. The menu includes specialty sundaes (among them a Buckeye Sundae), chili dogs, Polish sausage, assorted sandwiches, jalapeno poppers and fall favorites like pumpkin shakes and a caramel apple flurry, to name a few.

“We had limited food (in ’71), and over the years, we’ve added different items,” said Reino. “We’ve always had the hot dogs, the burgers and fries. Then we added chicken, fish and other food over the years.”

As for the prices, they are neither cheap nor expense, but reasonable. Part of the reason for that is Reino’s desire to purchase high-quality products, which usually cost more.

“We try to buy the best so we can serve the best products. We’ve always stuck with premium ice cream,” he said. “It’s been very successful for us. The other food items we have, we always try to buy the best we can.”

The Reinos, who graduated from Gibsonburg High School (class of ’68) and have three children and six grandchildren, bought the store in 1971 when both were 21 and living in Bradner.

The couple also owns a second ice cream store, also known as Mel-O-Creme. This establishment, which is smaller than the one in Millbury, is located on Airport Highway in Holland and has nine employees. The family has owned the store since 1985.

Bob, who gained experience in the food-service industry while working at his father’s restaurant in Bradner as an adolescent, talks about the long hours that must be invested into running the two stores.

“Every day is a little different,” he said. “Our day starts at about 6:30, 7 a.m. We get deliveries, trucks come in, there’s a lot of cleaning of the ice cream machines.

“We make products like chili, chicken, sloppy joes, ice cream toppings. It all takes time. We’ve got a lot of prep,” he said.

And, after the hours of operation, either he or his wife returns to Mel-O-Creme to help close up for the evening.

The store, which is open from March through October, will close on Sunday, Oct. 16.

Reino noted that he has tried to create a family-like atmosphere at the parlor, believing that it makes for good working conditions. He notes that employees sometimes work at Mel-O-Creme for a number of years during high school and college.

“What’s funny is that we’ve had people work for us and then their children will work for us. We’ve had three couples meet here and get married. We’ve gone to a lot of weddings over the years for the kids that have worked here,” he said.

“It’s a very fun business,” he said. “Ice cream is fun food. We enjoy the people – we enjoy the business.

He added, “We would never have made it without loving support for each other, my wife’s daily hard work at each store, and faith in God.”

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