JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
Zombie Ice Cream is an ice cream shop out of Dayton in Rhea County . They have recently hosted their grand opening and ribbon cutting event for the parlor’s new location in Jasper, alongside members of the Marion County Chamber of Commerce.
Zombie Ice Cream is owned by William and Leana Bowan, both of whom are from Dayton . The couple first opened the original location in 2017, where Leana with her love of ice cream, and William always having wanted to open an ice cream parlor, banded together to open Zombie Ice Cream. The “zombie” name and theme of the facility stems from William himself, who’s a major fan of the popular Walking Dead TV series.
“I thought, you know if you get a brain freeze, it really gives you a bad headache. And if you eat too much ice cream, it would turn you into a zombie. So that’s where it comes from,” said William.
All of the facility’s zombie-themed ice cream comes in a variety of flavors and combinations, with all of them made with soft served ice cream. Nearly all the items are named after various characters from the Walking Dead, such as the Negan, Daryl, and Carl, which are made with their own flavors of ice cream and toppings. Ice cream produced by the Ashby’s Sterling is also available in a diverse range of flavors. Different food items such as burgers, mozzarella sticks and grilled cheese sandwiches are also available for customers to enjoy. A large Jelly Belly themed jelly bean machine is also on-site, with a large selection of flavors for customers to choose from.
The Bowans acquired the Jasper location back in May, where it originally served as the location of Jojo’s Scoops & Sprinkles before it permanently closed its doors earlier this year. The couple shared their gratitude and excitement to provide the community with different flavors of ice cream, and ensure the chance to provide a fun and family-oriented environment for all who visit.
“We’re excited to be here. I really like this area and people here have been really friendly. We’re excited to be a part of this community,” said Leana.
Zombie Ice Cream is located on 904 Betsy Pack Dr and will be open year-round from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends for those looking to grab a new, zombie themed treat in town.