Who’s Behind the Counter: Rhonda Chase at You Scream Ice Cream

Catonsville Patch: How long have you been in business in Catonsville?

Rhonda Chase: We opened in June 2009. Before that we had a stall at the Patapsco Flea Market on weekends. We cut our teeth there for four or five years, but we knew we wanted to relocate.

Why did you choose Catonsville?

Chase: We live in the area, so this was close to home, and we knew Frederick Road is a busy strip. When I came to talk with the Chamber of Commerce, I parked right here, and I saw the “Lease” sign on this building.  I peered in the window and thought, “I think this is our store.”

What do you like about being in Catonsville?

Chase: We weren’t sure how we would be received as a small business, especially with other large ice cream providers nearby, but Catonsville has accepted us with open arms. It is a very helpful business community. We’re always advocating for and trying to get involved in different things in Catonsville.

What's one thing you think is needed in the business community?

Chase: We do most of our personal business in Catonsville, and I miss the hardware store. The big box stores have their place, but sometimes you don’t want to buy 100 screws. Plus it’s always nice to have that personal kind of service.

What do you have in addition to ice cream?

Chase: We try to cater to many different tastes. We have Dole non-dairy soft serve in fruit flavors, Italian Ice slush puppies and homemade cookies.

Is your store a Hershey franchise?

Chase: No, we are independent; we choose to use Hershey ice cream because it is the best. Early on in my business career, someone told me to use the best quality ingredients, and I have always stuck to that.

What’s a typical day like?

Chase: I often shop for supplies in the morning, and then I come in to the store around 11:30 a.m., turn on the hot fudge, take the tops off the ice cream, and make sure we’re all ready to go when we open at noon. Customers come in spurts. Until school let out, we had a big bulge at the end of the school day. Now, our biggest influx is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. when people come out after dinner. There are five restaurants on this block, and many people have dinner out and then come here for dessert. Sometimes they’ll even stop here before they eat to check out what we have and to say they’ll be back.

 How do you handle the winter season?

Chase: If you’re in the ice cream business and don’t live in a place where it’s warm all year round, you have to have a passion for it. Because we are a family business, we don’t have the overhead of salaries. During the winter, we’re only open Friday through Sunday. Some people just love ice cream no matter what the season.

How do the other members of the family get involved?

Chase: My husband, Phillip, stops in on his way to work (he’s the one with the real job!) to check on everything and get a few things set up. Both our daughters, Shannon and Kelly, work when they can. Recently they filled in here to give Phillip and me the gift of a few days off; we went to the beach. Kelly gets the credit for what we’ve done with designing the store. She is very creative and has a real knack for decorating.

What is the most popular ice cream?

Chase: Adults love Moose Tracks. Kids love Crazy Vanilla, which is all vanilla flavor but colored pink, blue and yellow.  That is the basis for our color scheme in the store.

What are you most proud of?

Chase: We try to make everything the way they used to in an old-fashioned ice cream shop.  Our milkshakes are made from ice cream and milk. That’s it. We also strive to provide service based on how we would like to be treated if we were on the other side of the counter. We want our customers to feel welcome, comfortable and eager to come back. Sometimes people will pop in, not to buy anything, just to say hi.

What's something people might not know you do?

Chase: We will deliver everything you need for an ice cream social. Sometimes a customer will be disappointed that we don’t have a flavor they were looking forward to. We will take his or her name and call once we get the flavor in.

What is your favorite thing about your work?

Chase: I can look at a customer and know that he or she likes the product. Sometimes they even do a little dance. I’m not talking kids, I’m talking grown-ups. I love that.