Cones, Custard, and a Better Tomorrow #DetroitFood

More than 55 years later, this local soft serve spot is still going strong

If you drive down 11 Mile Road in Royal Oak during the summer, it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’ll see a line of people waiting for ice cream next to a conspicuous telephone booth. (More on that in a moment.) The line in question belongs to the crew at Jim’s Frostie Treats, among the many seasonal dairy shacks, custard shops, and soft serve ice cream parlors that fling open their doors every summer. Founded by Troy native Jim Hammond, Jim’s has been a mainstay in metro Detroit since 1969.

The spot was originally a Dairy Queen franchise location when Hammond first opened up shop, before he eventually went independent and renamed the store in 1976. Before realizing his childhood dream of opening an ice cream store, Hammond worked in the aerospace division at a local engineering company making helicopters for the Vietnam War. He began moonlighting at a Dairy Queen outpost in Ferndale, learning how to make milkshakes and cones, before a real estate opportunity allowed him to open the space that would eventually become Jim’s.

Owing to its Dairy Queen roots, Jim’s serves its own twist on DQ classics, with Arctic Frosties, and flurries, specialty sundaes, novelty Jimbo Bars, and hard-shell dipped cones. Jim’s also offers Michigan staples like hot fudge cream puffs and Boston coolers.

Although he’s still the first person at the store every morning, Hammond sold ownership of the store to his daughter, Kathryn Denier, in 2000. Denier started working for her dad when she was 11, and has been a part of the family business ever since.

Lee Bryan, a regular of Jim’s Frostie Treats, stopping by for his daily ice cream fix.

Part of the appeal of a visit at Jim’s lies in its discount calendar, which hangs in the window amongst a collection of photos and awards. Each day of the week, customers are invited to accept a different challenge such as hopping up and down or patting their head in exchange for $1 off, or a percentage off of their order. It’s little things like this that have made Jim’s a beloved neighborhood gathering place where generations converge.

Of course, a trip to Jim’s wouldn’t be complete without some quality time with Clark Kent inside the phone booth. After vandals stole the phone inside the booth, Hammond thought that the empty space would be a great place for the legendary superhero. After trying out a few different plastic mannequins, Hammond landed on a rubber dummy with a perfectly manicured cosmetology practice head. More than 20 years later, the Man of Steel is still on guard at Jim’s.

from Eater Detroit - All