Bangor-area ice cream fans can look forward to one of the surest signs of spring next week, as Gifford’s Ice Cream Stand on Broadway is set to reopen for the season on March 19, alongside the other four Gifford’s stands in Skowhegan, Auburn, Waterville and Farmington.
The Bangor stand this year could feature a pandemic twist, after the Bangor City Council on Monday approved the addition of a drive-through window.
Gifford’s CEO Lindsay Gifford-Skilling did not give an exact timeframe as to when the drive-through window would be constructed or open to customers. But, as part of its application for the zone change required for the company to put in the window, the company stated that many other ice cream stands also offer drive-throughs in addition to pick-up windows, and that the COVID-19 pandemic brought on many changes in consumer behavior, including an increased preference for drive-through and low- or no-contact pickup.
After a tough 2020 that saw the venerable ice cream stand open in mid-May, two months later than its usual mid-March opening due to pandemic restrictions, Gifford-Skilling said she and her staff are excited to get back to a more traditional operating schedule.
“I think I can speak for all of us that we’re so excited for our five family-owned stands to open on March 19. It’s such a relief to not have to wait for a delayed start like we did last year,” Gifford-Skilling said.
Gifford’s also this month unveiled new packaging for its in-store half-gallon containers, with a new, stylized depiction of Maine mountains and lakes in place of the former brown and black colors previously used.
A number of other ice cream stands in Maine have also announced their spring opening dates, including The Dairy Port in Bucksport, which will open on April 3, and Crosby’s Drive-In, also in Bucksport, which will open in early April. Jimmie’s in Brewer is already open.
