PERRYSVILLE – It’s always been a dream for the Crank family to own their own business.
So when they saw that the Perrysville Drive-In was up for sale, Dave and Pam Crank purchased the property for their daughter and son, Jessica Stevens and Justin Crank, to co-manage.
“It’s all family-operated, so you’ll see our kids here and everything,” said Stevens. “Everybody has a part in it at some point. Everybody uses their talent.”
Pam formed the ice cream stand’s new name, MooMali’s, using the initials of each of her grandchildren. Stevens’ husband, Tim, drew the new cow-themed logo for the business.
MooMalis opened for its first season April 6, but the new owners are planning a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 19. The drive-in will offer 99 cent hot dogs and free ice cream cones for kids ages 12 and under that day. The drive-in is located at 101 S. Bridge St., Perrysville.
Though the season got off to a slow start because of cold weather earlier this spring, Stevens said things have picked up since the start of May.
“The community’s been really welcoming of our family,” she said. “We’ve kept some things on the menu that the community likes, and we’ve added some things.”
The new owners added Velvet brand hard dip ice cream from Utica, Ohio to the menu and changed the soft serve offering from Smith’s to Arps Dairy from Defiance, Ohio.
Stevens said the hard dip ice cream is selling well, especially the mint chocolate chip flavor. People also like the smooth, creamy taste of the Arps soft serve, she said.
Also new to the menu are larger, quarter-pound hamburgers and some other new products like pickle fries. The stand still serves up favorites like hot dogs, Philly cheese steaks, shredded chicken sandwiches and sloppy joes.
Stevens said she and the rest of the family have found the process of starting and running their own businesses both challenging and rewarding.
“I think we all knew it was going to be tough,” she said. “It’s fun, but it’s a lot of work.”
