I Scream, You Scream, Get the Scoop on Walton's Ice Cream

Driving down Land O' Lakes Boulevard in the evening, you can't miss the flashing lights—they beckon you in, hungry or not.

And the delectable aromas may make you want to stay forever.

Walton's Ice Cream and Coffee, 6757 Land O' Lakes Blvd., recently opened in Wisteria Plaza, and some customers say they already are addicted.

We came three times the first week we discovered it, Tracey Safont of Land O' Lakes said. "It just tastes so fresh, you can't get that at Publix."

The Walton family moved to Land O' Lakes five years ago, owner Andy Walton said.

But the area lacked something.

And that something was 32 flavors of Hershey's ice cream.

We took a long time to come up with the details, Walton said. But once the lease was signed on the shop, the Waltons worked, sometimes around the clock, to make their ice cream parlor dream a reality.

His wife, Holly, a Realtor with ERA Russel Adams Realty, used her background in interior design to create the ambience, Walton said.

Their children, Andrew, 6, and Cortney, 18, also helped out. The family documented the parlor's transformation with a video montage.

"The idea is to just make it a local hub, the mom and pop ice cream shop," Walton said. We want to be a destination for Land O' Lakes residents, he said.

The Waltons chose Hershey's ice cream because they found it to be the best, Walton said.

And truth be told, the coffee was an accident, of sorts. Or perhaps providence.

Walton was looking for used exterior storefront signs on Craigslist, he said, and the one he found said "coffee and ice cream."

Though it wasn't part of the original plan, it made sense, Walton said. "But I didn't want to have run-of-the-mill coffee anybody could get anywhere."

His search for the perfect coffee ended at Buddy Brew, based in South Tampa.

The beans are ordered, roasted that day and delivered the next, Walton said.

"I know everything I order is going to be good," Walton said.

Walton's frappe, a marriage of Hershey's Cappuccino Crunch and Buddy Brew coffee, has people coming in, he said.

And the parlor's create-your-own sundaes also have been a big hit so far. "The ice cream speaks for itself," Walton said.

Walton's has only been open a short time, but the family has big plans for the cozy parlor.

"We're putting Land O' Lakes on the map with Walton's ice cream," he said.

All of the parlor's marketing materials—from T-shirts to the logo on their vehicles—say Land O' Lakes. When people see the name of the parlor, Walton wants them to see Land O' Lakes, too. And if they don't know where it is, his hope is that they find out.

For the Safonts, the parlor is a new favorite destination. And based on their reactions, it's likely to become a favorite for many ice cream and coffee aficionados.

Madison Safont, 9, usually gets the Moose Tracks ice cream, she said. On this particular night, she ordered the Birthday Cake.

Her verdict: "This is amazing."

Walton's Ice Cream and Coffee is open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m.- 9 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.; and Sunday, 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.