By Lucas Lanius
Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer
SMYRNA, Tenn. -- Janarty’s Homemade Ice Cream, a little shop in the depot district of Smyrna, Tennessee, recently received three Ruthie’s awards, proving them to be one of the best ice cream shops in Rutherford County.
Owners Marty Schiff and Janelle Alice were thrilled to accomplish something amazing: win first place for Best Ice Cream, Best Milkshake, and Best Dessert. There haven’t been many small businesses that have won something as incredible as that, especially ones that have only been open for just over a year.
When asked about why Marty thought they had won, he explained that he wants to make sure everyone who comes in gets treated like family. Visitors say that’s certainly what one will get when they walk through the door. All of the staff is inviting, kind, greeting all their guests with a warm smile.
Of course, the ice cream certainly adds to the great experience. Everyone who came through the door left with smiles, talking about how different and perfect the ice cream tasted. Janarty’s offers the normal range of flavors, such as vanilla bean, double chocolate, candy bar blast, etc. They also try new flavors as well, such as their Chai Tea Latte flavor and Roy’s Peanut Butter. They even had a peach flavor in the summer that boasted peaches grown right here in Smyrna.
Janarty’s has also received the Best New Business in Rutherford County award, as well as being a finalist for Best New Business in the Ruthie’s awards.
Schiff explained that he used to be a musician all of his life up until 2014, when he retired. Then, he was a single father learning to cook for his children. He always had the idea to open an ice cream shop. He was already in a job that was teaching him to get into the culinary field, and that really enhanced his love for making food.
He explained that he was nervous at first, because even though this was his dream, he was putting everything into it. Schiff was quitting his job, selling many of his instruments and his first car, and Alice was quitting school, but it’s all been worth it to see something they can put their love into.
He said that he wanted to make ice cream the way nobody else makes it. He claimed that everyone else but Alice thought it was crazy, that it wasn’t possible. He laughingly recalled going to a bank to ask for money to fund their idea. The bank shot them down at first. Then, after they had opened and picked up steam, the bank offered to help them out if they wanted to expand. Customers of the ice cream shop think it’s fantastic to see a small business like this gain such a great reputation.
Schiff said that there is a lot of trial and error involved to make their ice cream just right. They had a lot of ice cream left over from experimenting quite often. After trying many different ways of making ice cream, they perfected their recipe that’s enjoyed by thousands of residents and travelers alike.
Many customers going in and out of the restaurant made comments and talked about the cleanliness of the facility, the kindness of the staff, the quality of the ice cream, and the great atmosphere that it’s all presented in. It’s not a surprise then to see that Janarty’s has a 4.9 out of five-star rating on Google Maps from 156 people and recommended by over 350 people on Facebook.
Schiff did say he would love to see their business grow, but he doesn’t want to expand to other locations right now. He makes the ice cream and wants the quality to be top-notch. He thinks that might suffer if they were to open other stores. He said he also really just loves the old depot district of Smyrna, and that it makes the perfect atmosphere for their shop.
“Janelle likes to emphasize that we do make it small batch from scratch,” Schiff said. “Where a lot of people buy the bases already mixed, and they put it in a machine and add flavoring, do their thing, we create every flavor.”
“And the first time it’s not always right, we have to redo it a couple times to tune it in,” he added. “Our ice cream tastes different than anybody’s I’ve ever tasted, because it is that extra effort that we put into it. It’s our own thing.”
The little shop is located at 111 Front St. in Smyrna. Their normal operating hours are 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. On Fridays and Saturdays, they are open until 10 p.m. They are closed on Tuesdays.
Their average price for a double scoop of ice cream with a topping is about $4 with tax. A milkshake with four scoops of ice cream of one’s choice with cream and a topping will go for about $8 with tax. There are other little treats, such as homemade chess bars, fudge, pop tarts, or their one-of-a-kind hot chocolate, all for about $3 each.
To learn more about Janerty’s, visit their page on facebook @Janerty’s Homemade Ice Cream.
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