Cool treats come with a Cherry on Top
S.B. ice cream shop scoops up heat relief
BY SUE M. MORGAN
Staff Writer

SEA BRIGHT –– Will and Kathi Cherry get a kick out of those calorie counters who come to their downtown ice cream shop and order “Be Thin,” a no-fat, no-sugar frozen treat, only to garnish it with hot fudge or cookie-dough toppings.

Packing only 8 carbohydrates, Be Thin is one of the best sellers at Cherry on Top, the couple’s storefront ice cream stand at 1144 Ocean Ave. –– with or without the extras.

“Be Thin is very popular with dieters,” said Kathi Cherry, whose small enterprise is nearing the end of its first full summer season.

Kathi Cherry, co-owner of Sea Bright’s Cherry on Top ice cream stand at 1144 Ocean Ave., creates the store’s popular banana split, while daughter Kayla, 7, shows her skills at filling cones with soft-serve flavors.

“It really is a big seller.”

But Cherry on Top, which opened its window service in May, offers plenty of guilty pleasures too, such as hard- and soft-serve ice cream in cones and dishes, sundaes, shakes, banana splits, root beer floats and Italian water ices.

The sweltering summer of 2005 has brought those seeking relief from the 90-plus-degree heat not just to the borough’s beaches, but also to the Cherrys’ store, which is located near the corner of Beach Street and Ocean Avenue.

“The weather has been very cooperative,” Kathi Cherry said. “The weather couldn’t be better.”

On many of the recent steamy, summer nights, lines have formed on the sidewalk in front of the stand as beachgoers and swim club members finished with their bathing for the day and passersby get the scoop on Cherry on Top’s extensive menu of sweet and not-so-sweet treats.

PHOTOSBY CHRIS KELLY staff

On weekend nights, the crowds keep coming until closing time at 11 p.m., Kathi noted.

The family atmosphere and personalized service, managed by Kathi’s son, Kyle, 19, and competitive pricing compared to corporate-owned ice cream stores, set Cherry on Top apart from its competition, according to Will Cherry.

A carpenter by trade, Will renovated the space housing the store after he and his wife purchased the 1850s-era building two years ago.

Cherry on Top had a test run upon opening in August of last year, which proved lucrative enough for a return engagement for the full summer, the couple said.

Welsh Farms supplies the ice cream available in vanilla, chocolate and a twist of both flavors in soft serve. The hard ice cream of the same brand is sold in 10 different flavors, including strawberry, cookies and cream, butter pecan, mint chocolate chip, cookie dough and pistachio almond.

“Our ice cream is much cheaper than everyone else’s around here,” Will said.

Kyle, who enters his sophomore year at Rider University in Lawrence next month, claims that the store’s Hot Fudge Brownie Treat is a customer favorite.

As its name implies, that particular dessert features a “homemade brownie with either vanilla or chocolate ice cream, hot fudge dripping down and lots of whipped cream,” Kathi explained.

And of course, as the store’s name states, there’s a cherry on top.

Sundaes, decorated with melted chocolate fudge or fruit toppings, get adorned with a maraschino cherry as well.

But the biggest seller, the enterprising couple agrees, is the banana split –– three scoops of whatever type of ice cream accompanied by pineapple chunks and cut strawberries with hot fudge, topped with whipped cream and yes, cherries atop each flavor.

“It’s loaded in a boat,” Kathi said. “It’s big.”

Other hot items, yet cool desserts, include a creation called the Blend-In described by Kathi as ice cream with candy toppings blended in.

Depending upon where you hail from in New Jersey, you can ask for sprinkles or jimmies in chocolate and rainbow shades to dress up even the plainest vanilla or chocolate soft-serve cone or dish.

Water ice, which the owners note is the “soft kind” is also sold in orange, lemon, blue raspberry and bubble gum.

A recent addition, the fruity “Hawaiian Shake,” is now catching on, Kathi pointed out.

“We’re constantly adding new items to our menu,” Kathi said.

The couple’s two younger children, Billy, 11, and Kayla, 7, are spending their summer vacations learning from their parents how to become ice cream entrepreneurs.

Billy, entering sixth grade at Oceanport’s Maple Place School next month, cleans up the space and serves ice cream, while Kayla, entering second grade, enthusiastically helps her mother wash the shop and fill cones.

“It’s a family-run business,” Kathi said. “Everyone has a role.”

Since moving to Sea Bright two years ago after residing in Atlantic Highlands and Matawan, the Cherrys have immersed themselves in the community.

Will, a history buff, is intrigued by the borough’s turn-of-the-century buildings nearby. Kathi, meanwhile, is engaging in the town’s beautification efforts.

Though the store has been a sweet venture, working around ice cream can be tempting, so both Kathi and Will balance their time in the shop with regular exercise.

The two enjoy walking, biking and activities with their children.

“Working out is part of the regimen,” Kathi said. “If you’re going to indulge, you have to work it off.”

The stand will close for the season on Labor Day, Sept. 5, and the Cherrys will miss their staff of college-aged scoopers, who are all local residents.

But the Cherrys will still be around as they prepare to open a new business, Cherrystones, hopefully in the late fall.

When not at the stand, Will is working to renovate the adjacent space at 1142 Ocean Ave.

“It will be a seafood market with table seating,” Will said.

And of course, ice cream for dessert, Kathi adds.

Cherry on Top is open from 2-10 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, and noon to 11 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.