They’re less than 48 hours from their grand opening, but Justin Cline and Ann Magyar made time to talk with WSB this afternoon as they continued getting their much-buzzed-about White Center shop Full Tilt Ice Cream (original WSB report here) in ship shape — appropriate, since Justin’s a boat-builder. They just got the news hours earlier that inspectors cleared them to open Friday; pinball machines were scheduled to arrive any moment. The machines didn’t show up while we were there but we do have the scoop on some of what they’re expecting, plus the flavors they’re planning to open with. We even got to see the first boxes of paletas (mango chili and blackberry cinnamon) in the freezer (photo above)! More ahead:
That’s Justin and Ann — both have careers that enable them to “take the summer off” (she’s a high-school teacher) and therefore the ability to launch this enterprise, which they reveal came together fairly quickly — the idea didn’t really crystallize till late April! The space used to be a Dilettante Chocolates outlet, so it was already set up for food service, and they didn’t have to make too many modifications. It’s bigger than it looks from the sidewalk outside along 16th SW — this is just a peek at the north side, inside, where the pinball machines and arcade games will be set up just past the ice-cream case:
OK, OK, enough suspense. WHAT games, you ask? They’re coming from Space Age Amusement, which they say promised games including KISS and Medieval Madness, and eventually Doctor Who (which Ann is particularly looking forward to), as well as table-style classic arcade games – Ms. Pac-Man and Centipede were mentioned.
Now, about the flavors. (By the way, they’re the only paleta-makers in Western Washington, save a company down in Vancouver.) Besides the mango chili and blackberry cinnamon peletas, they plan to start with ice cream in these flavors: chocolate, vanilla, Mexican chocolate, mango chili, mint chocolate chip, strawberry, blackberry dark chocolate chip, butter pecan, Thai tea, hazelnut, birthday cake (not like Cold Stone, Justin says, “it’ll have real cake and frosting IN the ice cream”) and two vegan flavors — mango sorbet and coconut coffee. Paletas will be $1.50; ice cream starts at $2.25 a scoop. They’ll offer sundaes, too, and Justin plans to custom-make toppings on a big stove they’ve added to the kitchen/storage area in the back of the shop.
When we arrived this afternoon, they were putting together tables and chairs; a passerby stuck her head in and yelled, “New business?” “Yeah,” Justin and Ann yelled back, “opening Friday!” “We’ll be back, then,” the lady promised, and moved on. They’re clearly having a blast putting together the new business; when Justin goes into nearby McLendon’s, he ays, the staff says, “Hey, the ice cream man’s here!”
They’re planning to keep Full Tilt Ice Cream (MySpace site here) open “noon till late” on Fridays and Saturdays, noon-8 Tuesdays-Thursdays and Sundays, closed on Mondays. Grand-opening fun starts at noon Friday, with band The Blankets scheduled to perform that day. And Ann — who says some of her White Center High School students want to work at the shop — says there’s a freebie for kids — if they bring in a report card with no F’s and at least one A, they get free ice cream; that offer’s in effect till the end of July (but just one per person). Full Tilt’s address is 9629 16th SW (map).
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