The (new) Dairy
After almost a full semester without the Dairy ice cream shop, students and visitors at this university are again able to buy its desserts, now at a new location in Stamp Student Union.
The shop held its soft opening Thursday and officials intend to have it open as much as possible before the grand opening this Thursday, Dining Services spokesman Bart Hipple said.
“We are training employees, building excitement and making sure we are fully prepared for anticipated business when we officially open,” he wrote in an email.
“Because we’re not officially open, we could close for a little while if we have to adjust equipment or computers. This is a new location for us, and we are making sure that there aren’t issues that would create dissatisfaction.”
Since the Dairy’s closure in December, students have been able to find its ice cream in dining halls and at on-campus cafes and shops, though no other location provided the same flavor variety as the previous spot in Turner Hall. The hall opened in 1924 and served homemade ice cream for almost 90 years before the 2013 closing.
Officials decided to move the Dairy to Stamp to provide a more convenient and central location for the shop and to free up more space for Conferences & Visitor Services’ programs, said Visitor Services Manager Betty Spengler.
For students such as senior chemistry major Erin Norcross, the months of waiting for the new shop were worth it.
“When it was by the visitor center, it was farther away from really the heart of campus,” she said. “By moving it to Stamp, it is closer to where more students are and where more prospective students want to be sure to visit.”
Because Turner Hall is located near the front of the campus on Route 1, distance prevented many students from getting the Dairy’s ice cream, senior psychology major Itay Balely wrote in an email.
“With the Dairy being at the Visitor Center, many students and visitors feel like it’s out of the way to go get ice cream from the Dairy,” he wrote. “Many of my friends have never even been to the Visitor Center before. The new location is going to make the Dairy more visible and act as a bigger part of student life, since it is now a part of the student union.”
Despite moving from the historic location, Balely added, the change likely will please visitors and students.
The Dairy used to stay open until 4 p.m. on weekdays and closed on weekends, but is extending its hours to 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Hipple wrote. Officials anticipate the new location will be more convenient and enjoyable for visitors and students.
“The new Maryland Dairy is gorgeous, modern and Maryland, and still with a classic ice cream shop feel,” Hipple wrote.
In addition, Spengler said, the freed space in Turner Hall will enhance the visitor experience at this university.
The building’s “front porch” space has been renovated into an indoor waiting area with rocking chairs for prospective families and campus tours.
After attending information sessions, those in tours will leave from this room, so tours will no longer block the visitor center desk while waiting to leave, Spengler said. Conferences & Visitor Services intends to develop the remaining Turner Hall space to “enhance the visitor experience,” she said.
Officials first plan to install an interactive sustainability exhibit, Spengler said, which the University Sustainability Fund will pay for.
