There is an unexplainable joy that comes with every lick of this frozen treat. Waiting in line debating which flavor to choose is half the fun and usually results in several sample spoons of flavors had millions of times before.

Freshman Karyn Lally agrees that ice cream is not only something people can indulge in from time to time, but it serves numerous purposes. Ice cream is used for celebrations. It is the answer to a sweltering summer day, the treat friends eat while at the county fair, what baby sitters use to bribe children and the perfect breakup remedy.

“I love ice cream. I consider it to be a food group all on its own,” Lally said. “I think its something you can eat whenever but especially when you’re feeling blue.”

According to Buzzle.com, the business of ice cream has changed the past couple years. Companies such as Ben and Jerry’s, Schwan’s, and even Folgers Coffee, just to name a few, have created new flavors to keep customers entertained and satisfied. Companies in Japan have created new flavors such as ginger, noodle, and lobster, raising the number of ice cream flavors around the world to an astonishing 12,282.

The business of ice cream in the city changes during the frigid winter months, not because of crazy new flavors, but mostly due to the unsatisfactory change in the weather.

Businesses in the city that offer ice cream lack the rush of customers they normally receive during the spring and summertime.

Myles Dairy Queen on Wooster Street is just one business that takes a hit during the winter season.

“We still get a few people in during the day, but we have slowed down a little bit,” associate Ellen Nicely said. “However, since we are a Dairy Queen we’re unique in that we offer blizzards and other treats that are still well liked during the winter. Generally Brownie Batter, Tagalong and Thin Mint blizzards stay popular when we have them.”

Places like The Ice Cream Machine on Poe Road made the decision to close during the winter and reopen in the spring. The answering machine thanks customers for their business, making the summer a successful season and the owner looks forward to reopening in March.

Nellie’s, located on Main Street offers more items than just ice cream, including bagels and sandwiches, but still slows down during the winter.

“It has slowed down a little bit. Most of our business is at night when people order ice cream as an after dinner dessert,” owner Lee Kennard said. “A lot of the same families and college students come in especially for ice cream.”

For the owner, ordering ice cream in the winter months at Nellie’s is very different from how much they order during the summer.

“We order about three times as much during the summer,” Kennard said. “We have 40 flavors here, but only put out about 15 at a time, and then whenever a tub of the flavor is empty, we replace it with a new flavor. I guess the only big difference is that those 15 original flavors stay out a lot longer than they do in the summer months.”

Changing store hours is another way Kennard said they save money and keep business when the weather changes.

“In the summer we are open until 10 p.m. during the whole week, but during the winter we change our hours so that we close at 9 p.m.,” he said.