It was a taste-filled evening on October 1 at Franklin’s new ice cream parlor. Staff learned the ropes and served scoops in preparation for the ice cream parlor’s formal opening October 7. With more than 30 homemade flavors, 11 of which are vegan, Franklins has increased its already diverse repertoire of dinner and drinks by adding dessert into the mix. The new parlor will sell scoops, milkshakes, brownies, waffles, and full pints will be sold. A staff of 10 will run the parlor. As of its opening this week, Franklins is the only ice cream shop in south Hyattsville.
Mike Franklin, the founder and namesake of Hyattsville’s iconic “everything store,” mingled with customers on Wednesday evening as they sampled various ice cream flavors. “It’s taken us three years to get where we are right now,” said Franklin. In 2022, Franklin and his team began planning how to, quite literally, build an ice cream parlor from the ground up. From applying for zoning permits to sourcing suppliers, there were many ingredients that went into the final product of the ice cream parlor.
Initially, Franklin hoped to open the ice cream parlor in a storefront next to the general store. The property at 5115 Baltimore Ave was painted over with a sign for Franklin’s Ice Cream. However, due to zoning and permit issues, the location of the parlor was moved to the back of the general store, with another entrance facing the Hyattsville Trolley trail. McCartian Construction, who Franklin has worked with on projects in the past, built the ice cream parlor in a modern take of the classic diner-style.
In 2024, Franklin and his team attended a national ice cream conference to gather information regarding ingredients and suppliers. “[We] walked the aisles and [we] went to every booth,” said Franklin. The process for developing homemade flavors showed the versatility of Franklin’s team in action. Jeff Hancock, Franklin’s brewmaster, took his knowledge of brewing to source fruitful purees for the ice cream flavor. They also discovered an Italian manufacturer of vegan ice cream bases to serve more dietary friendly options. The flavors were brought to reality by Marc Heckrotte, Franklin’s general manager and chef-de-cuisine. Beginning his career with Friendly’s Ice Cream, Heckrotte came up with recipes to make Franklin’s distinct flavors a reality.
In the first few weeks after opening, Franklin’s hopes to gauge the demand for ice cream and refine their batchmaking processes. Franklin said everything was “so far, so good” and thanked community members for coming to support and sample his latest venture in a long line of business endeavors.
Over three decades ago, Franklin converted a warehouse into the restaurant and brewpub. In 2002, he redeveloped the neighboring buildings along Baltimore Avenue into a general store, containing all things from toys to cookware. In 2022, Franklin’s opened an outdoor Tiki Bar that has remained popular in the summer. Now about to embark on ice cream, Franklin’s will fill another gap in Hyattsville’s market, and a sweet one at that.