Step Back in Time at Bradentown Scoop

If you're old enough to remember bubble gum cigarettes, Coca-Cola in eight-ounce gass bottles, rotary dial phones and juke boxes filled with 45s, then is a must-see for you and the kids.

Why the kids? They will get a chance to see just how much things have changed since you were their age. Kids won't be able to recognize or name many of the things that were familiar to the pushing-50 crowd.

"Kids haven't seen all of this stuff," said shop owner Steve Parisian, a teacher at Manatee High School.

The new ice cream shop that opened just this week at 904 Manatee Ave. E. is the brain-child of Parisian, who bought the gorgeous soda fountain and then built the ice cream shop around it. And why not? The soda fountain glows, offering a warm welcome to anyone who visits. It goes nicely with the other antiques in the shop, most of which are for sale.

Walking into the shop is like taking a step back in time. It almost makes you want to trade in your cell phone for a party line.

With all of the sensations and sights, you might just forget why you came. But you wouldn't want to do that. The sodas, egg creams and ice creams are fantastic. There are 97 types of syrup, so the only thing limiting your choice is imagination — or your tastebuds.

A good old-fashioned milk shake comes with whipped cream and a cherry. Coca-colas come in thick glass bottles and are made the old-fashioned way, with cane sugar rather than corn syrup, and there's definitely a difference you can taste.

Ever the instructor, Parisian plans to showcase Bradenton's history — starting by naming his shop using the original city spelling of Bradentown. He will dedicate space in the shop for the Manatee Historical Commission to show off some of its artifacts from the county's history. The commission partnered with Parisian to save the old classic soda fountain with a storied history. Rumor has it that Elvis Presley sat at the soda fountain, which at one time operated in a drug store that Presley's aunt managed.

He also has a display case set aside for the family of the month. He plans to choose a muti-generational family who can display family heirlooms at the shop and offer an oral history of Bradenton's earlier days. He wants to have students capture the memories on video, too.

He plans to ask his neighbors across the street from the ice cream shop to be the first founding family to discuss their history. The Pelot family still owns the pharmacy on Manatee Avenue that has been in the family for generations.

"I want this to be a community participation business," Parisian said. "This is for educating future generations. I want them to know what it was like when we were young."

Of course going back in time isn't always so easy. When Parisian decided to open the soda fountain, he discovered that not many people knew how to operate the old-fashioned soda fountain. He also had to seek out recipes to mix some of the drinks, such as the egg creams.

He sent one of his employees down to Venice to learn everything he could at the soda fountain there. He came back and trained the other employees in the ice cream shop.

If there are any experts out there, Parisian is willing to learn from them. Anyone who suggests a recipe that turns out well will likely see the item on the menu. If that person knows a thing or two about history, too, he or she just might be in the position to offer a valuable history lesson to customers who visit the shop.