Baskin-Robbins Opens New West Ashley Store

is back in West Ashley after a few years of hiatus.

Franchise owners Rudy and Linda Polito opened their second BR location in Charleston at the corner of Ashley River Road and Sam Rittenberg Boulevard, next to on July 28. It is the fifth store the couple have owned in the past 21 years as franchisees.

"Linda is the one who started it," Rudy Polito said. "She went and did the training before I quit my job to help out."

The Politos opened their first BR franchise in Columbia in 1991. Several years ago they got the chance to purchase the Mount Pleasant Baskin-Robbins and moved to the Charleston area. At a meeting for franchise owners in the region Linda Polito learned that the previous owner of the Mount Pleasant store was putting the location up for sale, and the Politos jumped on the chance to come to the Lowcountry.

"When you're self-employed you don't get to move too often," Rudy Polito said.

The couple had wanted to open a second Charleston location in West Ashley for more than two years, but Rudy Polito said, the timing wasn't right until recently.

"We bought the Mount Pleasant store and so many people who came in would ask when are you going to open one in West Ashley," he said. "I found this location two years ago, but it just wasn't the right time."

Polito said he and Linda prayed about whether to open a second location and asked God not to let it happen if it wasn't the right thing. Almost two years later, Rudy Polito said, Baskin-Robbins' corporate office had started a push to get franchise owners to open new stores and was offering various incentives to make it happen, everything else lined up perfectly, and the spot next to Skatell's was still available.

West Ashley used to be home to two Baskin-Robbins franchises, but both locations eventually closed down. Now the company is back.

The Politos are already seeing differences between their two Charleston area stores, and that was to be expected, Rudy Polito said.

"Each store has its own personality," he said. "It's from the people in the area that go to each store."

For example, Polito said, his Mount Pleasant patrons are crazy about mint chocolate chip ice cream and milk shakes. At the new store, big sellers have been butter pecan ice cream and banana splits, oh and the clown cones.

"I sold more clown cones in West Ashley on one day than I ever have at any other store in a month," he said.

The new West Ashley ice cream shop features some of Baskin-Robbins' latest designs and even includes a drive-through window for people in rush that need an ice cream fix.

"We call it the 'know-what-you-want window,'" Polito joked, noting that there is no menu board on the side of the building at the window.

The shop is open 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon - 10 p.m. on Sundays. The Politos held a grand opening for the shop on Saturday, and started a "31 Days of Savings" promotion that features special savings on different products every day of the week and runs through Tuesday Sept. 11.

During the promotion Sundays are Soft-Serve Sunday with soft-serve cones for only $1.31. Mondays are Discount Day for seniors, veterans and first responders. Tuesdays are Family Night with kids scoops for $1.31 and single scoops for $1.81. Wednesdays are Waffle Waffle Wednesday with a free waffle cone for all double scoops and 2-scoop sundaes. On Thirsty Thursdays patrons get $1 off shakes, blasts and smoothies. On Fridays the shop holds Kiddies Happy Hour with free toppings of all kids from noon to 5 p.m. And Saturdays will be 5-Dollar Date Nights with deals on shakes, blasts, smoothies, scoops, soft-serve and cake bites.