Five senses satisfied at Honey & Mackie’s
Winter has come and gone. The air is fresh and summer is ready to deliver on the highs of our five senses. Smell, sight, touch, taste and sound are ready to be stimulated in ways winter fell short. Even in summer it’s rare to find a place where all five can be positively triggered within minutes of entering. Such a place exists in Plymouth on the corner of Highway 55 and County Road 24 next to Hy-Vee and the Holiday gas station. Opening the door, a wafting of vanilla and slightly charred brown sugar enters your nose suggesting waffle cones are near. Moments later, your eyes are drawn into a kaleidoscope of colorful copy showcasing an endless array of ice cream flavors, each presented in it’s own creative font. Temptations like salted caramel & peanuts, chocolate malt and Almond drip off the chalkboard as if the flavors themselves were written in heavy cream and sugar.
Hearing the laughter of children inside, you smile, your eyes, ears and nose already dancing. As you approach the counter, framed by a classic black and white tile backdrop, a young adult is standing by to take your order…or provide you a sample or two. After all, it’s never easy to choose at the ice cream counter, especially this one. Even if you go with a “small cup,” rest assured it will be packed full. At Honey & Mackie’s, whatever you order will immediately trigger what seems to be a personal challenge with the teenage scooper and the god of value to see how much ice cream (or sorbet) can physically be squished into the cup or cone without breaking it in the process. It’s actually remarkable to see, especially knowing this isn’t some cheap soft serve or preservative-laden corporate chain cream they’re packing. Honey & Mackie’s uses only pure ingredients, made from scratch daily using a strict process that your mouth must taste to understand.
Now I don’t know if holding a waffle cone that overflows onto my hand with fresh banana ice cream counts for your sense of touch, but it did for me – it’s hard to visit an ice cream joint without getting a little sweet and sticky. Honey & Mackie’s also swings toward the savory serving hot dogs with all the fixin’s and made-to-order, specialty hand cut fries.
Medina Origins
Honey & Mackie’s was started by Medina residents Amy and Josh Albert and named after their sons, Henry and Maxwell (see side story). Recently purchased by family friend, Suzanne Varecka, you’ll find Suzanne scooping up to little leaguers at Hamel Legion Park, backyard graduation parties, company events and anywhere hand-packed, homemade ice cream is welcome. Earlier this year Honey & Mackie’s won the ice cream category in the Cities 97 Sweetest Sixteen Challenge.
Ice Cream Flights Touching Down Mid-Summer
Suzanne says, “the creative energy and seeing people happily enjoy a new flavor is what I love most about owning an ice cream shop.” A mini-donut flavor hits August 1st and ice cream “flights” are set to land later this summer. In the meantime I’m intrigued by their “Game of Cones” flavors like the Red Velvet Wedding and Dragon Glass. Though familiarity with the Game of Thrones series may help one appreciate the flavors’ namesakes, you need only walk through the gates of Honey & Mackie’s to remind your five senses that “Summer is Here,” time to eat ice cream.
Honey & Mackie’s Namesake
By founders Amy & Josh Albert
Max “Mackie” Albert, 2015, first day working at Honey & Mackie’s at age 14.
Our two boys are the inspiration behind Honey & Mackie’s. When our youngest, Henry was three, he nicknamed himself “Honey” and his brother, Maxwell, became “Mackie”. The names have stuck over the years, thus Honey & Mackie’s was born. With a love of ice cream, we set out to open a unique and family oriented ice cream shop. One that would not only fulfill their dreams, but create lasting memories for all those that entered.
