Doyle's Ice Cream Parlor
A vintage ice cream parlor in Spokane since 1939.
Doyle's Ice Cream Parlor is a locally owned ice cream shop in Spokane, Washington's West Central neighborhood. It has been in operation since 1939. The business is listed as a contributing property to the Nettleton's Addition Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.
Quick Facts
- Built
- 1939
- Location
- 2229 W. Boone Ave, Spokane, Washington, U.S.
- Part of
- Nettleton's Addition Historic District
Facts from the source article.
Description
The small shop sits at the intersection of Boone Avenue and Nettleton Street. Its exterior features red and white stripes, with two plate glass windows on the Boone Avenue face and a corner door. Inside, a checkered tile floor and bar-like counter with high stools create an old-fashioned ice cream parlor. The menu includes homemade ice cream and waffle cones, along with banana splits, floats, and milkshakes from a vintage soda fountain. A large collection of vintage toys decorates the interior.
History
The building at 2229 W. Boone Ave. was constructed in 1928 to house a bakery owned by Charles Cota. By 1930 it held M.J. Leamy's Barber Shop, and in 1935 R.H. Overholser operated a barber shop there while living in the structure. Doyle's Ice Cream Parlor took over the space in 1939, and Arthur Doyle purchased the property from Cota's estate in 1940. A streetcar line then ran along Boone Avenue to Natatorium Park. Arthur Doyle ran the business until 1972. Jerry Gill, who grew up two houses away, bought it in 1991 and kept its nostalgic feel. The shop closed for a few years in the mid-1990s due to family health issues. Reopening was delayed because the original equipment from the early 1940s needed repairs; Gill noted that replacement parts had to be made since they were no longer available. After three decades of ownership, Gill passed the business to his nephew.
More in Restaurants on the National Register of Historic Places
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