Our Story
The history of “The Ice Cream Shop” is a history intertwined with that of the love between long time Alaskans, Bud Gibbs and Carol Makar. Bud was a retired commercial building manager. Carol is a retired educator.
Whenever students asked her what she planned on doing after she retired, she would always respond:
“ I’m going to have an ice cream shop.“
In 1998 Bud & Carol built a home and business, Bud & Carol’s B&B, in Girdwood. Carol, having been a teacher, was accustomed to being busy. So after two years of operating a very successful B&B, Carol frequently expressed to Bud that she needed more to do.
One day in the fall of 2000, Carol noticed that a space in the Girdwood Tesoro Mall was vacant and needed a tenant. In her mind, she saw her long time dream come to life-- an ice cream shop!!!
Now, Bud had two things on earth of which he was not fond—cottonwood trees and dogs. So a few days after seeing the open space, she came home from her daily run and, half way kiddingly and half way serious, told Bud
“I am giving you an ultimatum: either we start an ice cream shop or I’m going to get a dog, your choice.”
Bud just gave her his signature warm smile & went back to watching TV.
A few days passed until Bud declared, “Carol, I have a meeting with Gary Bucy (the leasing agent for Tesoro Mall) this morning.”
“And why?” , asked Carol.
Bud replied,
“I don’t want a darned dog.”
And so, “The Ice Cream Shop” came to be.
Bud & Carol , totally new to the food industry, sought out & received much support from members of the Anchorage ice cream community. They built out the space, bought used equipment, and searched for historical information. They worked day and night until April 26, 2001 when they had their Grand Opening.
From that day forward Bud and Carol worked and played in the Shop. They were committed to hiring and training young workers to help them foster a work ethic and skills that would be beneficial later in their lives. After seeing how hard their team members worked through the first summer, they vowed that they would do all they could to keep their staff employed and remain open through the winter. This commitment has remained strong as “The Ice Cream Shop” has remained open 365 days a year (with the exception of certain holidays) since its opening.
In February 2012, things took a challenging turn when Bud passed away due to pancreatic cancer. He remained devoted to the shop and was working there until about a week before his death. He loved every staff member and treated them like family. With the support of an incredible staff, Carol is able to carry on the legacy he left behind.
Since day one of the planning and opening of “The Ice Cream Shop” Bud and Carol’s mission has been to serve the community. Every Alyeska Ski Club Mighty Mite who has gone through a starting gate, about 1,000 per year, has received a free ice cream cone.
Bud and Carol’s belief has always been that children should be active, and rewarded for their positive behavior. Accordingly, they have donated thousands of ice cream coupons to indoor and outdoor soccer, Alpine and cross country skiing, basketball, piano recitals, and programs for reading, writing, and drama.
Some recipients of their generosity are: Pacific Northern Academy, Four Valley Community Schools, Little Bears, Challenge Alaska, Girdwood School, Alyeska Resort (Blueberry Festival, Fun Runs, Thursday Night Race Series, etc.), Grace Christian School, Anchorage Women’s Pregnancy Center, Girdwood Alliance, U.S Forest Service, Girdwood Forest Fair, Glacier Valley Transit, Anchorage Hockey Association, Alaska Medical Missions, Alaska All Stars Hockey Association, Alaska Pacific Nordic Ski Center, Anchorage Ski Club Arctic Valley, German Charter School, Girdwood Clinic, Makar Eyecare, Girdwood Rotary, Girdwood Lions Club, St. Theresa’s Camp, Anchorage South High School Travel Program, the South Anchorage wrestling team, and more.
In the here and now Carol and her staff strive to maintain a healthy, clean, friendly & welcoming atmosphere--providing a lot of ice cream and a lot of smiles.