Got a Sweet Tooth? Head to Sweet Cheeks

BY MARY MICHAELS | PHOTOS BY JULIE PRAIRIE PHOTOGRAPHY

What do you get when you cross a business degree with a love of ice cream?

If you’re Tasia Guericke, you get your own ice cream business.

The Roosevelt High School and University of Sioux Falls graduate says she has always loved ice cream, and so it was just natural to pair her business and accounting degree with her favorite food.

“I worked at DQ during school, and I learned so much there,” says Guericke. “That just convinced me that what I wanted to do was have my own shop one day.”

That part-time job gave Guericke the experience she needed to understand what products to order and what equipment she would need for her “someday” shop, and her schooling and accounting firm rounded out her education.

“It was so helpful to learn the business and accounting piece first before starting to really dig into planning for the shop,” she says. “I learned so much about business strategy and marketing, not to mention what it would take to actually be an employer and be responsible for my awesome team of employees.”

For décor, Guericke knew she wanted to create a place where people would want to come hang out. She went with a bright white foundation with cheery pink brink accents and chic black, white and pink seating options that includes a counter by the window, a high-top table and even a swanky sofa. She also added a little glam with a chandelier and crystal pendant lights.

“At night we turn the big lights off and let customers hang out with just the chandeliers on,” she says. “It’s pretty cool.”

The right environment was a big part of Guericke’s business vision, but of course the primary focus was on flavors.

“We serve ice cream, frozen yogurt and dairy-free options like sorbet,” Guericke explains. “There are more than 50 topping options, and we also make our own cotton candy every day. If you love a basic vanilla

or chocolate, we have it, but we also have a lot of fun with flavors we think our customers will love.”

The ten soft-serve flavors change weekly, so you always have something new to try. When you stop in, Sweet Cheeks may have salted caramel, pistachio or yellow cake batter ice cream…wild strawberry, cheesecake or peanut butter frozen yogurt…or a dairy-free sorbet in Valencia orange, pink lemonade or mango. Guericke will also add seasonal flavors into the rotation. For the fall, that means pumpkin spice and apple pie. Moving into the holidays, you can enjoy flavors like eggnog, gingerbread, peppermint and frozen hot chocolate.

If their opening week is any indication, Guericke may have found a sweet spot with local customers, who are enjoying coming in to make their own creations in spotted cow cups with whimsical color-changing spoons.

“We have something for everyone,” she says, “whether people want to make their

Hours: Sunday-Thursday: 11am-10pm Friday-Saturday: 11am-10:30pm

3609 W. Avera Drive (just off 69th & Louise) (605) 271-1869 contact@sweetcheeks605.com www.sweetcheeks605.com

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own or grab something from our novelties freezer, where we also have dairy-free options. I think people are surprised at the value when they put their cup on the scale. Maybe they have mixed a couple of soft-serve flavors and added their favorite toppings, and when they put it on the scale, they are like, ‘Wow, that’s it?’”

Those toppings range from Nerds, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Reese’s Pieces to gummy bears or frogs, cheesecake bites and edible cookie dough…plus much, much more.

Great product and a great value are what Guericke wanted in creating her own little “boutique” ice cream shop. While some may think it is a franchised chain shop, Sweet Cheeks is Guericke’s own business, built from the ground up.

“This is everything I wanted it to be!”

Her business philosophy and personal mantra hangs on the wall in a neon sign with scripted writing: La Dolce Vita…the sweet life.

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