Simply Hers - July/August 2022

PASSING THE TORCH:

Vanity Car Wash & Ice Cream Becomes Overflowing Cups & Cones

By Melissa McCance

It’s a common saying that timing is everything, and that is certainly true when it comes to taking on a new business commitment. For Carie and Earl Proctor, owners of Overflowing Cups & Cones (formerly Vanity Car Wash & Ice Cream), it was a matter of waiting on what they believe was God’s timing for them to move forward into this new adventure.

Vanity Car Wash & Ice Cream was built by Tom and Victoria Burke in 1994. Since parents often brought their children with them to wash the car, the Burkes figured having ice cream available during warm weather would be a popular addition. “It helped balance the ebb and flow of the businesses,” explains Victoria. “Winter months are the busiest for the car wash and it’s the other way around for the ice cream store.”

As their son Corey got older, he joined his parents in running the business. When Tom and Victoria were ready to retire about five years ago, he took over the management role while his parents were still involved as part of the corporation.

Corey, too, reached the point of being ready to step away from the family business. Being a full-time firefighter with the Hillsdale Fire Department, he has a lot of time committed to his profession. But Corey didn’t want to sell unless the people he felt were right to take over showed interest. The business went on the market once but, as Victoria puts it: “Things just weren’t aligned. It wasn’t really time. There’s a lot more to running a business than people realize; it’s an ongoing process.”

Corey’s parents’ pride in their son is evident in how Victoria speaks of him. “Corey genuinely likes and respects people, and he has a huge heart to serve.

He looked at selling the business not as just sealing a deal but as carrying on a tradition. After almost 30 years, we’ve formed relationships with our customers and the community. He wants to extend a sincere thank you and farewell to everyone who has supported our store through the years, and tell them that he truly appreciates their loyalty.”

Victoria says she and Tom have had a good ride, that they’ve grown and learned a lot from their experience, and that they support Carie and Earl all the way.

So . . . enter Earl and Carie Proctor. Earl, always an entrepreneur, and Carie, who’d never been in business for herself. They had been talking about possibly starting a new business, and, one day when they were in line for ice cream in Adrian, they thought, “What about an ice cream store?”

“I thought I’d help with the store while staying at my old job. But then I was let go from my job.” Carie says they felt like God was opening doors for them to pursue the idea. “We already had a faith-based business that runs from October to April—ProEdge Arena in Osseo. With the addition of the ice cream business, we’re now able to serve and interact with the community throughout the year.”

with giving us the feedback we need to keep getting better.” She says they thank the Burkes for the opportunity, the previous customers for their loyalty, and their new customers for their support.

The Proctors have kept the existing menu while adding a few items like the Blueberry Muffinator: a warmed blueberry muffin with vanilla ice cream, blueberry topping, and a sprinkle of brown sugar. They emphasize that the quality ingredients people loved at Vanity will be retained along with the generous portions and reasonable prices.

One new addition is the expanded beverage menu. Customers can enjoy coffee, espresso drinks, and all-fruit smoothies. There are several flavor choices for the espresso drinks and some special latte options like Uplifted (caramel and vanilla), Bean Redeemed (caramel and mocha), and HE-Brews (almond, hazelnut, and mocha) among others. There are also daily breakfast specials and some sandwich and side choices.

“Come fall, our hours will be reduced but we’ll increase the lunch menu with soups and more sandwiches,” says Carie.

Overflowing Cups & Cones is located at 214 South Broad Street in Hillsdale. Follow them on Facebook for the latest updates!