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The Daily Tar Heel

Creamery Celebrates Grand Opening

Mayberry's Creamery, with its Carolina blue walls, retro tables and homestyle flavor, is reminiscent of small, family-owned and -operated drugstores across the country.

Owner David Badenchini said he wants the store to capture "the spirit of Mayberry." Photos of Griffith and the cast of his television show hang on the walls, including an almost life-sized photo of Don Knotts, who played Barney Fife.

Badenchini said the opening of the store is the fulfillment of a dream he and his wife have had for nine years.

Badenchini originally relocated to Durham from New York to work with computer technology until he and his wife, Christina, could realize their dream of owning an ice cream shop. Christina works as a cake decorator for Mayberry's.

The ice cream parlor has been open four weeks, and one customer said it's the place to go for "the best cheesecake on the planet."

The grand opening sign and store front say Hershey's Ice Cream, but Badenchini said they're only temporary until they can be changed to Mayberry's Creamery.

Mayberry's is celebrating its grand opening week by offering a variety of promotions.

Employees say specials from earlier in the week have been successful, like 50-cent ice cream cones and cups for students, staff and children. Fifty percent of Thursday's profits will benefit the N.C. Children's Hospital. On Friday, the store will dispense free single scoops for the first 1,000 customers between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Mayberry's serves 32 flavors of old-fashioned hand-dipped ice cream such as German chocolate cake and sugar-free butter pecan.

The store also sells ice cream cakes made-to-order, in addition to boasting original smoothies like the Mocha Monkey Cooler. For the morning crowd, Mayberry's offers coffee, espresso, danishes and pastries.

Employee Travis Green said even though the weather has cooled, that has not deterred customers from purchasing both ice cream and coffee. "Ice cream makes people happy."

Badenchini said he plans to keep the store open on Halloween and expects they will do a lot of business.

"For some reason, cold ice cream makes you feel warm," he said. "(This is the) place to come when you really want to treat yourself."

Badenchini said future developments for the store include adding an old-fashioned soda fountain to make frozen drinks like root beer floats.

Mayberry is located at 418 W. Franklin St. across from McDonald's and is open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and open late Fridays and Saturdays until 11:30 p.m.

The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.

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