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Kayla Davis hands a customer an ice cream cone at the Crossroads ice cream shop in Killingworth on July 14, 2022.

Crossroads ice cream shop owners Mike and Becky Harkin are photographed at their business in Killingworth on July 14, 2022.

Customers wait in line at the Crossroads ice cream shop in Killingworth on July 14, 2022.

A list of flavors is displayed outside at the Crossroads ice cream shop in Killingworth on July 14, 2022.

KILLINGWORTH — With a twist soft serve ice cream dripping down her cone, Marjorie Giudice enjoyed the cold treat with her husband, John.

“It’s delicious, it’s melting like crazy,” she said. “This is our big treat for the day.”

The Avon couple, sitting at a wrought iron café table at Crossroads, stopped on their way home from Hammonasset State Park on a recent sweltering July day.

They said ice cream is their treat coming home from the beach and they would stop again at Crossroads Ice Cream Parlor.

The couple joins many others enjoying the newly-opened ice cream shop at the junction of Route 80 and 81 in Killingworth, serving Gifford’s Ice Cream.

“They are based out of Maine and it is creamier, it’s a higher quality ice cream,” said co-owner Becky Harkin.

Her husband and business partner, Mike Harkin, has been working on this project for the last two years.

Ask Mike Harkin, “Why ice cream?”

“Who doesn’t smile when they have ice cream?” he answered. “You’re not stressed when you’re eating ice cream and everybody’s smiling, so that’s why we opened it.”

Becky Harkin chimed in: “He’s always wanted to own an ice cream shop.”

Mike Harkin’s favorite flavor is black raspberry chip yogurt, as for his wife, “mint chocolate chip, but it has to be green.”

The shop opened on July 6, and on July 7 and again on July 10 they ran out of their product and had to close to restock. Both days they scooped down to the bottom of 36 tubs of the frozen confection.

“We were surprised at how many people came out that first day,” said Becky Harkin.

“We put an ‘Open’flag out and I think people had been anticipating and waiting to see what was going on here,” she said. “The girls set up a Facebook and an Instagram page and put it out ... and it was jam packed. There was a line out the door until 9:30 at night.”

On July 7, when the new shipment arrived, patrons were eagerly waiting at the shop.

“At 7:30 (p.m.) the truck came in,” said Becky Harkin. “It was pretty wild. There were a bunch of customers. About 7 o’clock we got the phone call from the truck that they were 30 minutes out.”

Becky Harkins said the group, totaling some 30 people, “started helping carry the tubs of ice cream in” when the frosty dessert finally arrived at the shop.

To minimize any further closings, Mike Harkin is looking to purchase additional freezers.

The menu includes cookie dough, cotton candy, sea salt caramel and black raspberry “hard” ice cream; chocolate, vanilla and twist soft serve; vanilla and strawberry lemonade and blueberry pomegranate sorbet dairy free choices; vanilla raspberry swirl sugar free; sundaes; chocolate chips, gummy bears and rainbow and chocolate sprinkles as toppings; banana splits and root beer floats.

Four-legged family members are welcomed to accompany their owners and indulge in a pup cup, complete with a scoop of ice cream and a dog bone. Doggy water bowls are also placed around the exterior of the shop to keep canines cool.

Ali, a 4-year-old German Shepherd Border Collie was intent as she enjoyed her pup cup, saving the bone for the very end.

Her young owner Bailey Mandeville enjoyed cookie dough ice cream on a waffle cone, while her mother, Jen, licked her cookies and cream and coffee ice cream, as it trickled down the sides of her cone.

Jen Mandeville said the ice cream parlor is “dangerous” being “way too close” to their home and they will definitely be back.

Jen Mandeville smiled when she realized that she knew Becky Harkin, growing up in Killingworth and attending Haddam-Killingworth High School together.

All the employees at the shop are Killingworth students. It’s also a family affair, with 14-year-old Addison Harkin and 16-year-old Braeden Harkin working alongside their parents.

Scooping ice cream is Addison Harkin’s first job.

The soft spoken ninth grader said “it’s fun” to be working in her parents’ business.

“I really like the sea salt caramel and the s’mores,” she said, outfitted in her pink Crossroads Killingworth, CT shirt and an American flag baseball cap.

“I love it,” said Kayla Davis, a 2022 graduate of Haddam-Killingworth High School, working with Addison Harkin.

As for seeing all her friends on a daily basis, “It can be a little stressful sometimes, but it’s fun,” she said. “They’re loud.”

Both agreed that sea salt caramel is the most popular flavor.

The prefab 952-square-foot brown barn was made in Pennsylvania Amish Country.

Inside, are bar stools and tables to accommodate about 22 customers. Outside are café tables on the east side of the building and on the west side is a large crushed stone area, with eight picnic tables topped with red umbrellas, Adirondack chairs and cornhole games, all beckoning visitors to stay and play.

Mike Harkin envisions this spot becoming a community gathering area.

“Every night people are here just playing cornhole,” he said. “We say, ‘Even if you’re not buying ice cream, just come hang out.’”

“We want the community to come together here,” he said. “People just coming, having fun, talking. I don’t think a lot of people in the communities talk anymore or have a gathering place.”

“If you want to grab a pizza from the local pizza place in town and you don’t have a place to go, just come use the picnic benches,” he said. “You don’t necessarily have to buy ice cream.”

In the fall, seasonally flavored ice cream will be added to the menu, including apple pie and pumpkin.

Along with ice cream, coffee, lattes, cappuccinos, espressos and pastries will be added to the menu.

Both Mike and Becky Harkin have full-time careers. Mike Harkin is a civil engineer and owner of Harkin Engineering; Inc. Becky Harkin is a second-grade teacher at Burr Elementary School in Haddam.

While the couple is contemplating staying open throughout the year, they are waiting to see how business is throughout the summer.

“We’ll have to see if that’s sustainable,” said Becky Harkin.

Right now, however, they are concentrating on keeping ice cream in stock to make their customers happy.

“Amazing,” Mike Harkin said. “Can’t thank the community enough.”

“Every single night this is completely full and every single night we’re almost on the verge of selling out,” he said.

Crossroads, 250 Route 81, Killingworth, crossroadskwllc@gmail.com; Facebook Crossroads KW; Instagram kw_crossroads