Food+Drink

Cool Treats Coming Downtown

hoping to open by mid-April, a new ice cream parlor is gearing up its space on Galloway Street

Eric Christenson |

Smith Insurance Agency building at 503 Galloway St.
Smith Insurance Agency building at 503 Galloway St.

Utilizing the bones of the old Smith Insurance Agency building at 503 Galloway St. – smack dab on the bustling corner of Galloway and Farwell – a new ice cream shop called Ramone’s Ice Cream Parlor is in the preliminary stages of securing a space in downtown Eau Claire. Before they get those sweet treats into the grasps of local sweet tooths, Blayne Midthun, the brains behind the operation, said they’re going to be renovating the interior of the building for most of the winter. It’s roughly an $80,000 project, and they hope to be open in April, just in time for summer. Midthun told us the goal is to serve homemade ice cream, an exclusive blend of Coffee Grounds coffee, and sugary delicacies from Sue’s Bake Shoppe in Eau Claire, as well as malts, pies, and more. They want to curate the space to have a 1920s-style vibe with tin ceilings, comfy booths, and a lot of wood fixtures. So be on the lookout next spring when Ramone’s starts scooping. It should be a pretty sweet project.