ORLANDO, Fla. – In 1948, Edwin Goff opened the window to his ice cream shop off 212 South Orange Blossom Trail, but little did he know this little eatery dubbed Goff’s Drive In would have decades of memories.
After Goff hung up his scooper, William Truesdell and his family took the reins, until the shop was forced to close after it was damaged by fire.
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The ice cream shop has been closed since May 2022 when Alfred Jerome Kirkland, 58, set fire to the building, according to police.
Now, it is ready to enter a new era with a new name, Sweetie’s Ice Cream, according to a post on Facebook.
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Not much is known about this new shop, only its new name and owners — Eric Macintosh Jr. and Jelani Gray, who are both Orlando natives — as well as its soft opening date, Nov. 4.
Local commissioner Regina Hill took to Facebook to weigh in on this development.
“I’m so proud of these two young people, one who was raised up in Parramore and the other one family has dedicated themselves to serving youth in Parramore, both who I absolutely adore,” Hill said in a post.
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At the height of segregation, the original owner allowed both Blacks and whites to order in the same line and continued to do so despite several warnings from the others in town who did not agree with his idea, according to the Goff family.
In 1951, an explosion ripped through the side of the stand causing a small fire and structural damage. Luckily, no one was injured.
The Goff family said they believe the KKK was responsible and attacked their business by throwing a firebomb at the building. The Goffs said it was because they served everyone regardless of their race through the same window.
News 6 has reached out to Goff’s Drive In and Sweetie’s Ice Cream for comments, we will update once available.
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