Bookies and cream
Sluggo’s Sundae Drive, located on Elon Road just off of U.S. Route 29 in Madison Heights, has been offering its homemade, premium ice cream to locals since 2014.
“I had wanted a business that I could do when I retired,” owner and operator Carl “Sluggo” Merat said. “I like to take on projects and do new things.”
Merat, who had received the nickname “Sluggo” during his time at Grove City College, grew up in Pennsylvania, eating at various ice cream parlors and reading “Nancy and Sluggo” comics.
“In my family it was a tradition,” Merat said. “Sunday afternoons we would drive out into the country, no matter where we went, we always ended up at an ice cream shop. That was a highlight of my childhood, a memory that I wanted to preserve and give to other people by being out here in Amherst County.”
YUM — Carl “Sluggo” Merat uses Pennsylvania dairy products in his ice cream that have 12 percent butterfat, which gives his ice cream a premium classification and a smooth consistency. Photo credit: Stefanie Murza
Sluggo’s offers a variety of ice cream flavors, all of which are made in Merat’s storefront from Pennsylvania dairy products.
“We make flavors that you can’t find anywhere else,” Merat said, “We had coconut cream pie last weekend, which, again, you can’t find that kind of flavor.”
According to Merat, the classification of “premium” is given only to ice cream that contains at least 12 percent butterfat.
This premium quality is what gives Sluggo’s ice cream its smooth texture.
Merat was inspired to open Sluggo’s with his wife, Linda, after retiring from working in the Liberty University library for around 25 years.
The time that Merat spent at Liberty was a time of change for the library and the school.
“We were always advocating for a better library, and then when we got the opportunity to work on the Jerry Falwell Library, we wanted to do swomething to honor Dr. Falwell and provide an academic facility that was top notch,” Merat said.
“We wanted it to be a place where students could be inspired. …We were just thrilled to be a part of that.”
Along with being a locally-owned business, Sluggo’s is committed to helping the community. Each month Sluggo’s gives away all of the tips they make to local charities.
This September in particular, Sluggo’s is giving to the Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center.
“The way that we express our faith is to be a part of the community and witness as much as we can,” Merat said. “We give all of our tips every month to some organization either involved with food insecurities or housing.”
“(Sluggo’s is) a dream that my wife supported me in,” Merat said. “She works full time still at the hospital and physical therapy. When people come in, it’s company, a lot of company.”
Sluggo’s Sundae Drive is open Wednesday through Sunday from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., with some variations by season.
Fratticelli is a feature reporter.