May 24, 2012

Too close to call: The Dairy Kings

Is there anything better than an ice cream cone on a hot summer’s day? Didn’t think so. Depending who you ask, though, you will likely be instructed to sample the goods at one of Toronto’s most popular name- sake ice cream shops: Greg’s Ice Cream or Ed’s Real Scoop. The jury’s out on whose frozen concoction is tops, so Greg Mahon and Ed Francis put up their scoops and waged a cold (but friendly) war.

GREG’S ICE CREAM vs. ED’S REAL SCOOP

Greg Mahon, 1981 Name & year opened:
 Ed Francis, 2000
One [at Bloor and Spadina], but we’re opening a new store soon in the Distillery District. Number of stores:
 Two! We’ve got a store in the Beaches and another location in Leslieville.
Well, probably Neapolitan. But I also liked butter pecan. Favourite ice cream flavour as a child:

 Hmm. Probably chocolate. Yeah, straight- up chocolate.
My roasted marshmallow ice cream. It’s my “fifteen minutes” — even Ben and Jerry have come to the shop to eat it! Favourite flavour today:
 Now I really like coffee flavours. We have a great one called Mercury espresso — and we get the coffee from Mercury Espresso Bar, a local shop in our neighbourhood.
You know what? No. The taste of the public is so diverse — Toronto is such a multicultural city — that just about anything flies. Any failed flavours?
 It’s funny: I once created a great sour cream flavour that no one would even touch — even when I gave out free samples!
Barbara Streisand, Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts and her family, Julianne Moore — so many people! Notable customers
 Mike Myers, Bruce Willis, Ed Robertson from the Barenaked Ladies, Mark Kelley from CBC...
There are lots. I’ve actually had children named after me [chuck- les]! Why? Because there are many pregnant women who come into the store for ice cream. Many, many! Any memorable moments at the store?

 I remember, when we first opened, a lady came in and asked if we had pumpkin ice cream. We didn’t, but I experimented with a batch that night. Now, it’s one of our best-sellers in the fall!

 

This article appears in the June 2011 issue of Post City Magazines

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