Jim’s Frostie Treats is a summertime Royal Oak tradition | Eater Detroit
"Driving down 11 Mile Road in Royal Oak during the summer, I always spot a line of people waiting for ice cream next to a conspicuous telephone booth — that’s Jim’s Frostie Treats. Founded by Troy native Jim Hammond and a metro Detroit mainstay since 1969, the shop began as a Dairy Queen franchise and was renamed Jim’s in 1976 after Hammond went independent; before that he worked in the aerospace division making helicopters for the Vietnam War and learned how to make milkshakes and cones moonlighting at a Dairy Queen in Ferndale. Owing to its DQ roots, Jim’s puts its own spin on classics — Arctic Frosties, flurries, specialty sundaes, novelty Jimbo Bars, and hard-shell dipped cones — and also serves Michigan staples like hot fudge cream puffs and Boston coolers. The place feels like a beloved neighborhood gathering spot where generations converge: Hammond sold the store to his daughter, Kathryn Denier, in 2000 after she’d been working there since age 11, and a whimsical discount calendar in the window challenges customers (hop up and down or pat your head) for $1 or percentage-off deals. No visit is complete without spending some time with Clark Kent in the phone booth — after vandals stole the phone Hammond experimented with mannequins and settled on a rubber cosmetology dummy, and the Man of Steel has stood guard for more than 20 years." - Will Reaume
