Family atmosphere the main dish at The Big Scoop

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN CYNTHIA MARTENS
The mother-daughter owners of The Big Scoop know what it takes to keep customers happy and coming back.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” said mom Luci Helmer with a hearty laugh. “And it works. We’re always open to little changes, but we also want to continue with what’s been successful.”

Luci and daughter Amy Helmer bought The Big Scoop in Marion
41/2 years ago. Since the first day open, they have nurtured a comfortable family atmosphere-drawing in customers from near and far.

“There’s one couple from Topeka who come through here, and they always have to stop for butter pecan ice cream,” Luci said.

“They say we have the best butter pecan ice cream. And we have another couple from Halstead. They always celebrate their anniversary here.”

Amid a nostalgic decor, customers can choose to sit at one of six spacious booths along the east wall of the restaurant. Additional tables in the middle of the room seat about 36 more patrons.

During the hot summer months, the big draw to the Big Scoop is the ice cream.

“We have a large variety of hard-pack ice cream,” Luci said. “And we have soft-serve ice cream-vanilla, chocolate and swirl.”

A menu board behind the cash register lists 17 choices of hard-pack ice cream, such as rocky road, super hero, cookies and cream, chocolate-chip cookie dough and Amazon storm. For the health conscious, the menu offers three sugar-free flavors-chocolate, vanilla and butter pecan. Sherbet lovers can choose from an icy list of lime, raspberry, rainbow or orange flavors.

In addition to the ice-cream parlor standouts such as cones, banana splits, sundaes and novelty bars, The Big Scoop offers the jitterbug.

“A jitterbug is like a Dairy Queen Blizzard,” Luci said. “We have Heath, Oreo, M&M, Reeces Pieces, Butterfinger and Snickers.”

The regular menu offered for lunch and dinner includes about 20 sandwich choices.

The most popular sandwich is the hamburger with all the trimmings. For a little bit extra, it can be ordered with bacon, cheese, as a double-patty burger or even a pizza burger. Other sandwich choices include traditional favorites, such as breaded or grilled chicken, steak, pork fritter and fish.

Baskets are available with small fries and a medium soft drink. Deli sandwiches made with ham or turkey can be ordered with cheese, tomato, lettuce, dressing and come with carrots and a pickle. A chicken-chef salad can be served up with grilled or breaded chicken.

Open seven days a week, the restaurant offers daily specials ranging in prices from $3.75 to $5.95.

Come in on Mondays and order a Chicky Piggy. “It’s a basket-grilled-chicken sandwich with bacon, swiss cheese, french dressing, lettuce and tomato,” Luci said.

Tuesday’s special is Taco Salad made from scratch. It’s frequently sold out before the day is over. Another big seller on the daily-special menu, and also frequently sold out, is the Sunday chicken-fried-steak dinner. It’s served with mashed potatoes, gravy, corn or green beans, roll and coffee or tea.

Mother and daughter share cooking duties, but there is a division of labor.

“I clean the ice cream machine, and she has to clean the fryer,” Amy said. Luci’s duties also include ordering supplies.

And how are they getting along working together day in and day out?

“We’re still here, we’re together,” Luci said with a chuckle. They take the rare time off when they can get away.

“But that’s not too often,” Luci said. “Sometimes it’s hard to find help. The help we have is good help, but sometimes you need more help.”

Their crew of part-time employees includes a staff of about 10, with one or two of them pitching in to help the mother and daughter with cooking chores.

In the food business for almost five years, the two co-owners offered to share two recipes at the top of their personal-favorites’ list.

Taco Soup

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 envelope taco seasoning

2 cans ( 15 1/2 ounces each) whole kernel corn, undrained

2 cans ( 15 ounces each) ranch style or chili beans, undrained

2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained

Crushed tortilla chips and shredded cheddar cheese

Four tortillas, warmed

In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink, drain. Stir in taco seasoning, corn, beans and tomatoes.

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Place tortilla chips in soup bowls. Ladle soup over chips. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve with warmed tortillas.

Yields eight to 10 servings, about 2 quarts.

“It’s so easy,” Luci said.

Chunky Peanut Brittle

1 1/2 tsp. plus 1 1/2 C. butter, divided (no substitutes)

2 C. peanut-butter chips, divided

1 3/4 C. sugar

3 Tbs. light corn syrup

3 Tbs. water

1 1/2 C. salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1/2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Butter the bottom and sides of a 15-inch by 10-inch by 1-inch baking pan with 1 1/2 tsp. of butter. Sprinkle with 1 C. peanut butter chips. Set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, bring sugar, corn syrup, water and remaining butter to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Cook and stir until butter is melted. Cook without stirring until a candy thermometer reads 300 degrees (hard-crack stage).

Remove from heat. Stir in peanuts, and quickly pour into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and remaining peanut-butter chips.

With a knife, gently swirl softened chips over top of brittle. Cool before breaking into pieces. Store in an air-tight container.

Yields 2 1/2 pounds.

“This is the yummiest stuff,” Luci said about the peanut brittle. “It’s so good. It’s fast and easy, too. I love it. It puts me in the Christmas spirit.”

While on the subject of Christmas, Luci said her favorite time at the restaurant is during that winter holiday, when something magical happens at The Big Scoop.

The doors of the restaurant open Christmas morning every year. Friends, family, employees and customers are welcome to enjoy a special Christmas breakfast.

“This last year, we had about 80 people in here on Christmas morning,” Luci said. “We just put them to work. Out preacher was making toast, and an employee’s father was making pancakes. Everybody just pitches in.”

Christmas breakfast is free every year.

“We don’t charge, and they always want to give a donation,” Luci said. “If they give a donation, we give that to a good cause.”

Although not regularly open for breakfast through the rest of the year, the restaurant draws coffee drinkers in often before the doors are officially open in the morning.

“We have four coffee groups” throughout the day,” Luci said. “Plus, we have the Thursday Sundae Ladies.” A group of about five area women come in Thursday afternoons and order sundaes.

In the winter, staff volunteer to shovel snow at the homes of some of the coffee-group members.

That hospitable and friendly atmosphere of the restaurant permeates throughout the employee environment, the two owners said. Staff moving on in their lives often show up on the weekends to help out and visit old friends.

“The employees can’t leave,”Luci said. “They have fun here. We had a Big Scoop family reunion on the Fourth of July. We invited back past employees and families. We had almost 40 people. They’re a close-knit group.”

Amy agreed and said, “It helps the kids who work here. We’re a second family for some of those kids.”

A place for comfort food and a part of the community, The Big Scoop operates under the following mission statement: To provide fun, food and fellowship to our friends-those who now are and those who have yet to walk through our doors.

With tears in her eyes, Luci said, “Where God puts you, that’s where you’re at, and that’s where I’m at.”

Amy added, “God has a purpose for us and hopefully, we’ll help someone along the way.”

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