From Fire To Pandemic, Ocean City Ice Cream Parlor Rises Again

OCEAN CITY, NJ — When life gets tough, there's always ice cream. That means something different for the Hobby Horse Ice Cream Parlor, who closed last fall because of a fire and reopened last weekend during the coronavirus pandemic.

The fire occurred in the attic late at night Sept. 15. Although the damage was minimal, it prompted the Dukeman family to close their seasonal business earlier than originally planned.

Read more: Ocean City's Hobby Horse Ice Cream Parlor Catches Fire

But Michael and Ciara Dukeman knew there was always summer 2020, and there still is. As they reopen, they couldn't anticipate the summer 2020 challenges though.

"We were anticipating kind of going in and having a strong summer after the fire," Michael Dukeman told Patch. "And then obviously it was hampered by the virus."

The Fire

Michael closed the shop for the night Sept. 15, which became Hobby Horse's last day in business for its 26th year. He walked home on the rainy night to catch the end of the Eagles' Sunday Night Football game.

Then Michael got a call around 11:30 p.m. Some smoke rose from the building. Firefighters were present by the time he returned, and they extinguished the blaze in short time.

Despite the fire, the Dukeman's know luck struck their shop on 8th Street and Ocean Avenue.

"It was a woman walking her dog who saw it and called," Ciara Dukeman said. "It was around 11 o’clock at night, so if it was a couple hours later, nobody would’ve been outside to see it."

The building was empty. If it happened later, with everyone more asleep, Michael thinks the whole block could've caught fire.

"I hate to say it, but it happened at the best time," he said.

The damage wasn't too bad, since the firefighters arrived quickly. But because of water damage, they needed a new roof and ceiling, renovated walls and more.

An exhaust band caused the fire, Michael says, and he believes they've been recalled since.

The process took time. The Dukemans hired their good friend, Richard Butler, as their contractor. Butler died Jan. 15 at age 45.

"There have been a lot of hurdles," Michael said.

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Ready to Return

Hobby Horse generally operates from May to October. A few days after the fire, they announced to customers they closed the shop early and looked forward to seeing everyone in the spring.

The spring brought the Dukeman's blessings but also more obstacles. Their baby, Patrick, was born in April. But last month, they didn't know if they would even reopen this summer, Ciara says.

As soon as the coronavirus and economic shutdown became reality in New Jersey, they searched for any assistance available. The Dukeman's applied for government loans and programs for businesses affected by the coronavirus, but no follow-up occurred.

"Since we’re part-time employees and seasonal, I don’t know if they put us on the back burner and were going to more full-time businesses," Michael said. "I’m not sure how they handled who got the money, but we didn’t even get any responses."

They have a mortgage with a small bank in New York, but the bank didn't have any options for them. Michael recently went through a new program from a leasing company he's worked with, who received funds, so he's in the process of trying to secure aid the same way.

Nonetheless, Hobby Horse reopened last weekend with a new system. People can call in orders when they're outside the shop. They set up a table outside with a cash register and credit card machine.

Hobby Horse has a small building and a large parking lot. So they might stick with the system for a while.

To stay afloat, they're also offering a gift card deal. For every $50 in gift certificates purchased, customers will get a free $10 card.

But even in a new world with a new roof and a new baby, some things haven't changed. Some of Hobby Horse's customers have been there for 26 years, and the Dukemans are ready to welcome them back.

"I want to sell some ice cream," Michael said. "It’s one of those things where everyone walks away with a smile."

Coronavirus closures and precautions have created a difficult climate for many businesses in Ocean City and throughout. Ocean City Patch created a business directory where owners can tell their customers whether they're open or closed, and how the coronavirus has affected operations.

Patch features the business directory every morning in our newsletter. Read more: Ocean City Businesses: Open or Closed? Let Your Customers Know

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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