Many students regularly frequent Beezer's, the popular sub shop on Sumter Street that delivers and stays open late. Soon, customers can also extend their business next door at Sugar Bear's Original Frozen Custard.
The shop is owned by Brandon Coomey , owner of Beezer's. Coomey says the store is scheduled to open its doors Sept. 7. The building will continue to serve coffee starting at 7 a.m., but frozen custard and smoothies will be sold starting at 11 a.m. The store will be open until 10 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday and will stay open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Coomey is extremely grateful to his customers, saying the store hours are subject to change based on the customers’ demands.
“If I get enough of you lovely late night students who continue to ask for it, I will change the hours and keep it open until 3 or 4 a.m. for those of you ‘studying,'” Coomey said.
Second-year psychology student Isabella Saley normally gets Beezer's delivered but said she saw the sign on her way into the sub shop.
“I came to Beezer's and saw it and thought ‘oh, cool,'" Saley said. "I’m highly likely to try Sugar Bear's. I really love snow cones and ice cream."
Coomey said he is dedicated to using quality ingredients and equipment that come at a steep price in order to ensure his custard is the best it can be. According to Coomey, the shop is especially important to him because his mother wanted a frozen custard shop for a long time, but the equipment was too expensive. He bought the building a couple years ago and has been mainly using it as dining space.
“I was out to dinner with my parents and I was like 'What am I going to do with this side?' My mom was like, 'Well, there’s always custard.' And once I decided it, I was like, 'Let’s just make this all about Mom,'" Coomey said.
The name of the restaurant was inspired by Coomey's mother, who has always called him ‘Sugar Bear.'
Beezer's will be offering free samples of the frozen custard for the next few weeks before the shop opens. Be sure to stop by, but be warned: you may get hooked.