Out on the sidewalk, folks enjoyed a welcome return to seasonal temperatures. But inside the old Starbucks at the key downtown intersection of Main, Front and Westminster, renovation was the name of the game.
On the menu today was a heaping helping of floor tile demolition. It would be just the latest step in a transformation that will ultimately see most traces of Starbucks disappear forever and the downtown Penticton expansion of celebrated Okanagan Falls ice creamery Tickleberry's rise in its place.
Manning the tools on this sunny Thursday were Tickleberry's founder and co-owner Dale Hoy, Hoy's daughter and "hands-on" co-owner Kelsey Hoy, and the woman who'll be running the Penticton show, Shaelynn MacLean.
Our first question was answered the moment we got to the door. No, "Tickleberry's Downtown," as it will be known, won't open this fall as originally forecasted.
Instead, said Kelsey Hoy, they're aiming for March 1st, and a month earlier if they can swing it.
And that's okay. The Tickleberry's inner circle wants their makeover complete before the first customer arrives.
"We'd been looking for a year-round location for some time," explained Hoy, "and we decided to look in Penticton literally a couple months ago.
"We originally looked at a property across the street. But it was just a massive space. So we walked out, saw this was for lease, booked an appointment, and honestly, it was a perfect fit. We put in a bid the next day."
But, said Hoy, they knew there'd be a wholesale renovation in the cards.
"Starbucks was in here for 15 years, and it was okay for them. But it's very outdated. Everything was pretty dark. This is the first time we've had an option to have a vision -- I feel a more modern vision than OK Falls -- and execute it. We're excited."
Hoy's just as excited, and a wee bit anxious, about the substantially expanded Tickleberry's Downtown menu.
"We feel where we're located downtown that we couldn't survive with just ice cream," she said. "So we'll be a full coffee shop -- not to the extent of a Starbucks -- but we'll have lattes, cappuccinos, affogatos (ice cream with a shot of espresso) and more."
"We're nervous about this actually. It's a big transition for us," she laughed.
Though they will indeed serve ice cream, they'll place a strong emphasis on their own homemade recipes.
"We get a lot of customers now in OK Falls who come in looking only for our in-house ice cream," she said. "and that's what we want to highlight here.
"We'll also have something for vegans. Coconut milk-based homemade flavours that taste like ice cream and have the same consistency."
Beyond ice cream and coffees, the new location will go all-in on baked goods.
"We're amazing bakers," said Hoy. "We make so much stuff for all our inclusions (the chunky goodies mixed into their ice cream, like cheesecake and cookies). So we'll bring that into here as grab and go baked goods."
Hoy talked about muffins, gluten-free brownies, vegan items, and bars like the "Dale," named after her dad.
But not everything will be geared to the sweet tooth.
"We'll have salads in a jar," said Hoy. "Essentially a grab and go pasta salad that's stacked. Dressing first, then pasta, then cheese, then tomatoes."
"And we'll have overnight oats. We put the oats in a jar, mix it with chia or almond milk and let them sit. The next day, it's a perfect consistency oat."
There'll be a retail section too, featuring hoodies, t-shirts, hats, purses, lotions and other top sellers from the original store.
The significance of the new Tickleberry's is not lost on its patriarch, Dale Hoy, who took a break from smashing tiles to tell us he established the brand while living in the Yukon in 1987, where he sold "jams and jellies and gourmet food."
"But when we came to Okanagan Falls," he said Thursday, "ice cream just seemed like a winner."
Maybe so, but there was plenty of work to be done at the 1279 Main Street parcel beforehand.
"The spot has always been a tourist attraction," he said. "It was a doll museum before us, and in the 50s it was called the 'Mystery Village,' and it actually had an ice cream parlour in it.
"It had a bunch of dinosaurs, its own railroad, mini golf, and a glass house made of bottles. It was pretty deteriorated when we started renovating it in the spring of 1989."
Hoy laughingly added that to attract customers, he erected "Free Washroom" signs across the property and dressed as a clown to wave to passing traffic.
He likely won't have to resort to such drastic measures at the new storefront.
Upon opening in early 2021, the shop will have no indoor seating -- another sad pandemic reality. But there'll be seats outdoor in the heated patio area and on the grassy strip between the building and the street.
Situated at 202 Main St, Tickleberry's Downtown will open at 8 am year 'round and remain open to 10 pm in the summer. More details will be forthcoming at the company website.
