Frank Iwasiuk-McGwire (left) hands off the keys to new Twisters Manager Darren Darvill.
(Photo credit: Westman Zone News)
Twisters Continues Its Family Run Tradition with New Management
Twisters Ice Cream Shoppe located on the corner of 18th Street North and Parker Boulevard has operated since 2008. In 2016 the popular ice cream shop changed hands and was run by a local family (Frank, Gerri and Ethan Iwasiuk- McGwire). It quickly became the go-to spot for fans of real ice cream and the many specialty items on the menu. Twisters managed to endure the pandemic years and has since formed a new management team who are on a mission to make their first season as spectacular as possible!
The transition to the new management team has been in the works for a few weeks. After thoroughly cleaning the place, some intense training sessions and a new manager who has completely immersed himself into his new role, Twisters is ready to rock!
Twister's new Manager Darren Darvill making one of his first sundaes. (Photo: submitted)
“We’re doing a soft launch for family and friends on Monday, March 25th before opening to the public on Tuesday, March 26 from 11 am until 8 pm to begin with. In the warmer months, we will increase the hours of operation. Watch our new Facebook page (Twisters Ice Cream Brandon) to find out when that will happen,” said Darren Darvill who will serve as the new manager for Twisters. Darvill is well known in Brandon’s business community having won the Chamber of Commerce’s Outstanding New Business Award in 2022 and is a finalist for the Chamber’s 2024 Small Business Excellence award for Resurrection Auto Detailing - Tint and Protection. “This is something new and exciting for my family. I have three kids and everyone who knows me knows I live for my kids they are my whole world. It’s great to be bringing back the family fun tradition to this well-established and long-standing Brandon business,” Darvill said.
Twister's new team member Shawn Ducharme-Simpson shows off her cone-making skills. (Photo submitted)
The new crew has been busy making plans and learning all the techniques to make the menu items as good as they can for the start of the season, “We’re getting the hang of making the ice cream creations that Twisters has been known for all these years. Believe it or not, there is a lot to it!” said Darvill. For the most part, the Twisters menu will have the same items folks in this region have come to know and love over the last 16-17 years, but Darvill says there’s always room for new additions, “We will eventually mix in a couple of smaller items to keep it interesting but are happy to continue with the tried and true faves.
Darvill inspects the consistency and quality of the ice cream. (Photo submitted)
Due to the construction of a large boulevard curb on Parker Boulevard that was put in a couple of years ago to coincide with the 18th Street bridge construction, Twisters has had one of its 2 main access points partially blocked but Darvill says that hopefully won’t stop people from trying the real cream experience, “We use real cream and we’ve got all the machines in tip-top condition for what we’re hoping is a busy but fun debut ice cream season. As for gaining better access to Twisters, folks coming from the south on 18th can use the second entrance into our parking lot on 18th Street North. Or if you’re coming down from the west end you can continue under the new bridge and take 17th Street North in front of Lady of the Lake and Simpson car wash before entering our parking lot off Parker Boulevard.”
Extra seating is part of the new plans for Twisters and there’s also talk of providing waitress service for the patio on the south side of the building at 305A – 18th Street North. “We’re going to be lighting up the patio and we’re looking at the possibility of adding a patio order service where customers let us know they’re out there and we have staff come out with the wireless POS to take your order. This will allow customers who want to enjoy more of the fresh air outside. However, there’s still some seating inside for those cloudier or rainy days. We also have seating in the front with a picnic table and we’re hoping to bring the benches back to provide even more outdoor seating for our valued customers,” said Darvill.
Twisters is also a “dog-friendly” establishment but Darvill says they will up that game for the benefit of dog owners, “Outdoors will be pet friendly but since we’re a restaurant we can’t allow dogs inside. However, we will be offering dog bowls outside. We’ll have two different “Pup Cup” options. We’ll have a free option which is just a dollop of whipped cream and the other option is Nova’s Premium Pup Cup which will be ice cream in a bowl and will have a dog treat on it and a pupperoni stick as a straw,” Darvill said.
Twisters is also looking to be active in the community, “Definitely! Just like my current business, we love supporting community, we love being engaged with the community helping out where we can. We’ll also be doing a few giveaways on social media,” said Darvill. Customers shouldn’t expect any drastic changes to pricing for most menu items, “We are going to keep our prices reasonably competitive for this market,” Darvill says.
Another new addition to this year’s plan for Twisters is the opportunity for other local businesses to reach a wider audience through Twister’s clientele, “We have an ad wall in the corner of our inside seating area with 11 spaces for rent where businesses can place their static ad or special offer and we package that with 2 video screens that we’ll run ads on periodically,” Local businesses have the opportunity to reach an average of 4000-5000+ customers monthly. Any interested business can get in touch with Darvill at Twisters for more information.
Twister's new manager Darren Darvill invites everyone in during Winter Fair Week and spring break! Visit Twisters at 305A - 18th Street North. Follow them on Facebook to see new menu items. Also, watch for contests and more!
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