Carol Johnson | Southern Indiana Business Report
LIVONIA – A beloved Washington County ice cream stand that dates back a half century will have its grand opening May 8 with new owners.
Sisters Dana Brewer, Jessica Allen and Tiffany Brewer and their stepfather John Browning are the new owners of The Little Twirl on Main. The four purchased the business from longtime owner Deana Moore and have spent the past couple of weeks preparing for opening day.
Located on West Main Street in Livonia, the Little Twirl was founded in 1975 by Howard Strother. The business started with just a walk-up window serving customers craving a soft serve ice cream cone. In 1980, owner Connie Benson, Strother’s niece, added the dining room and outside shelter house.
Known for serving a large size soft serve cone, said to be the largest in the state of Indiana, the Little Twirl has kept Livonia on the map, drawing groups of motorcycles and Jeeps to the small town as residents in nearby towns of Orleans, Bromer, Campbellsburg, Paoli and Salem.
The sisters are all Washington County natives and grew up coming to the Little Twirl. Browning grew up in Clark County but was familiar with the Little Twirl when he made hunting trips to Orange County.
The four are equal partners in the venture, Dana will serve as kitchen manager, Tiffany, who works full time in New Albany, will handle bookkeeping, Jessica is in charge of marketing and social media and John will be involved in all aspects of the business.
Dana previously worked as kitchen manager at Huber’s Orchard and Winery and the Cheddar Depot in Salem.
“She is a great cook,” said Jessica of Dana, “And we’ve talked for years about doing something like this.”
The Little Twirl is known for its breaded pork tenderloin. Dana said it will be hand breaded and made fresh daily. The chicken and fresh cod will also be hand breaded.
The meat for the hamburgers will be sourced from Roberts Farms in Campbellsburg and the pork will come from Sander Processing in St. Anthony. Other menu additions include Dirty Sodas, house-made cole slaw, loaded potato squares, breaded banana pepper rings and a Twister, Little Twirl’s spin on a DQ Blizzard.
They will also carry eight flavors of hand-dipped ice cream.
“We want our food to stand out as a quality product,” Dana said.
Livonia’s population is listed at 99 residents. There’s no grocery store, gas station or post office – it closed in 1925. Having a business that draws people to the community resonates with the residents of the small town.
“The neighbors are so grateful,” said Jessica. “One neighbor told us every time she mows her lawn, she comes over here to eat. I think that’s how a lot of people look at it, when they’re tired or don’t want to make dinner, they can come here.”
“More and more, it’s hard for small businesses to stay open. This is that last piece of Livonia that’s still hanging on and having new owners is a refresh for the whole community,” Tiffany said. “I think that’s where the excitement is coming from. We’re excited to be the owners and they’re excited for us.”
About that big cone
Of all the work remaining to get the Little Twirl ready to open, one challenge remains – mastering the art of making the Big Twirl, a towering cone with 13 ounces of creamy soft swirl sweetness.
Ask Dana what keeps her up at night and, without question, it’s the Big Twirl.
“I’ve been up at 1 a.m. watching videos on how to swirl ice cream and learning anything I can,” she said with a laugh.
Previous owner Deana Moore and a former Little Twirl employee have agreed to help the new owners master the art.
“I’m not worried,” joked John.
Although Dana has experience managing a commercial kitchen, ice cream is new territory. She said Sherry Casey, owner of the Cheddar Depot in Salem, has been extremely helpful in adapting to managing a small business and the ice cream side of things.
Excitement building for opening day
Livonia may be small, but the Little Twirl is a big deal. John said the initial announcement about the new ownership has had 208,000 views.
“We might be in the middle of nowhere, but we’re about 15 minutes from several towns,” he said. “And according to INDOT statistics, 2,600 vehicles pass by here everyday.”
Preserving the history of the business is also important to the new owners. Framed photos and newspaper clippings on the dining room wall tell the story of the town, from its early residents to one of its most famous – Davey Burns – an eccentric collector known for riding his bicycle all over Orange and Washington counties.
“We’re not erasing any of the history,” Dana said.
The grand opening is at 10 a.m. The Little Twirl on Main will be open for the season from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.