Sundae School ice cream shop on Cape Cod may be torn down for housing project
Ice cream-lovers' hearts are melting in Harwich. The beloved Sundae School Homemade Ice Cream shop on Route 28 which opens later this week may soon be gone.
"It is upsetting because it is the go-to ice cream place in Harwich," Hailey Davis of Harwich said.
Housing project planned
Developers are planning to tear down the well-known ice cream shop on Cape Cod and replace it with a 28-unit housing project. Sundae School has another location in Dennisport.
Mark Waldman lives right next door. The proposed development project would have a direct impact to his property. "It's just been part of our lives for almost 25 years both of my kids worked here. It's not ideal for us but I understand it. It's a lot of land with tiny little footprint," Waldman said.
Barbara and Bob Nickerson's home across the street from the ice cream shop has been in their family since 1880. "We just wish they would consider the size of the unit, the whole building a little bit and come down and make it not three stories but two stories," Bob Nickerson said.
"An iconic spot"
The Harwich Port location opened in 1998 and sold to new ownership in 2023. Residents say they were originally told the ice cream shop would stay.
"The actual character of it is very like Cape Cod ice cream shop kind of energy. When you walk in, it's just very reminiscent of another time," Davis said. "That sad because it's just an iconic spot."
Most of the residents WBZ spoke with understand that change is inevitable, but they will certainly miss their go-to ice cream spot and all their favorite flavors that go along with it. It is set to open in just a few days so folks will enjoy it for at least one more year.
There will be a planning board meeting Tuesday night where members will listen to a site review and special permit.
Sundae School was the winner of the WBZ Ice Cream Social in 2021.
