Where We Started
- 1956 -
The “Dairy Isle” opened on the corner of Lakeview and Winchester (St Joseph, MI) in April of 1956. Our hometown Dairy Isle would become one among over 160 that opened in the midwest in the 1950s, and to this day is one of fewer than 40 still standing and operating as an ice cream shop. The franchise was advertised in St. Joseph’s Herald-Press in 1952 as a no-experience-needed, startup business requiring a $9,000 investment, and promised up to $10,000-$12,000 in earnings per season (accounting for inflation, this would have been equivalent a $94k investment, promising $104-$125k return in earnings per season today). Click here or copy and paste this link to learn a little more about the Dairy Isle franchise: https://www.roadarch.com/eateries/disle.html
Mr. and Mrs. Erwin Gersonde owned the piece of land where current-day Dairy Korner now now sits (on the corner of Winchester and Lakeview Avenue). In the early months of 1956 the Gersonde's made a deal to lease their property to a company based out of Wooster, Ohio called Commissary Corp. Then, not long after, a $7,000 permit was granted by the city of St Joseph in February of ‘56 to construct the ice cream shop. The prefabricated “Dairy Isle” kit was purchased from Commissary Corp by Mr. and Mrs, M.J. (Joe) Miller, who were originally from Detroit. The store officially opened it’s doors to the community on 1605 Lakeview Avenue for the very first time just two months later in April of ‘56 and began operations selling St. Joseph’s favorite soft serve treats.
Mr. Joe Miller stated in this news article from The Herald Palladium (pictured here) that he was going to open two more Dairy Isle’s within the next 30 days of the St Joseph location opening. One was built on M-139 near the House of David in Benton Harbor, and the other in New Buffalo.
Pictured below are the original patents submitted by author, Clarence S. Shank, of Saginaw, Michigan.
EVENTS THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY
With just over 65 years on our belt at the Korner, this establishment has shared a few turmoils and countless memories with locals and tourists alike, and we want to share some with you! From it’s grassroots with the Miller’s (‘56) and Palleschi’s (‘60), to the Miceli’s (‘17), Dairy Korner has changed hands about 12 times total according to our research. Let’s start back in 1958 with the Millers:
1958 - HULA HOOP CONTEST
Dairy Isle held a Hula Hoop Contest in 1958 for children aged 4-17, over 100 children tried their luck at winning prizes, and resulted in 4 big winners.
October 1961 - New Front
Only 5 years after opening, store owner Larry Palleschi purchased services from Benton Harbor Tent & Awning Co. to install an aluminum and fiberglass enclosure around the giant cone in order to provide warmth and shelter from the elements for Dairy Isle patrons. Thank you, Larry!
1973 - Name Change
1973 is the year that the store officially got it’s name that it is known by today, Dairy Korner!
October 1977 - Tomfoolery
St Joseph police reported a group of vandals armed with pellet guns and/or slingshots during the night hours broke one of Dairy Korner’s 4’x6’ glass panels. That was a costly and unpleasant repair!
June 1980 - Fire!
A fire was started in the kitchen of Dairy Korner during the summer of 1980 by a deep fryer at 6:51am, due to a faulty electrical switch. The fire caused $10,000 worth of damage - and residue it left behind closely resembled the hot fudge being advertised!
2016 - Many Improvements
Greg Rood bought Dairy Korner in 2015 and made several store improvements before opening for the summer of 2016, including a new parking lot, a new concrete patio with the addition of bistro-style tables to replace picnic tables, a new awning, a new menu overhaul, plus much, much more. THANK YOU GREG!
2017 - Current Management
In 2017 Dairy Korner was bought from Greg Rood by Tony and Denise Miceli of St Joseph. As of 2024 the store is now under the management of the Miceli’s second oldest son and his wife.
“Our goal is to continue to make improvements when necessary to this timeless St Joseph gem, while keeping to the same vintage and memorable charm everyone knows and loves. One of the best parts of operating Dairy Korner is meeting patrons that have witnessed the growth and changes from the past 65 years of business. The nostalgia of it all is what we’ve been told that locals love about the Korner!”
