FEATURED STORY FROM THE Best of BG – 2016 ISSUE
Sundae Station:
For Shaun Crusa, the Dream of Owning His Own Business was just Down the Street
Sometimes a job or career is not hundreds of miles away in a distant city or state, but literally a quick walk down the street. That’s the case for Shaun Crusa, 25, owner and manager of the Sundae Station at 1240 W. Wooster. St. in Bowling Green. Crusa grew up down the street from the location and had always wanted to buy the business from it’s original owners, who started the Sundae station back in 2001.
He loves the atmosphere he experiences as a small business owner in the town he grew up in, as “… there are a lot of customers that either [he’s] known [his] whole life, or [he] met here that [he sees] come back,” Crusa said. “I plan on being here for awhile, and family is here so that’s a big thing too.”
Before owning the Sundae Station, Crusa came in often with his father before he passed away. They were very serious about purchasing the business one day. Crusa worked concessions at Carter Park for the little league baseball team prior to getting involved at the Sundae Station. When one of the original owners got sick in 2012, Crusa got the call to meet with them in regards to the shop.
He was only 21 at the time and it was earlier than expected, however, he took on the full responsibility of the store from that point on.
“Sales have been up every season since, and we’ve gotten an awesome response on Facebook with almost 4,000 likes… we’re definitely going in the right direction,” he said.
The shop offers its customers an affordable variety of sweets, as well as food commonly found on the menus of concession stands. According to Crusa, “We have Smith’s soft serve… we sell Toft’s, we use real Reece’s, Butter Fingers, Heath Bars,” he said.
“You can get the off-brand candies, but they don’t taste as good”. Overall, Crusa said that “We’ve got something that people want to come back for”.
The shop reopens for the season in late winter and is a worthwhile stop for anyone that wants to enjoy a great product and be served by dedicated staff. “A big thing for me is customer service,” Crusa said.