Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

NNSL (July 30/99) - Ice cream, ice cream, we all scream for ice cream.

Well, if that's the case, then the Sweet Bliss Ice Cream Store is the place to go. The cold treats store next to Weaver and Devore's Old Town store has been open for business for just over a month now and, as long as the weather holds out, promises to be a lucrative enterprise for the two young women who own it.

For part-owner, Anneka Westergreen, who just graduated from Sir John Franklin high school this year with her partner Missy Jaud, the ice cream business is not one to be taken lightly.

"We work all day, then do all the books and figure things out," Westergreen said. "Yesterday day (Monday) was the first day off for both of us that we had yet."

"We also went out to Festival of the Midnight Sun and Folk on the Rocks and sold ice cream out there. It keeps us pretty busy."

Considering the pair's admitted lack of experience in operating a business, it took very little time for them to get it off the ground and up and running.

"We got the idea to open the store at the beginning of May of this year," Westergreen said.

"We thought that we could make some money, go to University this fall and then go to Europe in the spring."

The pair was able to get some help from the Banque de Development du Canada (BDC) in the form of a loan a week before they opened, plus some help from family and friends.

"Les Rocher gave us a freezer and Missy's grandfather gave us a jukebox (it's 50 years old)," Westergreen said.

"We also got our business licence for free because we are so young."

Westergreen knows that when the weather is good and the sun is shining, it is a sure sign that it will be a busy work day. Therefore, it is important to have lots of stock on hand to placate the dairy- loving masses.

"We carry 16 flavours from bubblegum to cappuccino plus a whole bunch of other treats," Westergreen said.

"We also sell ice cream floats but nobody seems to know that."

Business-wise, Westergreen says that she and her partner have been doing just fine.

"Business has been good," she said. "We get a lot of kids and tourists, except when it rains.

"We're our own bosses and it's been a really good learning experience."