Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
“There came a point where business just flattened, so I went back to New Orleans and bought a snowball truck and put an ice cream machine in it,” Butler said.
He recalled selling snowballs at the Miami County Fairgrounds, but that location wasn’t a good fit. He opened the brick-and-mortar spot for his first full season in 2016.
Butler said he knew nothing about ice cream, but was eager to share a childhood favorite treat with the community. A snow ball can be described as a finer, fluffier version of shaved ice with your choice of flavoring. Butler said he receives flavor concentrates from New Orleans and mixes it with housemade simple syrup. Customer favorites include blue raspberry, strawberry, bubble gum, cherry and sour apple.
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Snowballs can be taken a step further by adding chocolate, vanilla or twist soft serve ice cream. This treat is called a stuffed snowball. Favorites include the Dreamsicle with orange snow filled with vanilla soft serve or the Caramel Apple Delight with sour apple snow filled with vanilla soft serve and drizzled with caramel sauce.
Ducky’s also uses the snowball flavorings to make milkshakes.
Another unique treat at Ducky’s is the Quackwich, introduced in 2017, which features a hot donut from Jim’s Donut Shop in Vandalia filled with your choice of hand-dipped Hershey’s ice cream. Customers can choose from 16 different flavors of ice cream such as Banana Pudding, Green Mint Chip, Cotton Candy, Chocolate Extreme or Cappuccino Crunch. A favorite Quackwich features cotton candy ice cream with marshmallow topping and fruity pebbles on top.
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Other items on the menu include bayou blasts, sundaes, ice cream cakes and ice cream pies.
“If you create it, we will make it,” Butler said. “There are no rules at Ducky’s.”
Ducky’s Snowballs and Ice Cream, located at 100 W. Market St., is a family-oriented destination that sits on the former site of a gas station. Additional parking is on the horizon and Butler confirmed he has plans to expand in the future.
For more information, visit the ice cream shop’s Facebook page (@duckysnowball).
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