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Photo by Bill Green
Freez King owners James and Mary Lou Thomas have operated the business for more than 40 years. The store opened March 11, 1966. The ice cream and sandwich shop at 13th and East streets in Frederick is for sale.
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Josh Roames described Freez King, a Frederick landmark at 13th and East streets, as "a little neighborhood staple that offers a good family environment."Now, the icon of many a long Frederick summer is up for sale. "The neighborhood is going to miss it," Roames said. "My 6-year-old and I always went there." Without Freez King, Roames and others in the area would have to walk more than six blocks to the ice cream shop at East and Church streets, he said. A sign on the property reads, "Sorry, closed for the season, will re-open March 6, weather permitting." The property also sports a "for sale" sign. Freez King owners James and Mary Lou Thomas have operated the business for more than 40 years. The store opened March 11, 1966. But the couple are getting older, and they face health problems. "It's no use fighting it," James Thomas said. Besides the store, the Thomases also want to sell a rental house behind the parlor. There's a lot of interest in the property, said Amy Castle, associate broker with Gloria and Roland Castle at Real Estate Teams and listing agent for the property. "The Thomases are not actually interested in selling the business itself but would consider it," Castle said. "They want to sell the land so if somebody wants to operate a different business, they could. But if someone wants to buy the business, they would sell the machinery separately, which is typical in a real estate sale." Customers at the East Street Liberty gas station and convenience store near Freez King have expressed concern that the ice cream shop is up for sale, assistant manager Pattie Klipp said. "A lot of customers find it hard to believe that it's up for sale. Some are sad to see it," Klipp said. Leah Thomas and Melanie Hafner, both 16, frequented the ice cream shop. "The food is OK, but the ice cream was really good," Leah said. "I still see a need for it in the neighborhood," James Thomas said. "If somebody could take it and run it, that would be fine." Thomas said inquiries about the property are just that. "You always get people inquiring, but that's about it," he said. "It's a bad time to sell because real estate is down."
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