Homemade ice cream a draw at Melody Gardens

MARSHFIELD, Wis. — For nearly 50 years, Melody Gardens Restaurant and Skateland has entertained citizens of Marshfield.

Melody Gardens, owned by Margie and Dennis Schmidt, was opened in 1974 as a rollerskating rink by Margie’s parents, Alvin and Gladys Brock. The Schmidts purchased the business from Margie’s sister and brother-in-law, Deb and Dan Dietel, in 2012.

“We lived across the road,” Margie said. “I am one of 16 children in our family, and we all grew up working here at one time or another. Melody Gardens has always been a part of my life, and I love that I am able to run it. I love the skating, the restaurant and the ice cream.”

The Brocks added an ice cream parlor to the original rollerskating area in 1980 and an additional area for the restaurant in 1990. The family decided to begin making ice cream in 1996.

“My sister and my parents decided to give it a try,” Margie said. “They did the research and got set up to begin making ice cream. We’ve been doing it ever since.”

Dennis became schooled in ice cream making when the Schmidts purchased the establishment and is now the primary ice cream maker.

“It was on-the-job training,” said Dennis, who previously worked in construction. “I spent an entire summer learning how to make ice cream from Deb.”

Melody Gardens keeps its freezers full of ice cream year-round, serving 22 flavors daily. In addition to cones, they serve a variety of other treats including shakes, malts and flurries. They also sell quarts of ice cream.

“We have our staples that are always available and rotate other flavors every time Dennis makes ice cream,” Margie said. “Chocolate peanut butter is probably our most popular. We also have popular kid’s flavors like cotton candy, bubble gum, blue moon and Superman. The more traditional flavors like maple nut and butter pecan are popular too.”

In all, there are over 80 recipes in the Schmidts’ repertoire.

“Some of the recipes are standard from the company, and others, we have created and developed over the years,” Margie said. “Our customers frequently make suggestions and requests for new flavors.”

During the winter, Dennis typically makes ice cream once a week at a rate of 70 gallons each week. That ramps up to 120 gallons of ice cream during the summer, when Dennis spends several days making ice cream.

“It’s a 6-7 hour project when I make ice cream,” Dennis said. “Most of the recipes I have memorized by now.”

Some flavors are simple to make while others are much more time consuming.

“When I make Superman, I make one flavor and layer it in the bucket laying on its side,” Dennis said. “While that sets, I make the next and repeat the process. Then, I swirl it when all the layers are finished.”

For each batch of ice cream, Dennis begins with a 12% cream base made by Classic Mix Partners. From there, he adds whatever flavorings and add-ins each recipe requires.

“I’m able to put all the liquid flavorings and colorings into the mix in the machine,” Dennis said. “All of the solid add-ins are added and stirred by hand.”

Once each gallon of ice cream is completed, it spends 24 hours in a blast freezer to set before being moved to a walk-in freezer.

The homemade ice cream has become a vital part of the Melody Gardens experience, the Schmidts said.

“People know we have ice cream all year, and the customers love that they can enjoy it year-round,” Margie said. “It really adds a lot of fun to the whole experience.”

Being in business for 50 years, Margie said one of her favorite parts of running the business is watching people bring their families, remember the flavors they loved as a child and share those memories with their own children and grandchildren.

Those roots have led to the business being connected to the community in a variety of ways. They work with groups that serve their ice cream at events. Each year, Melody Gardens ice cream is on the menu at the June dairy breakfast sponsored by the Marshfield FFA Alumni.

In 2018, the Schmidts were asked to make cranberry ice cream for the Wood County Farm Technology Days.

“That was a really big thing for us, and it was an honor to be a part of that,” Margie said. “We had never made cranberry ice cream, so it was quite a process developing the perfect recipe. We used a cranberry flavoring and mixed in cranberries grown in Wood County. We still make the cranberry ice cream today, and people love it.”

What makes Melody Gardens special to the community is how the business embraces all age groups, the Schmidts said.

“We have the rollerskating for the younger generation, and our restaurant is popular with many older people,” Margie said. “Cooking for 1-2 people can be difficult. We keep our prices very reasonable, and many people come here daily — some even for two meals a day. Besides providing nutritious meals, we are also giving them opportunity for socializing.”

Melody Gardens has been part of the fabric of Margie’s life, and she said it is truly her calling.

“This is my passion,” she said. “Our customers are really more like family.”