JERSEYVILLE - New Dairyland Co-Owner Jay Jones plans to make a few improvements while keeping most of the Dairyland experience the same - including the name, which he says will remain “McCarry’s Dairyland.” He gave credit to the McCarry family and Dairyland staff for the “empire” they’ve built over the years.
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“We’re keeping the McCarry name alive - it’s staying McCarry’s Dairyland, it’ll always be McCarry’s Dairyland,” Jones said. “Sammy McCarry built an empire here of a great business, and we’ve got big shoes to fill, but we’re going to do it.”
Jones noted that the original staff is staying on, including Bailey McCarry, who will still work there as a manager.
“We’re not going to try to fix something that’s not broken. It’s not - these girls up here, they know what they're doing,” he said. “We’ve got a good staff, and Shannon [McCarry] who we bought it from, her daughter Bailey is staying as a manager.”
The ice cream shop reopened on Wednesday morning with long-requested credit and debit card payment options. No longer will Jerseyville residents have to get cash before visiting Dairyland, as long as they’re fine with paying a 3% processing fee. Jones said he added this feature due to popular demand and that the fee goes to the credit card company, not to them.
Jones said other improvements are currently in the planning stages, including a system for staff to walk up and take orders from cars waiting in the drive-thru line. Staff members have also requested for the store to stay open during the winter months, so Jones said they’re thinking about staying open during the weekends of what would typically be their off-season (Dairyland typically closes each season around Halloween).
New menu displays, featuring pictures of the menu items and QR codes for easy viewing on smartphones, are also in the works and will be displayed on the front of the building. There is also a new Dairyland logo being designed by Julie’s Graphics and Tonsor Custom Awards & Decals, which Jones said will feature a panther with an ice cream cone - a nod to the Jerseyville Panthers - to give the branding a refresh while keeping the “hometown” feel.
Jones co-owns McCarry’s Dairyland along with his wife, Jamie, as well as J.F. Electric Vice President Darran Ayres and his wife, Elisa. Jones previously owned the Discount House in Jerseyville, which is now Highway 67 Liquor.
McCarry’s Dairyland is located at 400 W. Carpenter St., Suite B, in Jerseyville. For more information and updates, visit their Facebook page.
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