Janet and Phil Dykstra weren’t expecting much when they opened a Kilwin’s franchise downtown St. Joseph in 1998.
“When we first started, you could have shot a cannon down State Street and not hit anything,” said Phil. “I thought it would just be Janet and I, maybe a couple employees and we’d just scoop a little ice cream and have some retirement income. But shoot, [the business] just skyrocketed.”
As the couple gets ready to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its opening this Saturday, April 1, they reflected on how the St. Joseph Kilwin’s has grown into a summer hotspot, and why a commitment to customer service has been the foundation of the store since day one.
‘It wasn’t easy’
The ownership journey for the Dykstras started in their 50’s when they visited a Kilwin’s location in Hilton Head, South Carolina while on vacation. They both worked for American Electric Power at the time, and Janet had just learned the Berrien Springs location she worked at was downsizing.
“Janet knew she would probably have to go to South Bend,” Phil said. “So, that got us thinking.”
In an April 1998 article of Confection Connection announcing the opening of the St. Joseph store, Janet said the chocolate ice cream she had on that vacation was the best she ever had, and the very next day she called Kilwin’s owner Don McCarty to inquire about franchising opportunities.
About a year later, the 34th Kilwin’s store was opened at 316 State Street in St. Joseph. Phil kept his job as an engineer with AEP for the first three years just in case things didn’t work out.
“It wasn’t easy for the first few years,” Phil said. “A lot of long hours.”
Janet ran the day-to-day operations, with Phil coming in to help in the evenings and on weekends. Janet said she often found herself at the store past midnight making sure everything was just right for the next day.
“I’m the nuts and bolts person,” Phil said. “She’s the promoter and the visionary.”
Over time, the store began growing – and fast. By 2006, they had outgrown the 1,100 square foot location – which was most recently home to Beachside Deli – and moved into their current location at 217 State Street.
Aside from a slight downturn in business during the pandemic in 2020, Kilwin’s has seen continued growth. In 2021, Phil said the store did about 25 percent more sales than a typical pre-pandemic year. Last year, about 150,000 people came through the store.
“From about 10 years ago, it’s probably about four times the revenue as what it used to be,” Phil said. “St. Joe is a busy little town town now. In those first years, It wasn’t a busy town.”
While downtown St. Joe has transformed and the Kilwin’s franchise has expanded to more than 150 locations in 26 states, one thing has remained the same for the Dykstras – a commitment to customer service.
‘I love people’
From greeting customers in line to making sure everyone is happy inside the store, Janet said she believes in showing love to everyone.
“They just loved us because we loved them and were always so kind to them,” Janet said. “People love our store. I love people, and because of that I think they have learned to love me as well.”
Her husband agrees.
“She really was the reason we are the big success we’ve been,” Phil said. “Because we have been successful, and she’s the catalyst behind that.”
While the Dykstras are mostly behind the scenes these days as they get older, Janet has made sure her customer-focused mindset is implanted in all employees.
“We’ve got good people working here,” Janet said. “When I interviewed them, I’d always say ‘You have to be careful with people, but you have to be polite. If somebody wants to start an argument with you, don’t. Just let them do it. Just say, well could you maybe give me your number and your name and I’ll give it to our boss?'”
The couple has seen local children grow up to have successful careers and chatted up customers from all over the world.
They went from making just over $100 on their first day to thousands of dollars on a regular summer day. They’ve served Muhammad Ali and Sarah Palin.
They’ve given out countless free ice cream cones for one reason or another, and made sure to give back to their community in any way they can.
“The community has really supported us, and we’ve been good for the community, too,” Phil said. “It’s a lot of extremely hard work. But let’s face it, anybody that’s coming to Kilwin’s is coming for a good time. It’s really been a fun business, and we’ve really enjoyed it.”
By Ryan Yuenger
ryany@wsjm.com
