Old Town Chamblee landmark serves up frosty treats and trainspotting thrills
A beloved local landmark is serving up nostalgia along with some classic treats.
On a brisk chilly night in Chamblee, Georgia, people still may crave a cold tasty treat. So the city that's "On the right track" is where you need to get your frosty caboose.
"We thought of Frosty the Snowman because of ice cream, and then because it's a real train caboose. We actually brought it in and converted it," said Pamela Kachmar, the owner of the Frosty Caboose. She's operated the business for over 16 years.
"This was a real train. Cabooses are no longer utilized on the railroad, so they're around, and we decided to repurpose it," she said.
The caboose originally belonged to the Missouri Pacific Railroad and was brought in from Iowa before being refurbished into an ice cream stand.
"It's nostalgic, it's different, you know, for people to be able to get ice cream out of a real train," she said. "A lot of customers know us and just come to hang out sometimes, chat with us while they're getting their stuff. But yeah, it's a happy place."
The little red building, right next to the train tracks that go through town, has become a Chamblee institution.
"People that have moved away, if they come back to town to see anybody, they have to come to the Caboose," Kachmar said. "It's part of their trip. People have had dates here and They've had their engagements here. We had another couple that got married down the street and came here for wedding pictures."
Chamblee City Councilman Jimmy Furst called the Frosty Caboose a "gem" that's shares a strong connection with the city's history. Chamblee was founded as a railroad community 117 years ago. Back then, it was called Roswell Junction.
"I always tell people, 'If I wanted to get out of office real quick, I can get rid of the Frosty Caboose, and I would no longer be in office,'" Furst joked.
It's clear that after almost two decades, the Frosty Caboose and the City of Shambly were meant for each other.
The business' winter hours are 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday to Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday to Saturday, and 12:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays.