Florida’s old-fashioned soda fountains will give you major nostalgia

Soda fountains have begun to experience a resurgence. These five nostalgic icons of Americana in Florida serve delicious treats and lovely memories. 

Apart from drive-in movies, poodle skirts, and rock & roll, is there a more iconic symbol of the 1950s than the soda fountain with its black-and-white checkered floor, long marble-top counter, chrome swivel stools, gooseneck soda spouts, and jukebox?

These popular gathering places were the epicenters of social life in some communities—cool hangouts where mostly kids and young adults gathered to socialize and hear current records, especially anything by that new kid named Elvis. Soda fountains were also a very popular date destination. 

Many were counter-service operations in drugstores, while others were standalone soda shops, otherwise known as malt shops. They typically sold fountain sodas, egg cream sodas, ice cream sodas, milkshakes, and chocolate malteds, all served by a “soda jerk.” 

Sadly, soda fountains experienced a sharp decline in the 1960s with the growing popularity of fast-food restaurants and the rise of commercially available ice cream, bottled sodas, and other treats. But even though these nostalgic icons of Americana started to disappear by the mid-century, they’ve begun to experience a resurgence in the 21st century. Here are five across the Sunshine State that will bring back that sense of nostalgia and serve some pretty tasty fare, too!

1. Happy Days Old Time Soda Fountain in Trenton

Step into Happy Days Old Time Soda Fountain, and you’ll feel transported back to the days of “Grease” and bobby socks. This vintage soda fountain and ice cream parlor is located inside the Suwannee Valley Quilt Shoppe in Trenton. It has a classic retro look that screams the ‘50s, including checked tile floors and original marble countertops.

The soda fountain serves classics like banana splits and chocolate malts and is open for business Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m until 4 p.m.

2. The Soda Fountain of Venice

If there is an intergenerational soda fountain, then this colorful, one-of-a-kind shop in Venice, Florida, is definitely it. That’s because its original bar, high wood booths, and marbled floors give it that nostalgic vintage look from the past that we’ve all enjoyed in films like “Back to the Future.” In fact, all around the place, visitors will find 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s memorabilia.

The original shop started out in 1926 as a tobacco shop/drugstore with a soda jerk station where its famous ice cream sodas and egg creams were made. Then, in the early 90s, it became The Soda Fountain restaurant, the only soda shop in town that makes egg creams. They are also famous for their ice cream sodas. 

Open seven days a week from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., it offers pickup and delivery.  

3. Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor & Restaurant in Dania Beach

Jaxson’s sits in an unassuming strip mall shop, so you could possibly overlook this hidden gem. Then you see it: an iconic red and white striped awning that beckons visitors into a past brimming with frosted floats, parfaits, and small-batch sundaes dripping with hot fudge. But the showstopper is the infamous Kitchen Sink, a glorious thirty-six-scoop mountain of ice cream served in a dish designed to look like a kitchen sink.

But this quaint nook in a mall is more than an ice cream parlor. It made its own kind of history in the 1940s when it routinely ignored the Jim Crow laws that imposed racial segregation in both hiring and service until the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

4. West Orange Creamery and Soda Fountain in Ocoee

The Eveland family, the owners of this old-fashioned soda fountain, serve a mix of traditional and owner-created milkshakes, sundaes, and specialty sodas straight from the fountain. 

The place was established 14 years ago when the family’s love for the west coast of Florida led them to visit Larry’s Ice Cream & Gelato, a laid-back ice cream shop established in 1984. The retro look and nostalgic family-oriented feel of the place inspired them to create their own special place and ​open West Orange Creamery and Soda Fountain, a place for families to meet and share good times with the best ice cream around. 

What’s great about all their ice treats and floats? They use pure vanilla extract and the highest quality cocoa available. Their fruit flavors are made from hand-picked, fresh-frozen fruits, and they only use high-grade almonds, pecans, and walnuts. To guarantee freshness and quality, they also roast nuts in their own plant.

5. The Soda Fountain in Orlando

With its 50s-style decor and traditional ice cream creations, The Soda Fountain will transport you back to a simpler time However, there are so many choices here that finally choosing how to treat yourself will not be a simple endeavor. 

That’s because options range from single scoops of creamy ice cream to milkshakes, floats, and sundaes named after famous movies and Hollywood stars. Are you a romantic at heart? The Sinatra float, created in honor of “old blue eyes,” is the perfect treat for you. More of a movie buff? Try the Godfather special, a cookies n’ cream shake that includes Nutella! 

There’s also an adults’ milkshake menu that includes boozy treats like banana ice cream spiced with rum, chocolate ice cream with pinot noir, and a beer float that is certain to float your boat. 

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.