By Luke Weir
The old PNC Bank at 671 West King Street is being renovated into a Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop, according to a company representative.
“We do have a new shop opening in Boone, likely late spring or early summer,” said Lindsay Bumps, Public Relations Media Maven for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. “Our local franchisee is working on renovating a historical building to house the new Scoop Shop.”
Although the franchisee, Lee Warden, was unavailable for comment, Bill Dixon, principal for Appalachian Architecture, said the former PNC bank would see a return to its old aesthetic from the 1940s.
“We’re not going to completely replicate the old façade, but we’re interpreting and going back to the old farmer’s hardware look from the ‘40s with red brick and other little details.” Dixon said. “The plan is to renovate the entire building with one and two bedroom studio apartments upstairs and the Ben & Jerry’s downstairs.”
Dixon said apartment residents would enter the building via the alleyway beside it.
“The town owns the alley next to the building and is going to renovate and convert it to a pedestrian alleyway connecting to Howard Street,” Dixon said.
Ben & Jerry’s first opened in Vermont in 1978, and already has 13 franchises open in North Carolina, according to their website.
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