Panhandle Cone & Coffee is celebrating the two-year anniversary of their Moscow location with free ice cream March 23.
Originally from Oregon, owners Jason and Stephanie Dillion opened the first Panhandle location in Sandpoint, Idaho in 2013. They eventually opened two more locations serving artisanal ice cream throughout the state.
Patrons will be able to enjoy a slightly larger-sized kid’s scoop of ice cream for free. To celebrate the anniversary, customers can donate to the Idaho Youth Ranch, a state-wide agency serving at-risk boys, girls and their families, according to their website.
“They help local families with the fostering and adopting process,” Molly Olsen, manager of the Moscow location, said. “Some families potentially getting some of the funds will be there to help out.”
Olsen transitioned into a managerial role in June 2020 after being hired at Panhandle in January of 2019, training staff until the location opened in March. She later assumed a lead supervisory and assistant manager-related role before being promoted to manager.
“(The Dillion’s) let me lead the reigns down here in Moscow because I know what’s different about living in a college town,” Olsen said. “I know how to work around a student schedule and making things that work best for everyone.”
Jessica Zazuetta, an employee at Panhandle and a senior at the University of Idaho has worked at Panhandle for nearly two years, after being hired in 2019, just a month after the business opened.
“I knew some people who worked here, but I was mostly drawn to (Panhandle) because it seemed like a really fun environment and I love the vibe it gives,” Zazuetta said.
When visiting Panhandle for their anniversary event, patrons should enter through the front door and exit through the back door of the building to avoid line-crossing and crowding. There is an exception to this guideline for patrons with disabilities or other limitations who need to access the wheelchair-friendly front entrance as an exit.
There will be no available indoor seating, with limits on how many patrons can be inside the building at a time. Masks will be available for public use and serving stations will be sanitized regularly.
Menus will be available for outside viewing. Regular coffee menu selections will not be available and patrons will only be allowed to purchase pints of ice cream available in the freezer stock.
“One of our core values is ‘a community without a zip code,’ and I feel like that encompasses everything Panhandle is,” Olsen said. “Every customer who comes in is part of the family when they get a scoop of ice cream or try one of the different coffee roasters we have.”
Panhandle Cone & Coffee’s Moscow store is located at 511 S Main Street. Hours are noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday through Sunday.
For more information, visit their website or call 208-265-8996.
Katarina Hockema can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @katarina___h