A busy Waldo County ice cream stand is up for sale

A busy ice cream stand along Route 3 in Belmont has served its last scoop under current owner Julie Heeter.

Heeter is getting ready to put Super Scoop up for sale after closing it for the season on Sept. 4.

She has owned the operation for 26 years, she said, but the stress of running it has gotten too great in recent years, contributing to health effects that have gotten too hard to ignore.

"Physically, I have no choice," Heeter said. "I knew it was coming a couple years ago. I just keep pushing, but the more I push, the more my body is going, 'Oh, boy.' I said this year that I have to just bite the bullet and do it."

Although Super Scoop is not formally on the market, Heeter posted about the closing on a community Facebook page , and she said that several possible buyers have already inquired about it.

"Most importantly, I'd like to keep it the Super Scoop. I mean, it's been here so long," Heeter said. "It does not necessarily have to be a customer, but it would be nice if it was somebody that was local, knows what it is." She added, "The community, I'm sure, will support them as much as they did me over the years."

Under Heeter's management, Super Scoop was open May through September. She said she worked hard to keep things fresh at the business, offering 60 different flavors, creating unique recipes for its frozen creations and hand-painting designs on its signs.

"It's very mom and pop, very family-oriented, but it's very unique. No one else does what we do to the extent that we do it," Heeter said.

Longtime customers also shared their dismay about the closing in response to her Facebook announcement.