Big T's opens for the season
Big T's had a steady flow of customers last weekend despite the fact that few people knew that the popular snack shop, which has been closed for the winter, was going to reopen. Late Sunday afternoon, about a dozen people were at the lakeside pavilion enjoying chocolate-dipped ice cream, snow cones and hot pretzels.
Donna Gray said that they had not really advertised that Big T's was going to reopen for business last weekend. Gray and her husband, Timmy, own and operate Big T's.
"It was kind of a last-minute thing," she said.
Gray said that the beautiful weather brought families down to the lake.
"There has been a lot of people fishing and people just out enjoying the park," she said.
Word quickly spread that the red neon sign was once again flashing "Open" at Big T's. Gray says one customer told her that she had received a phone call from her grandson telling her that he saw the sign when he rode by Big T's in the family car. Gray said the grandmother went to get her grandson and then drove to pick up her other grandchild so she could bring them both to Big T's.
Gray says she has heard a lot of people say that they are excited to see the business back open for another season.
Ingrid Burchett, a Hope Mills resident, was in line ordering a snow cone for herself and one for each of her two children last Sunday. Burchett says that she has waited all winter for Big T's to re-open.
"I drove by and saw the sign and got all excited" she says.
Burchett ordered her favorite flavor snow cone - Tiger's Blood. "I always get the Tiger's Blood" Bruchett said. She says one of her children also likes Tiger's Blood and the other one likes blueberry.
Along with the traditional menu items, Gray says that this year Big T's will feature a new cool treat - ice cream sundaes with a choice of strawberry, hot fudge and pineapple toppings.
The popular outdoor "movie night" will begin in April, and the Hope Mills Cruzers will once again sport their classic cars at Big T's on Saturday nights, Gray said.
Lisa Carter Waring is a retired educator and consultant who lives in Hope Mills. She can be reached at LCart99@aol.com.