Freeville’s Toads Too owner shares pandemic journey

Kathy Perkins, Freeville resident and retired nurse of 30 years, enjoys doing three things on a daily basis: enjoying the sunshine, putting a smile on people’s faces and serving ice cream.

That’s exactly what Perkins does in her business, Toads Too: Ice Cream Oasis — a small ice cream shop on Railroad Street in Freeville she’s owned for almost three decades.

“In my opinion, sunshine, smiles and ice cream are three things that cure sadness, especially during a time like this,” she said.

Despite businesses around Perkins closing at the beginning of the pandemic, Perkins was able to convince the Tompkins County Health Department to keep Toads Too open.

“Since I provided food, I saw myself [as] essential,” she said. “If McDonald’s can stay open, I can stay open.”

Other than offering ice cream of the soft, hard, sherbet, sorbet, sugar- and lactose-free and vegan varieties, Perkins also sells hot dogs, barbecue pulled pork and corn dogs. She also serves seasonal fruits, including apples, bananas and oranges.

Throughout the pandemic, Perkins said she has still had a “faithful customer base,” including ones who would come by her shop pre-pandemic on a regular basis. Perkins has faced some issues in the past year in terms of crowd control while attempting to keep up with the Health Department’s guidelines.

“Sometimes, it can be tough to control,” she said. “We had a swarm of young people come to the shop almost every day during the summer. Some customers clashed, but mainly it’s been disagreements of social distancing.”

Perkins decided she wanted to make peace with all of the customers by accommodating their needs, which she has done in her previous years of the business.

“I tell the customers to just respect each other and their space while eating ice cream,” she said. “I want to empathize and understand people’s concerns, not continually create conflict.”

When it comes to keeping her business sanitized, Perkins said she takes the “old-school approach,” which is using as much bleach as possible to clean the shop’s equipment, surfaces and more.

“It’s always clean, clean, clean from early in the morning until late at night,” she said. “My hands are in bleach all of the time. It’s what I’ve been doing for years.”

Since Perkins doesn’t have an income during the winter, she has to conserve her resources and finances — something she learned while growing up on a farm as a child.

Her technique has helped her survive the pandemic even better, she added.

“The knowledge I have has gotten me through this pandemic,” Perkins said. “You just have to use your imagination.”

Perkins also mentioned how her grandma, who survived the Spanish flu from 1918-20, taught her everything she knew to “make it through a global crisis.”

“She laid it out by saying ‘this is what we went through, this is how we took care of it,’” she said. “And comes with cooking food the right way, saving your money … pretty much anything that gets you through life. … Also, home remedies keep people healthy. If you’ve got your health, you’ve got everything.”

Perkins will reach the 30-year anniversary with her shop next year, saying she feels like she’s “accomplished something.”

“I’ve survived worse through the past few decades. This pandemic has nothing on me and my business,” she said.

Being a constant go-to ice cream shop has “helped immensely,” Perkins said.

“It’s a spot where everyone knows where it is,” she said. “It’s a place where people come together, a place where people meet up after not seeing each other for several years.”

Perkins’ ceiling above the seating area is almost covered with thank-you notes from students who attend Freeville Elementary School. She added that last summer was the first one in a long time that students weren’t able to give her the annual messages.

This year, she hopes that the tradition continues, adding that she wants “to be around long enough to see this ceiling completely covered.”

“Being able to support the community through the past year with a positive place is what I strive for, especially with these kids,” Perkins said.

IN BRIEF:

Village police to hold community outreach event

The Dryden Village Police Department will be holding a community outreach event at the Poet’s Landing Apartment Complex on May 12, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Village Police Chief Josh Tagliavento said the event will give community members an opportunity to discuss a variety of topics with police officers.

The event is also aimed at reaching out to residents in person who do not have reliable transportation, Tagliavento said.

“It’s an opportunity to bring forward any questions, comments or concerns the community has from a public safety standpoint,” he added.

For more information, contact the village police department at (607) 844-8119.