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World of Swirlz is serving up ice cream and Italian ice — separately and swirled together — at 442 E. Hanes Mill Road, next to PetSmart in Oak Summit Shopping Center.
The shop is owned by two Army veterans, Andrea Maine and Michael Kiter, who have worked together teaching JROTC in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.
Andrea Maine creates an Oreo bliss ice-cream taco from World of Swirlz “Italian Water Ice & Ice Cream” at 442 E Hanes Mill Road in Oak Summit shopping center.
“After I retired from the Army, I went to work for the school system. I’ve been doing that for 17 years,” Kiter said. “Andrea’s been doing it about 10 years.”
The idea for World of Swirlz came out of a casual conversation back in February. “Mike and I were at a JROTC event,” Maine said. “We were just messing around, saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to have our own ice-cream shop as a way to create a legacy for our children?’”
Maine is a former partner in Chilly Philly, an Italian ice shop on Knollwood Street. Kiter’s brother used to own an ice-cream shop in Philadelphia, where Kiter grew up.
Mark and Lydia Ward share a treat from World of Swirlz.
Within a couple months, the two friends had a plan, and they opened World of Swirlz in June.
Michael Kiter and Andrea Maine are the owners of World of Swirlz “Italian Water Ice & Ice Cream.”
The shop sells several flavors of soft-serve ice cream ($4 to $5.50) and Italian ice ($3 to $6.50). Ice-cream flavors include vanilla, chocolate, mango and pineapple. Italian-ice flavors include cherry, coconut, pineapple, bubble gum, blueberry and strawberry-lemon.
But the shop also sells milkshakes, slushies, ice cream tacos, floats and rolled ice cream — the latter made when an ice-cream mixture is spread thinly on a super-cold metal surface and then scraped into a spiral.
A kiwi strawberry soda slushy from World of Swirlz “Italian Water Ice & Ice Cream.”
Most items can be ordered with extra toppings such as fudge sauce, caramel sauce, gummies, Smarties and M&Ms.
The shop also sells what it calls swirled ice cream ($4 to $5.50), which incorporates flavored syrup. “We have what you call a flavor blast machine,” Maine said, that literally swirls the syrup into the ice cream.
“We also have the swirlati ($6 to $7.50), which is ice cream and Italian ice swirled together — that’s one of our biggest sellers,” Kiter said.
Similar is the mixini ($6.50), or ice cream and Italian ice mixed together in a blender.
“I don’t think anyone in Winston-Salem has all this,” Maine said.
Maine and Kiter are also working on getting alcohol permits so they can offer frozen treats infused with fortified wines.
They also sell about a dozen types of loose candy, $1 for each half ounce.
They plan to add soft pretzels to the menu soon, along with tea and coffee during the cooler months of the year. Right now, the shop offers soda and bottled water.
A sundae from World of Swirlz “Italian Water Ice & Ice Cream.”
Andrea Maine creates an Oreo bliss ice-cream taco from World of Swirlz “Italian Water Ice & Ice Cream.”
Maine and Kiter said they also have plans to expand. A shop is expected to open in Cary by the end of the year, and their partner in Cary already is operating three ice-cream carts in the area. They also are actively looking for a space to rent in Mooresville, with hopes of opening there by the fall.
Kourtney Tolliver creates a sundae from World of Swirlz “Italian Water Ice & Ice Cream.”
mhastings@wsjournal.com
(336) 727-7394
@mhastingswsj
Address: 442 E. Hanes Mill Road next to PetSmart in Oak Summit Shopping Center.
Phone: (336) 955-3232
Hours: 1 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Facebook: @worldofswirlz
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Andrea Maine creates an Oreo bliss ice-cream taco from World of Swirlz “Italian Water Ice & Ice Cream” at 442 E Hanes Mill Road in Oak Summit shopping center.
Mark and Lydia Ward share a treat from World of Swirlz.
A kiwi strawberry soda slushy from World of Swirlz “Italian Water Ice & Ice Cream.”
A sundae from World of Swirlz “Italian Water Ice & Ice Cream.”
Michael Kiter and Andrea Maine are the owners of World of Swirlz “Italian Water Ice & Ice Cream.”
Andrea Maine creates an Oreo bliss ice-cream taco from World of Swirlz “Italian Water Ice & Ice Cream.”
Kourtney Tolliver creates a sundae from World of Swirlz “Italian Water Ice & Ice Cream.”
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