Tasty Twist reopens with local support
From left, Sam Bristor, 12, Luke Frawley, 7, Zach Lane, 11, and Ian Frawley, 11, enjoy an afternoon treat Tuesday outside the new Tasty Twist store at 1137 E. Grand River Ave. Since 1957, Tasty Twist was located at 1307 E. Grand River Ave.
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When Tasty Twist opened this week at its new 1137 E. Grand River Ave. location, owner Scott King met the only people who were more upset than he that the East Lansing ice cream staple was ousted from its home since 1957 at 1307 E. Grand River Ave. by the property owner — Tasty Twist’s original owner’s family.
“(They told me) how sad they were and that their mother had been the one that started that in 1957 and that she passed away last week,” said King, who has worked at the store for 35 years. “Ever since they found out what’s happening they couldn’t tell her because she would have just been devastated. They had kept it a secret from her.”
But it’s no secret to East Lansing what happened with Tasty Twist. King was told in November by property owners that they planned to tear down his soft serve shop to expand the adjacent Citgo gas station. He obliged, but not long after, East Lansing Tasty Treat moved into Tasty Twist’s former location, imitating the latter’s blue awning and white typeface, King said.
What followed was a Facebook group with membership that even made King wonder how a shop so small could have possibly served as many people who signed up — more than 11,200 as of Tuesday. During the winter months when King and his crew had no idea what would become of Tasty Twist, it was the Facebook group that had them yearning for warm weather and cold ice cream.
“In reality, as heartwrenching and as down as we were all winter, that was kind of the thing that kept us going,” he said. “We’d see that and we couldn’t help but get excited for the future.”
Loyal customers said they were upset and angry when they heard about how Tasty Twist lost its original home. But in the move, the store has gained vocal spokespeople.
Ana Lesmez, a Lansing Community College student who grew up in East Lansing, was one of the people who joined the Facebook group. She said she raised awareness about Tasty Twist’s new location so people don’t get confused with the establishment down the road.
“I’m trying to tell everyone I know, ‘This is the right Tasty Twist, that’s the wrong Tasty Twist,’” she said.
Chris Bell, an MSU master’s student in digital rhetoric and professional writing, has frequented Tasty Twist for several years and said Tasty Treat’s signage could confuse people.
“Not only is it an ice cream place in the same place, but the way they branded that place, it looks very similar,” he said.
Bell said he would like to see more outdoor seating at the new location, noting the old site had several picnic benches to enjoy ice cream in the summer sun. King said he plans to incorporate those picnic benches at the new store.
But for Jordan Jackson, an LCC student whose family has roots in East Lansing so far back that his parents were regulars at Tasty Twist when they attended MSU, said there are some things that cannot be replicated at the new spot.
“It wasn’t even about the benches, but that thin cement wall that they have right there splitting their parking lot with the bank’s parking lot, that’s where we used to sit,” Jackson said of his days at East Lansing High School.
“Everyone used to say, ‘Why don’t we go skip (class), sit on the wall and eat some Tasty Twist?’”
Commentary
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kev
(03/17/10 12:25am)Report
I’m not much of an ice cream person, but if I do go out for ice cream, I will NOT goto the tasty treat. It’s slimy marketing to imitate a former business and try to steal loyal customers. I won’t have any of it.
i'll go
(03/17/10 11:25am)Report
I’ve never been to tasty twist in my many years around east lansing. but i think i’ll go tonight, just to help support them. i hope tasty treat will only last one summer, if that.
CAPITALISM AT WORK? OR JUST A BIG FAT LIE?
(03/17/10 3:32pm)Report
Did Scott King, the owner of Tasty Twist, have an option to purchase the building? Is it true that the owner of the building told Scott King that the plan was to expand Citgo gas station? I ask the State News to confront these individuals and find out the truth. Expose the deceptions and the lies or the facts and the truth. Otherwise, it appears that Scott King just did not have enough money to stay afloat, despite the FACT that he has an ALL CASH gig, and, therefore, probably never has had to prove his income, for tax purposes. . . all under the table.
Too Ashamed of their despicable lies: Sick Bastards LIED to their own MOTHER?
(03/17/10 3:56pm)Report
That just goes to show how evil people are when they have to lie to their own mother, the one who started the business in 1957, because they know full well that their actions were shameful and wrong. BOYCOTT THEM! There is only one TWIST. The ORIGINAL TASTY TWIST, at their new location. Unfortunately, it is my understanding that the Twist has moved to a City Center I tax zone, where the parking is a major pain in the rear. Actually, the parking IS IN THE REAR. Rents are high; parking is a pain. Sounds like a recipe for disaster.
Quentin
(03/18/10 10:30am)Report
Hans Larsen, you are a goddamn fool.
State News staffers cussing on website?
(03/18/10 1:29pm)Report
Just as an observer, why is cussing tolerated on this website? Why are State News staffers name calling random citizens? What purpose does that serve? That is like spraying graffiti on your own building. I guess if you have an unlimited budget and no ethical standards, then that is how low you can stoop.
Tasty Twist NOT Downtown; It's in former Baskin Robbins
(03/18/10 2:12pm)Report
Apparently, Tasty Twist moved to former Baskin Robbins location, just a little bit west on Grand River. So parking should still be adequate, and business should BOOM! By the way, what is with all of the swearing by State News workers on this website. Bizarre. . . .
Just Crap in my view
(03/18/10 7:11pm)Report
just a response to the coment on the one of the above statment. it is hard to believe that scott king did not have a chance to buy the property. And yes it is a Cash Gig everytime i went there they were so busy and alwasys took in only cash and besides it doesn’t matter what the property owrner did its his property he must have a real good reason why he did what he did. At the end of the day comptition is alwasy good for the consumers so what is wrong with having two ice cream store who ever has the best prices and product will come out ahead. everyone before making statment we should always look on both side of the stories. maybe scott king wanted hard serve and soft serve on hard serve and when baskin robins went out of bussiness he got a chance to move in there and grab baskin robins hard serve bussiness and his own soft serve.And didn’t think for a second that someone else might open ice cream at his old location.
To:Too Ashamed of their despicable lies: Sick Bastards LIED to their own MOTHER?
(03/18/10 10:18pm)Report
WHY are you always so hard on people? WHY do you always see the worst? DIDN“T you read their reason? “Ever since they found out what’s happening they couldn’t tell her because she would have just been devastated. They had kept it a secret from her.” Come on try to cut people some slack, please. Haven’t you ever loved someone and felt a need to protect them by not telling them something that could be devastating? Try hard just once to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. I know that you are very moral, I know you.
Liars Liars Pants on Fires, melting the ice cream!
(03/19/10 8:17pm)Report
They are the ones who admitted that they lied to their own mother, the OWNER and founder of the business, because it would have devastated her. She was not dead. It was her property an her decision. It appears that some lying, greedy, and eager inheriters were just playing hardball. It is not a crime. They just went into fierce competition against Scott King, someone with whom the mother apparently had a friendly, trusting, and long term business relationship. The eager inheriters see that the mother is going to croak soon, lies to Scot King about their true intentions, and basically says SCREW HIM!
We are simply loyal Twist fans and are pointing out the facts. They lied to Scott King, and they lied to their own mother. It is what it is. That why it is such a big story. Just another dirty East Lansing business deal.
Oh I didn't realize this^
(03/19/10 11:26pm)Report
From: To:Too Ashamed of their despicable lies: Sick Bastards LIED to their own MOTHER?
Maybe I trust people too much??State News QUOTE: Tasty Treat played nasty trick on ice cream lovers
(03/20/10 3:38pm)Report
Hey, in the OPINION SECTION, the State News editors were the ones who stated that they were NASTY!
reading comprehension 101
(03/23/10 4:50pm)Report
The article isn’t exactly explicit on this point, but as I understand it, there are 3 parties involved.
1. Jerkface owners of the Citgo gas station and the new Tasty Treat store
2. Scott King, owner of Tasty Twist.
3. The family who were the original owners of the Tasty Twist store.
The mother of the third group has passed away, and the other members of this group didn’t tell her that the owners of the gas station (who, as far as I can tell are NOT the same as this family) had cheated Scott Brown out of his storefront.
So party 1 and 3 are different. That means that party 3 hasn’t told their dying mother that party 1 cheated Scott Brown because doing so would only make her miserable, and she has enough to deal with.
Also, party 3 has nothing to do with cheating party 2.
Better?
RE: reading comprehension 101
(03/25/10 12:13am)Report
There is no way in hell that anyone could make that clear, based on the pathetic writing. While your assumptions are possible, there are no facts supporting your inductive reasoning in the article. Therefore, the readers, once again, are misled and misinformed about a trivial issue. So it is really scary when it involves important matters, like the widespread corruption in City Hall, for example. Where are the names of the Jerkface owners of the Citgo? Yep, NO WHERE!