The story behind the space:
Bold Face Dairy Bar
Words by R. Harkins
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My family and I have lived in Price Hill now since 2007. Ever since moving here, I’ve been committed to fostering community in the midst of this neighborhood’s beautiful diversity and rich culture. One of my favorite things about the city of Cincinnati as a whole is its rich heritage of culture. There are so many delightful aspirations and traditions that have longevity in this place. My favorite ones are those that facilitate fostering of community, so they usually revolve around the items or traditions that help people assemble. I think one of Cincinnati’s quirkiest cultural treasures is its history and assortment of creamy whips. It goes without saying that they’re the quintessential summer gathering place. It doesn’t matter the occasion, and it’s not hard to agree among friends or family that soft serve is always a good idea.
But after years of traveling out of our neighborhood in Price Hill to frequent our favorite Dairy Bars (Put’z, Gold Top, & Zip Dip to name a few…), my partner, Andy, and I got our families together to dream about Price Hill’s very own ice cream social spot.
With our spouses, and suprise, suprise - our children, all onboard, we began to dream. With a name in mind and a place to put the shop, it wasn’t long before we got to work. Let me just say - the labor was cut out for us. The building we were utilizing was not only over one hundred years old, but it had been renovated multiple times leaving a hodgepodge mess of a small, dingy space. We were sure we wanted to give it a bright, refreshing aesthetic but we also had to keep workflow, ease of clean up, fire code, and customer engagement in mind. To give you an idea of what we were working with, we were about to put a full-fledged ice cream shop in a building that was erected before running water was a thing.
We began the rehab in 2017 and spent as much time as we could afford chipping away at the project. Demo included ripping the whole space down to the studs, so we started fresh with all new framing, electric, plumbing, fire suppression, etc. While all of the utilities are necessary, it’s the finish details of a space that really get us excited for the work that we do. On top of choosing paint, tile, and lighting options that accompanied our brand, we threw in a few little Easter eggs to really make the space our own. The herringbone patterned larger floor tile stretching even through to the bathroom keeps the space feeling open and seamless. The large lighting fixture illuminating the workspace was actually given to us by a customer out of a historic home just around the corner and down the street that we did some major renovations on. Repurposed and gorgeous, these fixtures are subtle enough to blend in to the overall aesthetic, but detailed enough to be a delight to look at closely. Along with those fun little touches, we wanted to make the place where we interact with the customer - the window - extra special. We found some brass-inlaid marble tile - and with some specialized engineering, we were able to encircle the customer portal with it. Lots of polishing and detailed grouting later, we have a gorgeous accent piece that again, isn’t audacious; it’s tasteful.
Upon the completion of the interior space, we were pumped and ready to start serving some cones. However, we found ourselves with extremely minimal seating and gathering space. There was an empty lot adjacent to our building, but it was overgrown and had nothing but a few rocks left from the demolition of a house that was previously on the lot. So, in below-freezing weather in February of 2019 (Check out the photo of Tom’s beard with icicles for reference), we began digging holes for the posts that would become a fence for the seating area. Pro tip - don’t try to build a fence on a parcel of land where a house used to be. You’ll probably end up hitting the old stone foundation and spending way too much time pulling limestone out of holes in the ground just to erect a fence. But the boundery came out great and with the addition of some lighting, a steel gazebo, and some permanent picnic tables (added by the generosity of BLOC Coffee), we were ready for service.
Over those few months, we’ve seen what used to be an empty lot and vacant building transform into a lively space for families and friends. Every week, people gather here to share life and something sweet. We’ve hosted birthday parties, engagements, and even the humble Tuesday night chat accompanied by a Bold Face cone. Whatever the occasion or lack thereof, we’re glad to have a place like this in our neighborhood of East Price Hill.
Come join us sometime for a cone and a conversation. We’d be glad to whip something up for you.
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Rhett Harkins • Partner, RDM Services
