Store Hours 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. Fridays 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Saturdays 1 - 9 p.m. Sundays

It could be the coolest idea to come to the University of Houston in some time — an ice cream and gourmet candy store managed by Cougars for Cougars.

Dubbed Shasta’s Cones and More: featuring Blue Bell Ice Cream, the store is now open and is located in the lower level of the University Center in Room 32D. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31.

The store will feature ice cream by Blue Bell Creameries, L.P. Inc., which awarded UH its first-ever grant to fund a college retail operation in the nation, according to Keith T. Kowalka, director of University Center and Associated Facilities.

Blue Bell provided a $32,500 grant to offset the renovation and start-up costs to open the store.

“Shasta’s Cones and More will offer a unique learning experience to those UH students who manage the store, and it will offer delicious treats to the campus community,” Kowalka said.

Two of the Cougars selected to operate the store are Isis Camacho, a senior operations management major, and Jonathan Villarreal, a senior finance major. They will serve as the store’s co-managers.

“By running Shasta’s Cones & More, we hope to gain valuable experience in the business sector,” Camacho said.

In addition to ice cream, the store will offer 46 types of bulk candy, baked goods, malts, shakes,
hand-dipped waffle cones, specialty sundaes and Ghirardelli chocolate.

The store opening will culminate two years of research and discussion among students, faculty and staff, some of whom were UC Policy Board members, Kowalka noted.

Francine Parker
fparker@central.uh.edu