Thanks for the Sweet Memories

After a decade of dishing up sweet treats and coffee to the residents of Hinsdale, Sweet Memories will close following a final 4th of July extravaganza.

"I started thinking about this probably a year and a half ago, that I needed to slow down and it seemed right that this was the year being our 10th anniversary," said proprietor Leona Knutson. "I turned 65 this year. We are about to be great grandma and grandpa in August and we have a lot of grand kids in high school and things I am missing out on."

Knutson has spent long days in the ice cream parlor to satiate the ravenous appetites of the local community.

"The morning starts at about 5:15 or 5:30, and I usually try to get something prepped for fresh baked goods on the counter," she said during a visit to her shop last week. "Today, there were

blueberry scones and then key lime pie."

After the baked goods get going, Knutson start prepping breakfast for the day. Currently, Sweet Memories is the only place where Hinsdale residents can buy breakfast in the morning.

"I do one item a day, which is odd, but people around here are used to it. Today, I did pancakes and bacon. We did waffle and sausage yesterday. Tomorrow is

French toast and bacon and sausage. We have a biscuit and gravy day. Everybody knows which day they want to come."

Sweet memories doesn't offer a menu. Patrons receive whatever has been prepared the day the visit.

"We are not made for that," Knutson said. "I don't have a big grill, we don't have the big exhaust. I have to work with that."

People get what they get, and the don't throw a fit.

"They are so good around here Nobody complains. They are just happy I make homemade strawberry or mixed berry syrups and toppings, and to be able to come in and have a cup of coffee and a breakfast."

Knutson knows her customers well. When Russell Copenhaver wandered in during the interview with The Courier, he didn't have to say anything. Knutson already knew what he wanted and sprung into action get a cup in his hands.

"It is kind of a mainstay in this town for people to show up for coffee" Copenhaver said. It is good food and I usually get to visit with some neighbors and friends who live here and catch up on the gossip."

Copenhaver has been eating at the parlor for the past decade, he said.

"I like her clam chowder on Fridays, but she doesn't do that in the summer time. Then, my wife and I come for waffle Wednesdays. I like her mixed berry milkshakes."

With no other breakfast options in town, Copenhaver isn't sure what he will do.

"I don't know."

Helen Bogar, of Glasgow, shares that sentiment.

"Leona is the best thing that has ever happened," Bogar said. "I don't even know if I am interested in coming back if she is not going to be here. But, she needs to be with her family."

Knutson's daughter, Kristine Bowman, a former teacher at Hinsdale Schools, said the pending closure is an emotional mixed bag.

"It is very bittersweet. My kids are quite disappointed. My 10-year-old daughter Reese would love for grandma to keep it open because she really thought she would get to take it over. She is my baker. I can come in from the field and she has fresh bread. She does a lot of baking and has learned a lot from grandma. It saddens her."

Bowman's sons will no longer be able to drop in at the parlor in between adventures around town.

"My boys will miss their malts, milkshakes and Italian sodas," she said. "But, for us, we also look forward to more time with her. We used to take trips. My mom loved to take travel and still does, but never has the opportunity in the summer. Next summer, we are planning the Laura Ingalls Wilder trip. We have been reading all the books so we can take the trip and see the sights."

Bowman hopes a new owner will purchase the little shop and keep the traditions alive well into the future.

"It has been an incredible endeavor," Bowman said. "She has served the community really well for 10 years, and I would love to see somebody come along and want to carry that on. We are ready to see her have more time for other things."

Knutson has been actively seeking someone to buy her out. No bites yet.

"I would love to pass it on to another owner to do it, but we knew it was time to slow down," Knutson said. "One of the local farmers said he will buy it, but he doesn't want to run

it, because he doesn't want it closing down. I really hope there is somebody that will take over. You have to be community minded because you are not going to get rich. It has to be a little additional income. It is not going to be your sole income to live on."

The community of Hinsdale is very generous, Knutson said.

"There have been times I have found a large bill in the tip jar, just because. They are very supportive. If you are there for them, they are there for you, for sure. It is just great, so if there is somebody out there that wants to makes some great memories, I would really love to sell this to them."

Knutson said she will keep the property as is for about the next year, keeping it turnkey ready for her successor, should there be one.

"I am going to keep my commercial kitchen and still do some baking for people because I do that for schools and businesses. I will do a little of that and give it a year to see if somebody would like to come and do it before we totally clean out."

Most furnishings will be included, in a sale minus the personal items, such as photographs of customers on the walls who have since passed on.

"People need to make things their own, even when they move into a house," Knutson said. "You have to change things up so it is your own. We own the property and there is a storage shed out back with freezers. Everything would go together. Hopefully that right person will come along."

Knutson's small staff will also be out of a job come July 5.

"Everyone right now is helping me out," Knutson said. "Lori Reinhardt is a good friend. Ashton Smith, this is her first job and she has just been a really good help. They are both great. For a little business in a little town, you have to really watch every penny you spend. They come during my prime time helping me get ready for lunch, and helping me get through lunch, and clean up. Breakfast time, I either handle it by myself or my husband Lonnie "Swede" is here if he is not digging with the excavator somewhere. He pours coffee and does dishes for me. I have tried to find people who don't want a full time job, but need supplemental income. They enjoy it because there are people to visit with and talk to. It is very social."

Reinhardt agreed.

"I really enjoy it all," she said. "I like seeing the people and waiting tables. I even like doing dishes. I have really enjoyed it. It gets pretty busy. We get quite a few to go orders. It is a fun job."

It is sad to see it end, Reinhardt sad.

"Very much so. Everybody is regretting this. We want it to keep going, but I understand because this consumes her life. I understand that."

Knutson has "really enjoyed 10 years, and am not leaving for any other reason than I just need to have more personal time and enjoy life a little bit – enjoy grandkids and great grandkids and do a few things I haven't done for the last 10 years," she said.

HEAPING HELPING OF MEMORIES

Knutson said she has made many fine memories during her time in town.

"I have a guestbook with people from all over, bicyclists, and a lot of locals that have now passed on. I have pictures on the wall of several who have passed on I probably would not have gotten to know had it not been for this. One lady would sit here and have her dinner and put puzzles together."

Knutson isn't closing the shop for any other reason than to spend more time with her family, she said.

"I know some of the guys are thinking 'she doesn't care about us.' But, that is not true. It is very bittersweet. After COVID, we were closed in October. My husband and I got sick. We close in December anyway. We have a lot of elderly 75- or 80-year-old customers and I didn't want them getting sick, so we closed early and reopened in April, which is what we usually do."

It was a great pleasure to see all the friendly faces when she reopened in the spring, Knutson said.

"That is what I missed, all the chatter and visiting and laughing and stories. I don't miss the 9, 10, 11 o'clock at night getting things cleaned for the next day. These are long days. We don't utilize Sysco or anything. Everything is fresh made."

Everything "I have tasted is really good," Reinhardt said. "She is a really good cook."

When Knutson first arrived in town 10-years-ago, she hadn't planned on making breakfasts and lunches.

"I had actually worked as a tour guide for 25 years, and I had a limousine service for eight years over by Kalispell," she said. "When we moved here, I had decided I wouldn't be doing either of those things and needed something to do. We had six grandchildren here at that time, so ice cream was a logical thing to do. I wasn't going to do any cooking. I was going to do

ice cream and coffees -- we have a little espresso machine -- and then some baked goods because I enjoy baking."

But, Knutson soon found there was a need for breakfasts and lunches in Hinsdale.

"It became a need, especially now, because we don't have anyone that does breakfast or lunches in Hinsdale. After COVID, Stoughie's Bar and Grill didn't start doing lunches again."

THE GOOD STUFF

While many enjoy Knutson's cooking, there is a huge hankering for ice cream, especially maple nut.

"We used to just think it was just the over 65 [crowd]," Knutson said. "No, there are a lot of people in this town who like maple nut. I didn't have it for a little while and they let me know about it. They will try another one, but they will always say it is not near as good as maple nut. We use a lot of vanilla because of the milkshakes and root beer floats. But, the ice cream most asked for is maple nut."

Sweet Memories serves up Wilcoxson's Ice Cream, made fresh right here in Montana.

"They are a really great company, good ice cream," Knutson said. "Good products."

There is no wrong way to eat ice cream, Knutson said.

"No. I don't think so. I don't think there is a wrong way or a right way. We have had people try lots of different things, but most people here just like their coffee pain. Most don't even want a topping. They have their favorite ice creams. They may have their favorite milkshakes once in a while, but they like their ice cream."

Historically, the ice cream business freezes out in the winter months, Knutson said.

"I have always closed mid-December and reopened the first of April. Customers say they would come out, but when it is 10 or 20 below, they would rather have ice cream in the comfort of their living room."

GOING OUT ON A SUGAR HIGH

The last day the business is in operation will be July 4 to coincide with Independence Day celebrations.

"We are going to do some drawings, I am going to do some giveaways. Hopefully, we will have a really good celebration. We have some family coming, so on the fifth, we will kick back and relax and eat every little bit of ice cream that is left."

If there is any left, that is.

Besides the ice cream, visitors should try Knutson's famous chicken salad wraps while there is still time, she said.

"The other favorite of many, many people are the chicken salad wraps. Of course, those are all made fresh. We will have those over 4th of July weekend. It is so busy here, and our town has so much activity, I can't serve a full menu, so we do two days of biscuits and gravy on the 3rd and the 4th and two days of chicken salad wraps, fresh fruit cups and watermelon cups. Those are things we can have ready and available to hand to people."

Sweet memories will be closed on Thursday, July 1, in preparation for the 4th of July celebration. However, their walk-up window will be open and available for ice cream treats and beverages.

Sweet Memories is located at 235 Montana Street, in Hinsdale. For more information, call 406-364-2128.