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King Kone marks 50 years

The message is clear: “Thank you, Merrimack!” The greeting is from George Soffron, owner and manager of King Kone, extended here to herald 50 years of  furnishing 5-star soft serve ice cream to locals and visitors alike. Here, Soffron, far right, celebrates the milestone with some staff, from left, Aya Altekretti, Julia Bell and Dimitri Smith, all of Merrimack. Soffron said he has owned King Kone, 336 Daniel Webster Highway, for the last 20 years. Growing the icon to its pinnacle required hard work by many, he contends. He especially thanks previous owner Bill Thompson for managing the ice cream stand during Soffron’s first year while the new owner was busy beating cancer. Soffron also commends locals Kerri Parks and Brett Parks. Kerri managed the stand for 15 of Saffron’s 20 years. Brett’s many skills help maintain the vintage structure. Soffron praises the students from Merrimack High who work summer jobs at King Kone. “The teenagers get it,” Soffron said. “They understand that they’re creating memories and making people smile.” King Kone adds to its soft serve menu some old-fashioned options including root beer floats, ice cream floats, frappes and freezes. Zesty chili, corn dogs and chili dogs have fans, as do tacos and hot dogs. King Kone, open daily, now accepts charge cards. Gift tokens are available. “We will do our best to keep the King Kone tradition going for another 50 years,” Soffron vowed. “Gotta go to King Kone!” See Facebook: KingKoneMerrimack. Visit online: kingkonenh.com. Call for info: 603-420-8312.