Middletown’s ice cream staple Frosty Freez has changed ownership, but Cameron Bulk has always been part of the family.
Photos courtesy of Cameron Bulk
If you’ve ever endured a hot summer day on Aquidneck Island, you’ve likely found yourself at Middletown’s beloved Frosty Freez. From soft serve to sundaes, each cone is served with expertise and a smile. While the heart has stayed the same, the past year has seen a change in ownership with longtime employee Cameron Bulk taking the reins.
Cameron’s Frosty Freez story began at her bake sale in 2015. Mark Pachico, Frosty Freez’s previous owner alongside wife Kim, gave Cameron an application.
“The rest is history,” says Cameron. During school breaks and between other obligations, she always came back to Frosty Freez. “I blinked and it’s my twelfth season,” she says.
It was Kim Pachico who believed in Cameron and pushed her to become the ice cream shop’s next owner after her years with the business. The transition was a thoughtful process between Cameron and the Pachicos. “I started taking over little by little,” Cameron recalls. “We spent a long time [discussing] how we could do this.”
Regardless of logistics, the Pachicos did not want the business to go to anybody else. “They really wanted it to stay in our Frosty Freez family; to someone who was going to take care of it [like they had] for 26 years,” Cameron says.
Cameron’s favorite part about her business is how everyone has a Frosty Freez story. “We see people on their best days, and we see them when they’re having a tough day,” she says. “[Kids] come after their soccer game… they come on their birthday. We get to be a part of everybody’s little family tradition.”
The community staple booms on summer days; a line wrapping around the side of the building that veteran Frosty Freez customers know will move swiftly. Starting last holiday season, Cameron had even stayed open in the wintertime for those looking for an ice cream cone, even as the air was frigid and snow fell from the sky. She says that those snowy days were some of the busiest she’s seen at Frosty Freez.
“People are like ‘you must be so busy,’ but it’s best when we’re crazy,” Cameron declares. “It’s a well-oiled machine and it runs in chaos.”
As another busy summer ends, Frosty Freez celebrates a huge milestone this year: its 70th anniversary. Cameron and her Frosty Freez family are excited for the business to go 70 more.
Visit Cameron and the Frosty Freez team for a sweet treat at 496 East Main Road, Middletown.
