Coconut Grove's A.C.'s Icees Serves Up Cool Comfort In Our Coronavirus Times
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A lot of people over the last 40 years have liked A.C.'s Icees served up out of what Allan Cohen calls his "office." But these days Cohen is serving up more than just cooling icees.
"He is a cornerstone of our community living in Coconut Grove. It is also a part of our life that brings something normal to it," said one woman.
A.C.'s harkens back to the hippie days of Coconut Grove, a more mellow different time, they were nothing like the first half of 2020. Yet this small business is doing well in the midst of the coronavirus free fall.
"It is as good as ever, maybe even better because there are a lot of places not open and also lot of happy people walk up to me because there is some normalcy in this crazy upside-down world," said Cohen.
People come from across Miami to grab one of the multi-flavored icees. Cohen said with all that is going on in their lives when they get to his "office" they kind of leave it all behind.
"Honestly most people are not talking about it. They are just happy to be here. They can forget about whatever else," he said.
But operating a small business in a pandemic is not easy. A man who used to help Cohen four days a week quit worried about getting sick. So Cohen cut back hours and works on his own.
"I don't have days off and I can't go to the islands like I have been doing every couple of months. My life changed from being so perfect to I had to start working every day again," he said"
Which is fine with those who socially distance as they line up to grab an icee.
"We need him during these hard times because he is a pillar of this society here," said Mike Howard.
A.C.'s Icees is located in the parking lot of Kennedy Park in Coconut Grove.
