by Nuriyyeh Brett
Graff Dairy, a Grand Junction ice cream shop, first opened in 1964. The dairy store prided themselves on their fresh milk, cheese and other products. The run-down, small building may not have looked like much from the outside, but the regular line of customers spoke volumes to the quality of the food and drink they were serving.
Many people were saddened to hear the news when Graff Dairy closed down in August 2014. Many felt they were losing a family tradition and a longstanding and excellent eatery.
In 2015, Darin Carei bought the property and made the decision to give the town back their much-beloved dairy shop. Through many renovations, the dairy store now has received a complete makeover, and though many things have changed about the dairy one thing remains intact: their ice cream recipe. They offer chocolate and vanilla ice cream on a regular basis and have a new flavor of the week.
When this dairy shop reopened its doors to the public it was not only the walls of the building that had changed. The new owners of the store are now employing teenagers who live at The House, a place where homeless youth can go and find help moving forward in a positive and safe environment.
“We maintain about a 50/50 balance of homeless youth and non-homeless youth,” Tia Hughes, Graff Dairy’s manager, said. “It has been very successful and incredibly rewarding to provide opportunities to young people who might not have gotten such opportunities otherwise.”
Hughes shared some information about their products.
“We use the same flavoring products as the original Graff Dairy, in an effort to give the community the same product that local families have enjoyed from one generation to the next,” Hughes said. “We are currently in the process of getting our dairy processing operation up and running, at which point we will be able to proudly announce that we offer 100 percent homemade products. It is at that time that we will have milk delivered from a dairy farm in Hotchkiss, Colo. complete the pasteurizing process on-site, and in addition to using that milk to create soft-serve and hard-pack ice creams, we will also make and sell milk, cheese, cream, and more.”
“I love their ice cream and their work with The House,” Lucie Strippel, a customer, said. “They care about their customers and do surveys to get people involved in picking out flavors. A large majority of their employees when they first opened were homeless teens. I also liked the fact that it was a local that wanted to fix it up, expand the lobby and keep it in the community.”
Scott Brett has lived here for almost 32 years and remembered the dairy fondly from his childhood. “Ever since I can remember, Graff Dairy has been providing jobs for youth in the Grand Valley. My memories of the dairy as a boy are very distinct. The smell of sweet cream in the heat of the summertime is my favorite.”
“We have big plans for the future. However, we intend to keep those under wraps for the time being,” Hughes said.
