Brennan's Big Chill

"Handmade Excitement"

After the jingle of the bell on the door, the whir of the freezers keeping the ice cream cold is the first thing heard in Brennan's Big Chill. The aroma of fresh waffle cones wafts through the room. A jovial energy is felt inside. There are smiles on peoples' faces across the room. The walk across the sleek white tiled floor, past a content polar bear eating ice cream and a jolly penguin, leads to the ice cream counter. Rows of colorful flavors sit behind the limpid glass. A tiny taste of the strawberry has a huge flavor: soft, fresh berries straight from the strawberry fields. The ultimate ice cream challenge is posted on the wall. Eight scoops of ice cream, four toppings, whip cream and a cherry. These are the specifications of The Big Chill, the most iconic ice cream order in Bloomsburg. Debbie and Brian Brennan are the creators of The Big Chill challenge. The person who can eat all eight scoops of ice cream receives a free T-shirt, gets their picture on the wall of Brennan's Big Chill, and has their name put on the Brennan's Big Chill website. 

Brennan's Big Chill is a local ice cream shop located on Iron Street in Bloomsburg, PA. This quaint store embodies what a Family Business means. Brian and Debbie Brennan own Brennan's Big Chill, the center of family activity in Bloomsburg. From kids taking pictures with Rosie the cow, to the cheery staff allowing people to try seven different flavors, Brennan's knows how to treat people the right way. Even as families flow into Brennan's during closing time, you can feel the warmth and enthusiastic attitude of Debbie and the workers. The quote "We will never make you rich. We will enrich your life." hangs above the employee's lockers. According to a staff member, "Working for Brian and Debbie is like working for my Mom and Dad." Brian and Debbie care not only for their ice cream, but for their employees and for the experience of the costumers.


At Brennan's Big Chill, fresh can be used to describe ice cream. Brian uses his own ice cream machine to make twenty to thirty different tubs of ice cream per day. His homemade recipes churn out exquisite, flavorful ice cream. Brennan's boasts over two hundred flavors of ice cream that rotate daily. "No flavor can dominate as a favorite," says Debbie. The shear amount of flavors and the constant change of all the flavors keeps customers on their toes when choosing a flavor. Special events like the Pumpkin Patch and the Fall in Love give ice cream lovers a chance to try Brennan's exquisitely themed flavors. An enormous number of homemade flavors, provides an ice cream eating experience like no other.

"Who wants ice cream is December?" Brennan's Big Chill is not open year round. This year, Brennan's doors close from November 9th to February 2nd. This time period allows Brian and Debbie to take a break from their seven day work weeks and see their family. However, the owners are back to work the day after Christmas. They strip down the whole shop to clean the walls, scrub the floors, replace parts of the ceiling, and fix broken things around the store. As soon as January comes around, Brian returns to make ice cream for the New Year. "This break maintains the pristine, new store look that Brennan's has, while allowing us to spend the most important time of the year with our family. The compliments we receive on the cleanliness of our shop pushes us to keep our shop at its full potential," says Debbie. From the lack of sprinkles on the floor to the clearness of Daisy's paint, the owners put evident work in to make Brennan's shine.