This weekend, Mullen’s Dairy Bar, 212 W. Main St. in Watertown, made a lot of folks pretty happy.
That’s because, for the first time since Adam Keepman and his brothers took over operations at the Watertown-based eatery, they were able to observe an 85-plus-year tradition: giving away free single dip cones when the temperature falls to 20-below or colder.
Co-owner Joshua Keepman says he estimates they handed out between 1,250 and 1,500 single dip ice cream cones on Saturday, Jan. 26 when the temperature first dropped below the -20 degree threshold.
But, based on the weather forecast over the next day or so, ice cream lovers might get another chance at scoring free cones.
"Rumor has it that the Mullen’s brothers would make customers eat their free ice cream cones outside," jokes chef and managing partner Adam Keepman, "We don’t plan on continuing that part of the tradition."
Mullen's Dairy Bar is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
