History

The Mill City Dairy Bar, nestled near Lake Winola in Mill City, PA, has been a beloved local establishment since 1963. 

Founded by Esther and Wesley Jordan, the dairy bar began as a need to support their family in summer months. Wes was a geography teacher with summers that didn’t include a paycheck. They brain stormed many nights about a business that they could start. Wesley thought it should be a garbage pick up service. Esther dreamed of an ice cream shop. She thought it would be so glamorous…fancy swirls of soft serve ice cream danced in her head. 

As a child, Esther’s father would bring her to the night market in Scranton to sell their vegetables from the farm. He would always stop and buy her and her sister an ice cream cone as payment for a hard days work.  They would have contests to see who could make their cone last the longest on their drive back to Mill City.  Esther so wanted to give local kids the simple joy of licking an ice cream cone. 

Lucky for us, Esther won and they headed to the bank to get a loan. Their excitement was squashed quickly as the loan agents denided them saying their business model would never make it in this town. Down but not defeated, Esther shared her idea with her boss at the time, Warren Breig.  Warren owned a large commercial construction company. He believed in Esther.  He knew she was responsible, diligent and a hard worker.  He built the original building for them in the spring of 1963 at cost of materials. What a wonderful gift to his employee to enable a female to own a business in a time where ladies were to stay home.  They opened in July of 1963 and sold ice cream cones for 5 cents! The business was off and running with the first day sales being $75. 

Through the years, more items were added to the menu. In 1984, Esther decided that business was hurting because there was no indoor seating.  She began the expansion by adding on a dining and banquet room. Doing many of the finished construction touches with the help of her family, she laid all the tile floors and finalized  the decor to open the new rooms July 3, 1986. Her goal was to create a legacy of warmth and hospitality. 

 In 2023, our dining room went under renovation creating a modern but homey room rentals for your next event.  Today, the business is run by their daughters Roxanne, Melodie and her husband, James. 

From its humble beginnings, the Dairy Bar has grown to offer much more than just ice cream. It now boasts an extensive menu featuring burgers, hot dogs, gyros, hoagies, wraps, pizzas, and its best-selling pulled pork sandwiches. However, its core appeal remains the delicious ice cream creations, including traditional sundaes, unique flavors like Caramel Cashew Crunch and Coffee Café Crunch, and even Dole Whip for those with dietary restrictions.

The Dairy Bar has become a staple of the Mill City-Lake Winola community, attracting patrons from nearby towns like Pittston and Scranton. It’s not just a place to eat; it’s a place where generations of families come together, creating memories and enjoying the warm, welcoming atmosphere that the Jordan family has cultivated for over six decades.