Jigger Shop quietly celebrates 120 years

(Mount Gretna) — Founded in 1895 by Charlie Myers as a sweet shop, known as Myer’s Pavilion, the Jigger Shop in Mount Gretna has been serving up tradition for 120 years.

With its deep, lush woods and far away-from-it-all charm, the shop, open Memorial Day to Labor Day, has what could be considered a cult following devoted to making at least one special trip out each summer.

Myers, a tailor out of Harrisburg, started the place as a summer business to offset his lack of customers during summer months. The pavilion specialized in bonbons according to current owner Drew Allwein. It wasn’t until the 1920’s that ice cream and fountain treats would become part of the open pavilions menu.

Lore has it that two girls vacationing in Gretna for the summer would stop in every afternoon. “One day the girls came up with this sundae combination and they loved it. So the next day they came back and asked the waitress if she could make that jigger again,” said Drew. “Jigger” at the time was a shorten term for “thingamajig” but the name soon caught on as customers requested The Jigger. So much so that the business name would be changed from Myer’s Pavilion to the Jigger Shop.

Made with two and a half scoops of French vanilla ice cream, chocolate or butterscotch syrup and whipped marshmallow, The Jigger is topped with a spoonful of secret-recipe Jigger nuts and still a customer favorite.

Since the days of “Uncle Charlie” the Jigger Shop has changed owners six times. The Allwein family has been in the business since 1963 when Chuck and Charlotte Allwein first purchased the beloved shop. Drew and his wife Linda have been running the business since the early 90’s.

The charm of the place is “nostalgic” and “old timey” according to Drew, recollecting a story about a customer that made a trip out each summer since she was a little girl. That customer was celebrating her 100th birthday. Her nephew she was with, who happened to be a former Navy SEAL, had worked in the shop during his youth in the 1950’s.

Customers sharing stories isn’t uncommon; according to Drew it’s an almost weekly occurrence and one of the things he loves about the place. “It’s just a place that sells ice cream but so many people have come through here. The Jigger Shop is kind of like the Volkswagen of restaurants. Everybody has a Volkswagen story; everybody’s been to the Jigger Shop. It seems like everybody has some goofy connection to the Jigger Shop and we are excited about that. We are proud to be a part of that.”

The love of the customers might hold the secret to the success. People have recognized the name and logo in Disney World and St. Thomas in the Caribbean and often stop to tell stories or just thank them for continuing a summer tradition. “Without the staff the Jigger Shop would be just fine. Without me the Jigger Shop will still be here, it’s been here since 1895 I don’t think it’s going anywhere. But it’s the

customers that will make it what it has always been, what it is today, and what it will be tomorrow. This place would be nothing without the customers,” said Drew, “It’s a summer tradition and we didn’t make that up. People tell us that all the time.”

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This article comes to us through a partnership between Lebanon Daily News and WITF.