Perhaps You Can Buy Happiness—at Sandy’s Chill Spot!

Sandy's Is #1!

written by Dave Dunbar, Contributing Writer

You can’t buy happiness, but as Nancy Pinheiro, owner of Sandy’s Chill Spot in Bellingham, quickly adds, “You can buy ice cream.”

As we move into the warm summer months, Sandy’s customers are clearly pleased. So much so, they have voted the ice cream parlor at 800 Pulaski Boulevard #1 in Bellingham and #1 in Blackstone in the Wicked Local Readers’ Choice Awards for 2017.

The awards, published at the end of June, also honor Sandy’s Chill Spot with the 2017 Silver Regional Favorite award, ranking Sandy’s Chill Spot #2 for ice cream parlors.

 Opened in 2012, Sandy’s offers 35+ flavors of hard ice cream, 80 flavors of soft ice cream, and a full grill menu. Relatively new to the menu is Fish n’ Chips, served only on Fridays.  “Everything has to be fresh,” says Ms. Pinheiro (right), adding that the fish comes from a local seafood market and is purchased that morning.

All of Sandy’s hard ice cream is hormone free and antibiotics free.  The ice cream is always fresh, served no more than three weeks after it was manufactured by a local dairy farm.

“We like to go the extra distance, by catering to people with food allergies and other special dietary needs,” says Ms. Pinheiro (shown scooping ice cream, left). Sandy’s offers no-sugar-added ice cream, 95% fat-free frozen yogurt and a few gluten-free ice cream flavors.

So who is “Sandy” anyway?  Sandy, now departed, was Ms. Pinheiro’s dog when she opened the first location in Blackstone in 2005. Sandy loved her doggy ice cream. And today, dogs are welcomed at Sandy’s Chill Spot, where these “furry friends” are offered frozen doggy treats.
At Sandy’s the most popular items are the Hurricanes that are offered in several varieties, and the most favorite specialty sundae is the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

Sandy’s employees take customer service to the next level.  At the ordering window, each customer is greeted with a smile.  Employees are eager to help each customer, in order to make their customer’s visit “wonderful.”  They are told that the most important person at that moment is the person they are serving at their window.

“My favorite ice cream place,” says Facebook poster Lisa Whalen.  “They’re always friendly and quite generous… you’ll certainly get your money’s worth. Want a special order? They take it with a smile and no problem. Their service is always good. Ice cream is always smooth and delicious.”

Sandy’s also gives back to the community. Donations go to town baseball teams, the local PTO and even a fundraiser or two.

What’s next for Sandy’s? “This is our dream,” says Ms. Pinheiro. However, she’s always on the lookout for new ideas—maybe an attractive change to the menu, or an expansion (like indoor seating for bad weather or more parking spaces or more entertainment for the kids).

To keep up with the changes and new promotions, check out Sandy’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Sandys.Ice.Cream.Bellingham) or visit their website, www.sandys icecream.com. The Bellingham location is open seven days a week, noon to 10 pm; the Blackstone location is open Mon–Fri, 2-10 pm, and Sat & Sun, 12–10 pm.

What is the biggest satisfaction from running Sandy’s?  When a customer says “You’re awesome, we love coming to Sandy’s, and we thank you very much for being a part of our town and community.”