Family turns old bank into ice cream parlor, arcade in Burlingame

OSAGE COUNTY (KSNT) – A local family is getting ready to embark on a new adventure in Burlingame with the opening of an ice cream parlor in an old bank.

Robin Ridgeway is getting ready for the big day when Sweet Savings Bank Ice Cream Parlor opens its doors to the community. Ridgeway and her husband, Brett, along with her daughter Samantha Garrison and son-in-law David Garrison, will open the shop for business at 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 31 at 102 West Santa Fe in Burlingame.

Ridgeway, co-owner of the business, said the building Sweet Savings Bank is in was built in 1903 and rebuilt in 1906 after a fire damaged the structure. She said the building’s prior history as a local bank inspired the name choice for the new ice cream parlor.

“Here at the ice cream parlor we offer both hard scoop ice cream and soft serve,” Ridgeway said. “We do have options that are dairy free, keto.”

The owners of Sweet Savings Bank will keep the business open at different times throughout the week depending on whether it is during the summer or the school year and will always be closed on Mondays. Customers can expect to find cones, homemade waffle cones, cups, sundaes, malts, shakes, a variety of toppings and special offers such as the Bearcat pride sundaes served on Sundays that pay homage to the USD 454’s mascot.

“My daughter and I both love ice cream,” Ridgeway said. “Any time of day, any time of year, we’ll eat ice cream.”

Ridgeway said the building will also be home to a laundromat in the future for tenants that live there and the general public. She also said there are plans for The Den, which suffered a fire in March this year, to move into another part of the building down the road. The restaurant is currently set to open again sometime in September 2025.

“We also have arcade games,” Ridgeway said. “So we have five different arcade games in the ice cream parlor.”

Ridgeway said the addition of an ice cream parlor to the building was somewhat easy as a deli used to occupy the space which made the transition smoother. She said many pieces of the building’s old life as a bank can still be seen by guests such as in tin ceilings and architecture.

“I’m hoping for a big crowd of course,” Ridgeway said. “Come in and check it out!”

Customers are encouraged to swing by for the opening and check out one of the several arcade games or grab a scoop of one of the eight different flavors of soft serve ice cream once the shop opens. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is also set, with the Burlingame mayor and city council set to attend, on Aug. 15 this year.

“There’s something for everybody,” Ridgeway said.

Samantha Garrison also encourages people to follow progress on the new business that are coming to the same building as Sweet Savings Bank Ice Cream Parlor by visiting the Reviving Burlingame Facebook page. You can learn more about the parlor by following its account on Facebook by clicking here.

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