It was usually one of two tasty frozen treats.
The “Cookie Dough Blizzard” always was Luke Duplaga’s first preference when his mother or father would stop at Dairy Queen after working just down the street at the family-owned Generations Restaurant.
If he didn’t want to wait the few minutes it takes to blend the Oreo-inspired concoction, a small vanilla cone with crunchies would do the quick trick for the young man. And he remembers those stops. Clearly.
“There were times when I just wanted the ice cream,” he said with a broad smile. “I’ve seen the same thing today, too. Some kids just don’t want to wait the extra minutes it takes to make something like our sundae or banana split. They want their ice cream.”
Luke began investigating the investment four months ago and he created the Dupe’s Scoops & More Facebook page in early July. He then announced the shop’s reopening later the same month, and once the permitting process was completed, Duplaga opened Dupe’s Scoops on September 10th.
“I do love our ice cream, but it’s about more than ice cream,” Luke explained. “It’s really about being in Fulton because this part of Wheeling has been great to my family for a lot of years. Our family has been in Fulton since my great-grandfather owned the Generations property, and most people in town these days remember the Swing Club before it was Generations.
“So, when the Dairy Queen closed last year and they put it up for sale, I really started thinking about the possibilities. I knew I wanted a business of my own, and this opportunity seemed perfect,” he said. “Now we have the soft serve and scooped ice cream, and our food menu went live last week, and we’ve had a lot of customers. They come in waves, too.”
Luke is one of five children raised by Mike and Alyssa Duplaga, owners and operators of Generations Restaurant & Pub at the base of Wheeling Hill. The eatery opens daily at 9 a.m. for breakfast and remains in operation into the evening hours seven days each week. Live entertainment is a constant on the weekends, and the Duplaga’s offers daily meal and beverage specials all week long.
Luke has been a member of Generations management for the past few years, and now plans to work double duty until the cold weather sets in. Dupe’s will be open Tuesday through Friday from 3-9 p.m. this week and from Noon until 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
“I would love to stay open at Dupe’s for another month, but that’ll depend on the weather. It’s been a warm Fall so far and there’s not been a lot of rain since we opened,” Luke said. “I plan to keep everyone updated on the Facebook page as far as when we’ll be open and for how long.
“The time will come when we’ll have to close for the winter, too,” he explained. “My plan for our re-opening next year is St. Patrick’s Day and hopefully we’ll sell plenty of green ice cream.”
Paving A Path
Nine times out of 10, when customers encounter Luke at Generations, he’s wearing that broad smile whether he’s delivering meals, bussing tables, or playing the part of host with the most.
The same has been true through the windows at Dupe’s Scoops during his first month of business.
“The support from so many people has been amazing, and it’s meant a lot to me emotionally. It really has. I know I had a lot of encouragement when I was getting everything ready for the opening, but it’s been incredible since we opened,” Luke said. “I love what I do at Generations, but Dupe’s Scoops has given more motivation to be successful in business and as a person. It’s given me a great reason to get up in the morning and do something awesome.
“It’s hard to explain, but this business will help me become the person I want to be,” he admitted. “I’m exhausted when I go to bed every night, and if I have any questions, I just ask my Dad because he’s done it all. Besides all of the support I’ve received, it’s great to see people coming here because they just love ice cream.”
He really didn’t know if they would. Not only are there other soft-serve ice cream operations in the Wheeling area, the area’s little leaguers obviously found a new treat for their postgame celebrations this past spring and summer.
“The Dairy Queen didn’t open in the spring and summer, and everyone seemed to be OK about it. I heard about it, yeah, but it just seemed like it was accepted,” Luke said. “But people sure wanted ice cream in Fulton, that’s for sure. Maybe it’s the location, maybe it’s the nostalgia, maybe it’s both. But people most definitely want their ice cream in Fulton.
“This is where all the ball teams have come for years, but they didn’t have it this summer and it was something I heard about at the restaurant,” he said. “Hopefully, those teams will come back next year.”
Now, his parents have taught him the first rule of business: One. Day. At. A Time. But there’s so much more that Luke must learn for himself.
“You have to buy the business and then all of the equipment before you open, sure, but then you have to learn about how to deal with the obstacles and then there’s the learning process about the taxes, the inventory, and the ordering the supplies,” he detailed. “You have to recognize the trends, too.
“We’re getting the flow of things and working out the kinks,” Luke insisted. “There’s a lot more to learn, and that’s why I wanted to open while we still have some great weather in the area.”
