AKRON, Ohio – Nik Pappas of Pav’s Creamery knows ice cream. It’s his family business, it’s in his blood, it’s local. But there’s a fun, ironic part of his business.
“I am lactose intolerant,” said Pappas, who will nibble on a spoonful now and again, but that’s about it. Pav’s is getting ready to mark two years next month at its Akron shop, but the classic ice-cream company, which has five locations, goes back more than 50 years. Pappas said he was contacted by a landlord at the Corner Provisions complex at Ghent and Cleveland-Massillon roads who wanted an ice-cream shop in the basement.
“You know what?” said Pappas, who grew up in North Canton. “This is a good area for us.” Now, word has gotten out and Pav’s in Akron has developed a loyal following for the 1,200-square-feet space that features classic and sometimes crazy flavors and a clock shaped like an ice-cream cone.
The interior is painted in soft tones of an old-fashioned ice-cream parlor. The company’s roots go back more than half a century to Pappas’ grandfather Bill Micochera, who was a standout football player at Cuyahoga Falls High School and who went on to play briefly for Woody Hayes at Ohio State. But he was a tradesman at heart and returned home.
He eventually became bored with his tire-making job at Goodyear. “He drove past (the original) Pav’s (on Manchester Road) one day and said, ‘You know what? That’s what I want to do,’ ” Pappas said. So he bought Pav’s – .
