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Bergen Ice Cream Shops Welcome Warm Weather

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Now that Bergen County has slogged through what's expected to be the final snowstorm of the winter, ice cream shop owners are licking their chops — or, rather, their cones — at the promise of an early spring.

Arvind, owner of Cake & Cone in East Rutherford.

Arvind, owner of Cake & Cone in East Rutherford.

Photo Credit: Arvind Bhandari
Cake & Cone in East Rutherford.

Cake & Cone in East Rutherford.

Photo Credit: Arvind Bhandari
Cake & Cone in East Rutherford.

Cake & Cone in East Rutherford.

Photo Credit: Arvind Bhandari
Cake & Cone in East Rutherford.

Cake & Cone in East Rutherford.

Photo Credit: Arvind Bhandari
Cake & Cone in East Rutherford.

Cake & Cone in East Rutherford.

Photo Credit: Arvind Bhandari

Warm winter temperatures inspired East Rutherford's Cake and Cone owner Arvind Bhandari to open early.

"The weather cooperated," said Bhandari, 34, who opened on the last day of February. "We did real well."

The forecasts have him and other ice cream shop owners in Bergen County psyched: AccuWeather predicts temperatures will reach the 60s this week.

Business "comes and goes with weather" for Edgewater Haagen-Dazs owner Jason Park. "If the forecast is to be believed, we should be in for a good week."

Ditto for "Build Your Yogurt" in Closter.

"The weather is the biggest external factor for our business," said Manager Bengie Chung.

Once one good day comes, there's no stopping crowds at New Milford's Brain Freeze.

"People want to get out and about when it first gets warm," owner Bob Kovanes told Daily Voice. "Business this winter was already better than expected so we are excited."

Bhandari, who closes his seasonal ice cream stand after Thanksgiving, could've stayed open through New Year's because the weather was so warm.

"You just never know," he said.. "I was selling Christmas trees in the lot during the holidays but I probably could have been open.

"Working here and serving ice cream is a very fun job. Everyone is very friendly when the weather breaks."

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