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A Delightful And Healthy Dessert

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By TONY HOLT

Hernando Today

Published: January 12, 2009

SPRING HILL - The business sells desserts, but it is still an ideal place for those avid calorie counters.

That is the promise of the owners of D'lites Emporium, the newest ice cream parlor in Spring Hill.

The store opened a week or so after Pit Stop Ice Cream, located a short distance north, closed its doors for lack of business.

"The odds are on our favor," joked Addison Sullivan, as he prepared to open Friday morning.

His wife, Erin, is a former elementary school teacher. Her new full-time job is operating the new business. She is upbeat about the future of D'lites. A week earlier, the line stretched outside the door.

Her sister owns two D'lites in Tampa. Other relatives own one in St. Petersburg. All of them are doing booming business.

"We're a lot different from the others," Erin Sullivan said, comparing her parlor with her competition. "Our ice cream is 50 calories per serving. It is 150 calories at other places. This is really an unlikely solution to people's New Year's resolutions."

The calorie counts aren't all that's low at the store. A small cup of ice cream costs $1.99. An extra-large cup is $4.99.

Sullivan also sells sundaes, cones, shakes, malts, root beer floats, parfaits and cakes at reasonable prices.

There are two-dozen toppings to choose from.

Some of the pre-packaged products on the store's shelves include protein bars, powdered peanut butter, gluten-free cheesecakes and whole grain pastas.

Each day, D'lites offers six ice cream flavors. Chocolate and vanilla always are offered. The other four flavors change day after day.

"People with diabetes come in because everything is so low in sugar," Sullivan said. "It's low-carb, low-sugar, low-calorie, low-fat ... but it's all good."

D'lites Emporium began in 1982 in Plantation when Susan Corsover had her first of two heart surgeries. She was 31 years old.

She began exercising and eating better, but one cold, sweet dessert remained a regular part of her diet. She could not put down the ice cream scooper.

She searched for a healthier recipe for ice cream, but she couldn't find one.

Corsover invented her own cholesterol-free, low-calorie ice cream and D'lites was born.

"It's delicious," said Sullivan. "Once you taste it, you will like it. It's better for you than a piece of chocolate cake. You don't have to work out long to burn this off."

Her younger sister had always wanted to own a TCNY yogurt store, but the cost was too high. When she visited Gainesville, she tried D'lites and fell in love with it. She wasted no time buying a chain and opening it in Tampa. The store was unveiled in August 2007. Sullivan and her husband were born and raised in Brooksville. They were high school sweethearts and attended Florida State University together. They married in 2002.

They wanted to run a hometown business at an ideal location. They think they have found it next to the Publix at the corner of Barclay Avenue and Spring Hill Drive.

Sullivan also has the opportunity to show her creative side. She often uses the various extracts to create her own flavors. Last week, she concocted a mixture of dark chocolate, regular chocolate, vanilla and peanut butter. She called it tiger butter fudge. She has little doubt the store will flourish. For some, eating ice cream after dinner is a rare choice. For others, it's a regular ritual. That is the group Sullivan hopes to tap into.

"Ice cream is a kind of dessert some people want to have everyday," she said.

Biz at a glance:

Name of biz - D'lites Emporium

Owners - Addison and Erin Sullivan

What it is - Health-conscious ice cream parlor

Where it is - 14363 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill
Hours of operation - noon to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 1 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday

Get in touch - 352-684-3379

On the Web - www.tampabaydlites.com

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.

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