(Updated as of 8:22 am 6/7 with comments from the current owner.)
Want to run one of the most famous ice cream shops in Champaign County? Now is your chance.
According to a post on Facebook late Monday by a local realtor, Sidney Dairy Barn will be coming on the market soon, seeking new ownership.
The listed price is $500,000. The listing agent is Clayton Maddox of the Littlefield Group: Keller Williams Realty.
The Sidney Dairy Barn ownership confirmed the news overnight. In a message to chambanamoms.com, they said:
“Thank you for your interest as we are looking for someone(s) that will take over the entire operation and continue to run it as we have for the past 27 years. It is a turnkey operation that we offer.”
The entire operation includes the shop, the MOO Thru (more on that below), and the MOO mobile – the mobile ice cream truck that is a fixture at local fairs, festivals and markets.
There’s no word yet on when the shop will actually go on the market.
The iconic cow-themed shop is a reason why many Champaign County residents take a detour through the countryside to Sidney. It boasts of the “World’s Best Ice Cream” and prides itself on using fresh ingredients.
Its flavor of the week is often a hot topic of discussion, with options from lemon to orange to oreo. (See our review.)
It is open seasonally – generally closed from December to March, but it opens sporadically even in the cold months. Sidney Dairy Barn is a signature stop on our Champaign-Urbana area ice cream trail.
There’s no inside seating at Sidney Dairy Barn – but the shop has plenty of room outside. The shop also has one of the more unique drive thrus you will ever experience, called the MOO Thru.
Via the website: “You drive through a farming/black smith shop museum on your way to the ordering station. At the end of the MOO Thru is a replica of a 1965 ice cream shop… here is where you place your order. No need to leave your vehicle. You can order anything on our menu from the comfort of your car, truck, bicycle, motorcycle, golf cart or scooter. If it has wheels, you can order in the MOO Thru.”
The business is a popular place for local teenagers to work, and it has many alumni from over the years.
