Seeking a more lively location, a local ice cream shop has moved from one spot in Lexington County to another.

IceCream Taco, now located at 2708 Emanuel Church Rd. in West Columbia, softly opened in its new spot less than a week ago after closing its previous location in November, looking to hire more staff before holding its grand re-opening.

Owner Sonia Norman opened her first location at 4884 Sunset Blvd. in Lexington in March 2022.

“I've always wanted a location where there's more life going on, and what I mean by life is other businesses,” she said. “That location where I was in Lexington was a standalone business pretty much.” 

She added that traffic and parking were also challenges at her small space adjoining Grand Appliances.

Norman said that she also had some concerns regarding her new location, adding that it seemed dark, having bars on the window and holes in the walls. 

“It wasn’t an inviting place,” she offered, explaining that upon meeting her new neighbors her opinions began to change.

“I found out that it would work,” she said. “My neighbors were warming and this would definitely be a blessed area.”

The new location shares a shopping center with I Heart Mac & Cheese, Rogue Games and Collectibles, Bogarts Restaurant, and Stroud Supply, among others.

During the soft opening phase, IceCream Taco is opening for sporadic hours announced on Facebook.

According to Norman, one of the most notable differences between the Lexington and West Columbia locations is the parking, stating that the new location offers a large amount of parking for tenants.

The restaurant’s menu will still feature 32 flavors of Hershey’s ice cream alongside chili dogs and tacos. The only change, Norman noted, is that the shakes will now only be available in one size instead of two.

Within the store, there is a noticeable difference in the amenities, Norman said the new location's larger size will allow them to create a play area for small kids, featuring kid-sized tables and chairs, high chairs, coloring books and more.

“We wanted a safe place for kids,” Norman said, “And for parents to also sit down and maybe play on their phone or just have adult conversation with the other parents in there while the kids are just having a great time.”

One thing that won’t be changing is the store offering an IceCream Taco picture wall, though there will be some differences in the wall itself. The new location features a green grass wall with flowers decorating it and red carpet ropes adorning the area in front, with Norman adding that a neon sign is in the works to be added. The previous location's wall utilized a large-scale sticker as the primary feature.

Norman said there’s no date for a grand-opening just yet, explaining she wants to make sure that all employees are fully ready to give top-notch service. She added that the new location will be a fully new staff, with none of the Lexington staff moving ove.

The owner said the Lexington staff will always be family, and they’ve been around to help prepare the new location.

Norman told the Chronicle that the transition to the new spot went really smoothly in terms of getting permits handled, with challenges mainly including figuring out where to put napkins, gloves and other items.

She said that instead of dreaming of getting married, having kids or playing house ,she always dreamed of starting a business.

 “I always wanted a storefront business. I didn't know what type of business," Norman said. “But I wanted a business where I had neighbors that when I got up to go to work, they were out there opening their business.”

Asked about the decision to open an ice cream shop, she said she loves cold treats and could eat ice cream everyday.

“This is a happy place,” Norman said. “This is where families meet.”