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The Original Meadows Frozen Custard in Duncansville is celebrating 75 years since its opening this month.
DUNCANSVILLE — Some things change over the years, while others stay the same.
That’s the case with the Original Meadows Frozen Custard, which is celebrating 75 years in business in 2025.
Their frozen custard recipe is the same today as when the custard stand opened on July 4, 1950.
“It is a special recipe, I have it in a safe. It has all-natural ingredients made with milk, cream and egg yolks. Frozen custard has a much creamier flavor, it is richer than ice cream, that’s why it is called French ice cream. It has a higher butter fat content,” said Joel Meadows, who owns the business today with his brothers Jay and Richard.
“The vanilla sends me back to 1950, it still tastes the same. We have never changed our quality,” Jay Meadows said.
The brothers’ grandfather, James V. Meadows, is credited with getting the frozen custard business started.
He came to the region from Virginia in 1928 to be a farmer and bought 24 acres. He went into the scrapple business — farming in the summer and making scrapple in the winter, Joel Meadows said.
He opened a farm market and got tired of farming around the age of 49.
“He thought about going into ice cream. He went to Ohio and found a place where they sold frozen custard. He came back and went to the Sealtest plant in Altoona. He worked with a manager and group at Sealtest and came up with a recipe for frozen custard,” Joel Meadows said.
James built the stand and opened the business with his sons Delbert and Richard.
Success from the start
“People would line up for the frozen custard,” Joel Meadows said.
When Sealtest went out of business, the recipe was transferred to Galliker’s Dairy, which is now in charge of production.
In the early days, The Meadows offered chocolate and vanilla and one flavor of the day. Some of those were teaberry, banana, strawberry and butterscotch.
Today, The Meadows offers at least 30 different flavors.
“Today we offer four flavors, vanilla, chocolate and two flavors of the day. Today people like the add-ins such as cookies and cream and chocolate peanut butter cup,” Joel Meadows said.
Cookie Monster and raspberry are also very popular.
“Every time we have it (Cookie Monster) our business doubles. It is vanilla with blue food coloring with cookie dough and Oreo cookies. It is very popular, the kids love it,” Joel Meadows said. “Raspberry is very popular, we use the top flavorings that are available and raspberry puree.”
The Meadows sells about 1,000 gallons of frozen custard a week during the prime season — April 15 to Sept. 15.
Batting cages and a miniature golf course were added in 1989. In years past, The Meadows also had a golf driving range and go karts.
“We made it into a family fun center, one thing led to another,” Joel Meadows said.
In 2013, the original 1,500-square-foot building was taken down and a new 2,000-square-foot facility with a drive-
thru window was opened in its place in 2014. A new miniature golf course was opened in 2022.
In the 1980s, the Meadows started selling franchises. There are now 32 franchises, with more on the way.
“We don’t recruit franchises, they come to us. Many of the franchisees grew up here and were familiar with the product and wanted to open their own,” said Steve Gardner, president/CEO of the Meadows Franchise System.
Today, the Meadows has franchises in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas and even one in Australia.
“There was a similar frozen custard chain in Australia. This franchisee was late to the game and started to look for another frozen custard chain. He found us online, came to the United States, tried it and liked it and opened up his franchise in 2016,” Gardner said.
The Meadows is known for providing lots of jobs for high school students over the years. Jay Meadows said the business has employed about 5,400 teens over the years.
“Throughout their entire history The Meadows gave young people the opportunity to make some money. The Meadows made sure the experience for high school and college kids was not just making money and they learned the value of work. They helped a lot of young people be able to have a career in the hospitality industry and how to deal with people,” said Joe Hurd, retired president/CEO of the Blair County Chamber of Commerce.
Seventy teenagers are working at the Duncansville location this summer.
Joel Meadows said working at The Meadows is generational in a lot of cases, as “some of these kids’ moms and dads worked for us.”
A significant milestone
Joel Meadows credits customers and loyal patrons for the success of their family business for 75 years.
“We are so grateful we’ve had the response from customers over the years. I read that only 1-3 percent of family businesses last 75 years,” Joel Meadows said.
“It is a true testament to the Meadows family maintaining the quality of the product and not changing anything. People keep coming back for the same product they had years ago, they know what they are getting,” Gardner said.
Hurd said family businesses have played a significant role in the growth and maintenance of the local business community. The Meadows franchises have become community staples in towns down the East Coast due to the hard work and persistence of the Meadows family.
“The Meadows boys are still at it and they continue to be what has propelled the company to growth and expansion into other areas,” Hurd said. “They deserve all the accolades they receive for how long they have been in operation and how successful they have been.”
The Meadows has been purchasing equipment from Carnegie Equipment of Altoona since the beginning.
“It’s been an honor for our three generations and for 75 years to work with the Meadows family, a business built on community support. They have been committed to quality and dedication to their customers and employees. With their philanthropic efforts and what they have done for many organizations, we share the same core values,” said Carnegie President George C. Ferris II. “We’ve been fortunate to have a long time relationship with The Meadows and their franchising system.”
The quality of their product has been the key to success, Joel Meadows said.
He said his grandfather would be proud of what the business has become today.
“He would love it, he would be thrilled with this,” Joel Meadows said.
Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.