The Beal’s Famous Old Fashioned Ice Cream shop at Oak Hill in Scarborough is now under new ownership.

Prior to Christmas, former Town Councilor Sue Foley-Ferguson announced that she had purchased the shop, which is her second Beal’s store. She also owns the ice cream shop on Veranda Street in Portland.

Foley-Ferguson said this week the Scarborough location “provides an opportunity for me to be open year round, to serve premium, locally made ice cream and offer some other food choices,” as well.

Her plan is to offer both ice cream and soups in what she’s dubbed a “Soup and Scoop” business plan. “I love soup in the winter. Who doesn’t?” Foley-Ferguson said. “It’s fast, it’s healthy and it’s warm.”

She plans to offer a line of soups from Portland-based Kamasouptra, which, “like the ice cream, are also very high quality and locally made.” She said that, also like the Beals brand, Kamasouptra uses fresh ingredients in creating its “small batch and very fresh” soups.

Her plan is to offer three to four soup options at a time “until the business builds up. However, I think Scarborough residents will eat it up knowing what I know about Kamasouptra’s reputation. And I hope it will encourage them to (also order) a scoop with their soup.”

Foley-Ferguson is also thrilled to be a local business owner.

“Who doesn’t want to serve their own community?” she said. “It will be a lot of fun to get to know Scarborough (residents) from a different angle than I already know them.”

Karen Martin, executive director of the Scarborough Economic Development Corp., is also pleased that the Beal’s store in Oak Hill is now under local ownership.

“What’s not to love about having a local ice cream mogul in town?” she said. “Beal’s Famous Old Fashioned Ice Cream will clearly benefit from Suzanne’s experience and expertise, having owned the Veranda Street location for a number of years.”

Martin added, “Equally important is her knowledge of the community. As a resident and local leader, she will bring a personal touch to the business that is so important to today’s consumer, particularly in food-oriented businesses.”

She also praised Foley-Ferguson’s plan to offer soup this winter.

“She’s already customizing and thinking about innovation with the addition of soup to the menu,” Martin said.

In 1988, the Malia family of Scarborough purchased the Beal’s ice cream formula first created by Roy Beal. The Malias now serve five retail ice cream stores, two in Portland, one in South Portland, one in Gorham and the Scarborough shop in Oak Hill.

The secret to the ice cream “is (the) super high quality ingredients and small batch production,” according to the Beal’s website. The Malia family creates more than 100 super-premium ice cream flavors from a commercial kitchen in Gorham. In addition to award-winning ice cream, the family also makes frozen yogurts, raspberry and lemon sorbet and cakes and pies.

In keeping the Oak Hill Beal’s open all year, Foley-Ferguson said, “I always wanted to try to offer some other items that could help sustain a year-round ice cream store.”

She purchased the Portland store in 2010 and said: “It was obvious to me that some of my customers were dying for a place to buy a cone or sundae during the winter. But that store is a walk-up store, and isn’t insulated. So when the Malias asked if I was interested in buying the (Scarborough) store, I was excited.”

In introducing a soup menu at the Oak Hill location, Foley-Ferguson said each cup or bowl of soup would come with a freshly baked roll from Botto’s Bakery, on Washington Street in Portland, or rolls that are made fresh in the store.

“It is likely that I will also offer crackers at some point, too,” she said. “The store at the mall sells apples, as well, and I may have some items like that available as an option for a quick lunch.”

In addition, Foley-Ferguson is considering offering some fresh juices.

“I would love to have customer feedback on whether they would like to have fresh-squeezed, healthy juices at Oak Hill. I think there is (definitely) a market for fresh and local offerings,” she said.

And, Foley-Ferguson said, “One customer already came in and suggested that we host children’s birthday parties, so I have been thinking about that, as well.”

What makes Beal’s special, she said, is that it is locally made.

“People love local foods,” she said. “They want to support local businesses. Plus, there are very few year-round ice cream stores.”

Foley-Ferguson said that per capita, Mainers eat “way above-average amounts of ice cream year round compared to other states. Some statistics say that 87 percent of people have ice cream in their freezer at any given time.”

Foley-Ferguson said, “What I like most about owning and operating an ice cream store is the people – both customers and staff. I love to meet new people, talk to them and make them happy. And ice cream is a happy product.

“My customers at the Veranda Street store have become a part of my family in a small way. I know their preferences, and we talk about their lives. I love that,” she said.

She has about nine employees at the Oak Hill store and said in the summer the Veranda Street location employs 14 staff members.

“Operating your own business requires a diversity of skills from accounting to plumbing,” she said. “I also love, love, love my staff. For most, this is their first job and I want it to be enjoyable and educational.”

She hopes to build up the Oak Hill store to be as busy as the Veranda Street store.

“Two stores will also allow some of my top employees to get more hours,” Foley-Ferguson said. “This winter, however, I will be working the store myself most days and some nights.”

Sue Foley-Ferguson of Scarborough serves up ice cream at her Veranda Street store in Portland. She has purchased the Beal’s Famous Old Fashioned Ice Cream store at Oak Hill in Scarborough.