‘We have had to make the difficult decision’: Village Parlor in Hamilton closes

FILE PHOTO: The Village Parlor ice cream shop on Main Street has closed after 5 years in operation. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

FILE PHOTO: The Village Parlor ice cream shop on Main Street has closed after 5 years in operation. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

An ice cream shop open for the past 5 years in the former Hughes Pharmacy in Hamilton is closed.

The owners said in a Dec. 14 social media post that business was slow while they waited on other businesses to help revitalize the area on Main Street. The post reads:

To the fine folks of Hamilton,

We want to thank everyone for the opportunity to serve you over the past 5 years. In the process we have made many friends and fans of the Parlor.

We have had to make the difficult decision to close our doors as the time for our business here has to come to an end. To be clear, the city leadership and the CORE group have been very engaged and helpful. They are a best in class team of people you should all be thankful to have representing and directing resources to make Hamilton a destination. We believe that maybe our introduction to Hamilton was just premature as we needed more restaurant development around us to work with. I’m sure in the next 2 years, that the district will be a success. Now is not the time for us.

Our Lebanon location remains healthy and vibrant as it has continued to grow for the last 54 years. Please stop in and visit us for ice cream or a classic all-American lunch/dinner. If by chance you have a gift certificate to our stores, they are always good to use in Lebanon.

Once again, thank you to everyone we worked with, too many people to list but know that we are grateful.

FILE: The Village Ice Cream Parlor' second location was on Hamilton’s Main Street in the former Hughes Pharmacy space. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

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As the business closes, others have been opening nearby. A sit-down taco restaurant, Agave & Rye, is being constructed on the former Ritzi auto body shop site in the 300 block and a grand opening is expected in the summer of 2024.

The new Rossville Flats apartments also opened in the 300 block, directly across from Agave & Rye. CMC property manager Pete Montgomery said the 76 market-rate apartments, which include three two-bedroom units, complement the growing area west of the Great Miami River surrounding the four-story mixed-use development.

In a September interview with the Journal-News, Hamilton City Manager Joshua Smith said “the demand for walkable amenities, such as restaurants, bars, coffee shops, live music, unique hospitality, and parks, continues to rise.”

“We must look at regeneration of existing buildings and new construction to provide residential opportunities ranging from affordable to market rate, while continuing to improve our amenity mix.”

Next door to the former Village Parlor is Scripted Studio, a shop with uniquely designed, giftable items and stationary that is owned by a graphic designer. It opened in 2019.

On the other side of the Village Parlor space in the same building is the Farmer’s Collective, a small cafe and market selling locally sourced goods that opened earlier in 2023.

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