By Sarah Mahan

The Selma Times-Journal

Beating the summer heat is an obstacle all Selma residents share, and few ways are better than with a cold, sweet treat.

Ice cream and other cool treats are best sellers at the Selma-based shop Sweet Advantages, located on Lauderdale Street.

“Business is much better in the summer. Kids and adults both love ice cream so they are both in here often,” Daniqueica Johnson, manager of Sweet Advantages, said.

Johnson said they have a difficult time keeping up with the demand for the favorite ice cream flavors.

The shop goes through so much ice cream during the summer they have to order a new batch every week.

“The kids favorite is called crazy colors. It tastes just like vanilla but the kids love it because it is red, blue and yellow swirled together. The next favorite is cotton candy for the kids,” Johnson said. “I was actually just about to order a new shipment because we go through it so fast.”

Six-year-old Maddie Smith enjoyed a cup of cotton candy ice cream on Wednesday.

“I like the cotton candy flavor. It’s my favorite because it’s so sweet,” Smith said before her mother added getting ice cream is a great way to get out of the house.

Adults also have their favorite ice cream flavors to help stay cool.

“For adults the favorite is pecan pralines ‘n cream. They also really like butter pecan,” Johnson added.

Of course no ice cream cone is complete with out toppings. Johnson said the favorite toppings during the summer are unsurprisingly all chocolate.

“We have sveral toppings, but chocolate rocks, Snickers and Reeces are the favorite [for the summer],” Johnson said.

Sweet Advantages allows customers to create their own sweet treats by letting them mix and match any of the flavors or toppings.

“We always are up for new ideas. Whatever the customer wants we can make,” Johnson said. “Last week a lady came in and asked me to put pieces of banana in her shake. Now, I love it and am trying to come up with a good name for it on the menu.”

She encouraged residents to stop by and “test out” the ice cream flavors when trying to stay cool this summer.

“ We are always adding and changing [flavors],” Johnson said. “We are actually getting soft serve ice cream soon.”