DELRAY BEACH, Fla .– A Delray Beach ice cream store is preparing to open a second location, but there was a time when it seemed like the original location might not make it.

Brendy’s Ice Cream & Yogurt has been in downtown Delray Beach for over a decade. Nestled in the middle of Pineapple Grove, the family business was unsure whether it would survive the pandemic.

“Once the pandemic hit, our sales (were) down to zero,” owner Raghnall Raffael Rafi told WPTV.

He said the small store, which employs around 10 people, was fortunate enough to get a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program, allowing it to keep everyone on staff and help pay the bills. .

“Without the PPP loan, we would have closed our business a long time ago,” he said.

Rafi said he is now preparing to open a second location in a new mall on the corner of Lyons Road and Atlantic Avenue. He hopes the new location will reach more of the community, as the downtown location caters to a different market.

Miranda Christian / WPTV

“60 to 70% of our turnover comes from tourists,” he said.

Rafi admitted it was scary to open a new location without knowing the future impacts of the pandemic, but he hopes the community will continue to support Brendy’s to keep the goodies flowing.

Although construction has been delayed due to the pandemic, Rafi expects Brendy’s to open its new location over the summer.