“I am just so blessed to be here,“ said Sherri Shearer-Prouty, as she glanced around her new ice-cream shop in downtown Rutland, which she runs with her daughter Paige. This spring the pair relocated their business, Prouty’s Parlor, to a recently purchased building on Merchants Row — just one block away from its original spot, which first opened in March 2024.
Shearer-Prouty is no stranger to business ownership.
“Seventeen years ago, I had a tearoom upstairs in this building,“ she said. “I probably would have opened another one, but Loose Loona is just around the corner.“ After weighing her options, she settled on an ice-cream shop, saying its hours were a good fit for her lifestyle — open not too early and not too late.
“I remember those special moments of going out for ice cream as a family when my kids were growing up, and even when I was young,“ she said. “Rutland was missing a place to sit down and make those memories.“
Owner Sherri Shearer-Prouty. Courtesy photo.
Shearer-Prouty and her daughter set out to create a nostalgic space where families could relax and spend time together. Not only is the new location more centrally located, but its spacious layout and full kitchen have allowed the Proutys to grow beyond ice-cream sales. They now offer custom ice-cream cakes and host special events.
Downstairs, the shop features an ice-cream counter serving a dozen flavors of Wilcox ice cream and a rotating selection of specials, set against a colorful backdrop of old-fashioned candies and bottled sodas. An open wooden staircase leads to the second floor, where a cozy sitting area doubles as an event space, complete with board games.
Tempting cone of Wilcox ice cream. Courtesy photo.
Before moving into the new space, mother and daughter hoped to buy additional freezers and a creemee machine. Shearer-Prouty wanted to take advantage of financial assistance offered by the town of Rutland for new equipment purchases. However, qualifying required a business plan and financial projections, which were challenging to provide since the shop had not yet been open a full year.
So Shearer-Prouty turned to Nancy Shuttleworth, an adviser at the Vermont Small Business Development Center, for guidance.
“Nancy helped me put together everything I needed to apply for the assistance,“ she said. “Every time I talk with her, she’s such a great support.“
That kind of help has been especially valuable during tougher times. One of the biggest challenges of owning a business, Shearer-Prouty said, is learning to ride out the natural ups and downs.
“When things get hard, I tell myself, ’It’s going to be OK, I’ll figure it out.“
Prouty’s Parlor is at 62 Merchants Row in downtown Rutland. Summer hours are Thursday through Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
To support vital journalism, access our archives and get unique features like our award-winning profiles, Book of Lists & Business-to-Business Directory, subscribe HERE!
