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# These jerks know their ice cream Soda fountain makes plans to call pier home
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/these-jerks-know-their-ice-cream-soda-fountain-makes-plans-to-call-pier-home/
- Published: 2007-11-19T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T03:59:05.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Business, Pier, #archive-import

*Making the pier sweeter*

SM PIER The Charles Looff Banana Royal and the Will Rogers hot fudge brownie are just some of the treats the ice-cream experts at Soda Jerks plan to serve at the historic Looff Hippodrome carousel building here when they open an old-school soda fountain next year.

Soda Jerks, known for its shakes, hot fudge sundaes and phosphates, is close to finalizing a contract with City Hall to build and operate a soda fountain at the pier using high-quality ice cream from the Fosselman Ice Cream Company, which has been making the dessert with a butter fat content of 16 percent since 1919\. Kevin McCafferty, a third generation soda jerk, said he plans to create a soda fountain that will incorporate Victorian elements of the carousel and include a suspended train that will circle the bar. There will also be a drop tin ceiling to give the fountain the look of those that were located in neighborhood drug stores.

“When we were submitting our proposal we felt like there wasn’t any other company that was better suited to do this,” said McCafferty, who got his start in the soda jerk business when he was 16 working for Fosselmans in Alhambra. “We’re set up for this. Our name is Soda Jerks. When you hear that you can’t help but think of an old school soda fountain. We think our opportunities are endless.”

City Hall and the Pier Restoration Corp. have been aggressively looking at ways to enliven the pier as they prepare to celebrate its 100th anniversary. A big part of that effort was finding a vendor to operate a soda fountain next to the carousel.

“We are really enthusiastic about working with them,” said Miriam Mack, economic development manager for City Hall. “They are a really authentic operation with a wonderful menu and a nostalgic feel that will be appropriate for the carousel.”

If the contract and plans are approved, which will include a meeting with the Landmarks Commission, Soda Jerks will occupy roughly 300 square feet of the northeast corner of the building. It’s a small space, but large enough to accommodate about 12 stools and possibly a take out window, McCafferty said.

The price and terms of the lease are still to be negotiated. Mack said if all goes well, the fountain will be up and running well before the 100th anniversary celebration in Sept. 2009.

Soda Jerks has been out of operation for the past two years, having closed up shop in Pasadena to look for a larger space. McCafferty said it has been difficult to find a suitable location in Pasadena, Soda Jerks’ hometown, but they are still actively searching and hope to open a location there soon, in addition to the pier.

McCafferty is confident that the pier venture will be a success.

“A lot of times people will sacrifice quality because they assume kids don’t care,” McCafferty said about competing ice cream operators. “But what they don’t realize is that they have to cater to the adults who are bringing these kids, too. That’s what we do at Soda Jerks. We use only the best ice cream to satisfy all of our customers. You won’t find any generational gap at Soda Jerks.

“We recognize that we have a special opportunity here and we want to make sure we do things right,” McCafferty added. “We are very passionate about this project and want to make sure that we do it right the first time, with no mistakes.”

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/111907-02_01.jpg)

(Photo: Photo courtesy Chris Stanford)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 19, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/111907.pdf?ref=smdp.com)