From frozen custard to soft serve, Longboat's treats help locals stay cool

Those seeking to satisfy their sweet tooth have plenty of options with shops including the newly opened M & W Sweet Spot on Longboat Key's north end.

By Dana Kampa
| 10:00 a.m. July 15, 2026

Logan Shaw, Wolfe Shaw, Michael Garey and Calvin Shaw, the team behind the new M & W Sweet Spot frozen treat shop on Longboat Key, showcase a variety of their offerings, including frozen custard sandwiches and drinks.

Arts + Entertainment
Eat + Drink

Summer is heating up in southwest Florida, and, just in time to help patrons beat the heat, a new frozen treats spot is firing up the freezers and bringing frozen custard to Longboat Key.

M & W Sweet Spot recently opened at the Centre Shops in place of Tyler's Ice Cream. It is in good company, as nearby St. Armands Key has nearly a dozen shops selling frozen treats and has always played host to ice cream innovation, such as waffle cones.

Fittingly, July is also National Ice Cream Month, and National Ice Cream Day falls on Sunday, July 19. The weather is hot, and many locally are turning to ice cream shops for sweet relief.

Michael Garey, local restaurateur and owner of the neighboring Lazy Lobster, was a part-owner of Tyler's and is now bringing on two new young partners. He noted that, even though this is considered the low season on Longboat, July is historically the third busiest month in the year at the newly-rechristened M & W as visitors try to beat the heat.

Garey is the 'M' in M & W — the owners' father, Wolfe Shaw, is the 'W' — but, otherwise, the shop has seen a robust overhaul with new co-owners, brothers Logan and Calvin Shaw; a new highly customizable menu, and a new flagship dessert.

Calvin Shaw, part-owner of the new M & W Sweet Spot, serves up a cone of rainbow sherbert.

Wolfe Shaw shows off the texture of the freshly churned chocolate frozen custard at the new M & W Sweet Spot.

The Shaws brought in a double-barreled frozen custard machine capable of freezing both vanilla and chocolate on the spot. As their father and consultant explained, frozen custard has a higher ratio of egg yolks and less air whipped into it than typical ice cream, giving it a rich flavor.

The shop hasn't yet held a grand opening, but plenty of residents and visitors have been stopping in to sample the new desserts, the owners said.

Tyler's Ice Cream was open at the location for 10 years, and Garey said he is looking forward to seeing customers experience everything the new brand has to offer.

"They brought a different concept, and it's pretty cool because, from Anna Maria Island to Lido Beach, we are the only custard shop," Garey said.

In addition to the frozen custard, the shop offers housemade soft serve and hard scoop ice cream, frozen lemonade, floats, ice cream sandwiches and more.

Wolfe Shaw said the team has prioritized using natural fruits and cane sugar for its ingredients as much as possible so guests can enjoy a treat while still knowing what goes into it.

While everyone there shares a vision, they all do have different favorites. Garey says the white chocolate raspberry ice cream is unbeatable, while Calvin likes the cinnamon brown sugar and Wolfe prefers the straight-up frozen custard.

"We feel that the custard is superior," Garey said when asked what long-term patrons can expect of the newly branded shop. "It's more versatile and fresher than ever."

Garey said that, while he will still be involved in operations, he looks forward to seeing the Shaw brothers — both in their 20s — take the reins, especially considering they first met when he employed them at the Centre Shops.

Like Garey, Wolfe said he looks forward to seeing his sons take the wheel, though he is happy to offer advice based on his career's worth of experience in food service with national brands.

M & W Sweet Spot is located 5350 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Suite 103. Summer hours are from 4-10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

National Ice Cream Month

Those looking to stay cool this July can find frozen treats of all sorts on the barrier islands, including big chains and and local stalwarts.

On St. Armands Circle, Big Olaf Creamy boasts one of the area's longest operating records at 44 years and counting. The shop specializes in hard-scoop ice cream from the local Yoder's Southern Creamery.

Dave Tesar, owner of Big Olaf Creamy on St. Armands Circle, dishes up one of the most popular hard-scoop ice cream flavors, "Gator Trail." Selling locally sourced treats from Yoder's Southern Creamery, the ice cream shop is one of the longest-standing in the area, at 44 years in business.

Owner Dave Tesar took over from the original owners from Michigan, Dennis and Nancy Yoder.

"They introduced the waffle cone to the state of Florida," he said in the bustling shop last Saturday afternoon.

Tesar bought the shop in 1987 while the couple focused on a second shop on Siesta Key. He said the best part of being in the community since then has been seeing the happy faces coming through the shop, especially now that second generations are coming in to share the experience with their own children — reflected in the family photos that hang on the walls.

Because the ice cream shop is cash only, he said it has been able to keep prices low for returning visitors — most of whom prefer "Gator Trail," a mixture of vanilla ice cream, peanut butter cups, chocolate flakes and chocolate swirl.

Kyla Balas tops a scoop of raspberry sorbet with the signature French cookie of Le Macaron French Pastries on St. Armands Circle. She said either the sorbet or the gelato can be blended for a refreshing drink to enjoy while shopping around the Circle.

Those who prefer a lighter, fruity frozen treat can also find several sorbet and gelato shops on St. Armands, including at Le Macaron French Pastries.

Behind the counter, Kyla Balas explained both specialties are ideal for keeping cool while shopping around the Circle.

She said patrons have been loving the light, bright fruit flavors like raspberry and lemon this summer. On the fresh, but slightly more decadent gelato side, she said the Dubai chocolate flavor has been very popular, adding to the list of options people enjoying the beaches can seek this summer.

What's the difference?

Sorbet, frozen custard and other frozen treats all have different characteristics that set them apart.

From sorbet to soft serve, frozen treats are proving just the ticket for beating the heat this summer.

Photo by Dana Kampa

Frozen custard: Contains a higher percent of egg yolk than ice cream; smaller ice crystals for a smooth, dense texture.
Hard scoop ice cream: Contains less egg yolk and optional dairy products including condensed, concentrated, evaporated, sweetened or skim milk, buttermilk, cream and more, with no less than 10% milk fat.
Soft serve ice cream: Typically contains more air for a softer texture than hard scoop; it also usually has less milk fat and is served at a lower temperature.
Gelato: With Italian roots, gelato is typically creamier than hard scoop ice cream but contains less butterfat; it is also usually served at a warmer temperature.
Sorbet: Typically nondairy with fruit puree as a base.

author

Dana Kampa

Dana Kampa is the Longboat Key neighbors reporter for the Observer. She first ventured into journalism in her home state of Wisconsin, going on to report community stories everywhere from the snowy mountains of Washington State to the sunny shores of the Caribbean. She has been a writer and photographer for more than a decade, covering what matters most to readers.