Owners of Island Cow, Mad Hatter open ice cream, coffee shop on Sanibel
The SanCap Chamber held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Feb. 27, for The Magic Bus on Sanibel.
And by the look of it, the ice cream and coffee shop is in very good hands.
Island Cow owners Brian and Elke Podlasek and Max and Bridget Kolshak of The Mad Hatter partnered in the joint venture in Seahorse Shops plaza on the island’s east end. It’s in the former location of Sanibel’s Best Homemade Ice Cream.
“This has been fun,” Brian said. “I used to bring the kids here for ice cream. And I used to come when it was a café years ago.”
The couples have been friends for 15 years and had previously discussed going into business together.
“We both lost businesses,” said Brian, who closed Island Cow in August 2022 after severe fire damage. Mad Hatter was destroyed in Hurricane Ian.
“We needed something to do,” he continued. “When they called about this place, I knew I didn’t just want to leave it there.”
Hurricane Ian severely damaged the building on Periwinkle Way.
“It was a nightmare,” Brian said. “We gutted it. Took out every wall. It was literally just cinderblock.”
They turned it into The Magic Bus, a modern, yet nostalgic, Instagram-worthy Volkswagen-themed sweet shop.
A cool, beachy vibe prevails, complete with plastic replicas of the fronts of VW buses at either end of the store. It’s fitting considering Brian arrived here about 35 years ago “in a Volkswagen.”
“I was a beach bum,” he said.
Coffee, ice cream, candy and more
Tie-dye, mini VW toy vans and bags of mostly unique and island-themed candy and chocolates are scattered about.
“We want to have candy and stuff you can’t find anywhere else,” Elke said. “We want people to say, ‘Let’s go to The Magic Bus and get candy,’”
The space is large and roomy, easily accommodating customers working their way along the modern, colorful counter containing 24 flavors of ice cream.
Specialty creations include the Magic Milkshake, Banana Bus, Hippie Thoughts (think three scoops of ice cream in a waffle taco) and Beach Bucket with six scoops topped with sunglasses.
Coffee comes in espresso, latte, cappuccino, macchiato mocha and frappe forms.
Freshly baked goods, from croissants to cookies, are also offered.
“Our cinnamon rolls were gone by 10 this morning,” Elke said. “We are eventually adding more stuff, like sandwiches and the Island Cow muffin. Those are coming.”
There are tables inside and plenty of seating outside too.
Brian hinted at more Magic Bus shops down the road.
“We’ve been looking at Fort Myers Beach, Marco and other spots,” he said. “Maybe Boca Grande. We want to stay on this coast.”
Before that takes place, though, there’s a project coming soon next door.
Wickies Lighthouse, plus updates on Island Cow, Mad Hatter
The couples will open Wickies Lighthouse Restaurant a few doors down from The Magic Bus.
“It will be breakfast, lunch and dinner,” Brian said. “Nice steaks, nice seafood. Good breakfast and healthy stuff too. It won’t be a huge, huge menu. We’ll have quality stuff done well.”
It’s a smaller space, seating about 50 or 60, plus a bar area. Customers will be able to get cocktails through a window while they wait outside.
“We are close to opening,” Brian said. “I think we will be in the testing phase in two weeks, going through the motions with staff. In three weeks we should be fully going.”
More Sanibel news: Award-winning waterfront Sanibel restaurant is back to business after Hurricane Ian
The Island Cow will be making a return as well.
“We should start moving dirt in three months,” Brian said. “It will be the same as before except we will have a 60-foot tiki bar out back.”
He added that The Mad Hatter hopes to reopen somewhere on the island once the right spot is found.
In the meantime, all focus is on The Magic Bus.
“It’s going very well,” Elke said. “I think the locals on the island can see a light at the end of the tunnel now.”
The Magic Bus, 362 Periwinkle Way; open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily; (239) 472-0112; themagicbussanibel.com or find on Facebook and Instagram
Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Magic Bus opens on Sanibel with ice cream, coffee and sweet treats
