North Myrtle Beach Times Serving our Community and the Grand Strand for over 50 years
By Kaye Collins
Loris operates two ice cream businesses, each providing delicious creamy ice cream served in cones or cups, along with banana splits, milkshakes, and additional treats. Both establishments are located in downtown Loris. Recently, a new ice cream shop named Charlie’s Place Ice Cream and Sweet Shop opened just outside of Loris, celebrating its grand opening on Saturday, February 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
If you are heading to Conway or the beach by Highway 701, stop by Charlie’s Place to grab a milkshake, ice cream or a cookie at the Bruce Gerald’s Gas Station at 6475 Highway 701 North. They are open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Jason Pridgen, the owner, announced the launch of his business by providing the first 200 children accompanied by a parent with a coupon book for 52 scoops of ice cream. Customers came in to order ice cream, including giant chocolate chip, chocolate chocolate chip, and Cookie Monster cookies to complement their Hershey brand ice cream. “Request us to warm the cookie and place a scoop of ice cream on top,” Pridgen mentioned. “We also offer individual pie pans in flavors like apple, cherry, and pecan, among others, which we can heat and serve with a scoop of ice cream, ala mode!” Strawberries are hand-dipped in chocolate made by Kandice Raye. “We use a special chocolate that sticks to the strawberries and gives a thick coating that makes them so tasty,” Grace, 16, helps with the scooping of ice cream and baking cookies. Hayden Morrical is the IT technician and official taster of all the goodies. Others who help at the shop are Nina Pridgen, Tina Fulton, Andrea Marie and Preston Skipper.
Why did you select the name Charlie’s Place? “My first job at 13 was at Cheap Charlie’s Fireworks,” he reminisced. “I spent most summers working at the fireworks store for Rodney and Peggy Graham, who became like a second family to me; their daughters were like sisters to me.” He went on to explain that Charlie is a blinded veteran who holds a special place in his heart and is the core of his new business. The Grahams 48th wedding anniversary was on February 14, which Pridgen noted was the perfect occasion to celebrate his grand opening while honoring the Graham family.
A total of 555 scoops of ice cream were served during the grand opening. The crowds arrived in waves, excited to discover what Charlie’s Place had in store. Cakes, cake slices, muffins, and a variety of other treats were showcased and available for purchase. Customers could select their own toppings for the ice cream from bins provided.
Charlie’s Place offers 32 flavors of ice cream and 32 flavors of milkshakes. They also offer gluten free and sugar free options.
They are thrilled to contribute to the community! They have numerous events planned, so be sure to follow their Facebook page.
As the shop progresses, they are preparing to launch two more locations of Charlie’s Place, with two secured leases in North Myrtle Beach and Aynor. Pridgen conveyed that 2026 will be an exciting year filled with numerous new adventures.
