Wesson’s Park Place Concessions Expands with New Porch for Parties and Events

By Bob Arnold

Ashley Ownes (left) and Misty Sandifer are ready to take orders at Park Place Concessions.

Misty Sandifer and Ashley Ownes started their third season bringing summer treats to the community across from Wesson Municipal Park at Park Place Concessions on Saturday, March 6.

This year, the opened with a new 30-foot x 20-foot porch-deck that they are making available to customers who want to have special parties and events near the park. 

The menu is the same that its customer have enjoyed since July 2024 after Sandifer and Ownes purchased the business from its previous owners:  40 flavors of soft serve ice cream, shakes, floats, snow cones and the specialty Typhoon – ice cream stuffed in a snow cone.  Customers can choose a Typhoon in any of the 40 flavors of ice cream available or weekly the special for half price on Typhoon Tuesdays and a one dollar discount on every other day of the week.

Sandifer and Ashley added the porch-deck as alternative for Municipal Park users who are disappointed when others take space for parties and events on a first-come/first-serve basis that they wanted for their affairs.  “They can reserve the space with us and be assured of the party or event they planned for a nominal fee,” says Sandifer.  “In the future, we will probably offer party packages.”

The Park Place Concessions co-owners bought the business on the spur of the moment when they saw a for sale sign on the building.  “We were driving past it, and said to each other at the same time ‘that’s something I would like to do,’” Sandifer recalls.  “Next thing you knew we were selling ice cream.”

Sandifer and Ownes are life long friends, classmates at Wesson Attendance and Co-Lin, who followed a similar career path in medical care – Misty in radiology and Ashley as laboratory technician.  Their husbands are also involved the business – particularly when there is heavy lifting to do.  Ryan Sandifer built the porch-deck and Ashley’s husband cuts the grass.  Ashley continues working as a lab tech and Misty owns and operates Taylor’s Legacy Heating and Air Conditioning with Ryan when Park Place Concessions isn’t their focus.

Park Place Concessions opens when the long days and warm weather begin and closes its season the Saturday before Day Light Savings Time ends and the days get shorter.  It is open seven days a week – 12 noon to 7 p.m. except Wednesdays and Sundays when its hours are 12 noon to 5 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

“We look forward to seeing everyone soon,” say the owners.