The New Penguins on Main Opens Year-Round

It’s not often you walk into a small business where everyone makes you laugh, but it’s a simple fact that the owners and crew at Penguins on Main, in South Yarmouth, genuinely love what they do. The light-hearted banter and barrels of laughs are a testament to the dedication they have to one another, to their customers and to their community.

And the banner just behind the counter on the wall says it all – “Welcome to our home.”

The owner of the popular Penguins Ice Cream Igloo in Yarmouth, Patti Kent, and her business partner and friend, Roy Boeyinga, have recently opened a new sister location, Penguins on Main – a 50s-style breakfast and lunch café and bakery – which reflects all the fun and whimsy of their ice cream shop, on a slightly larger scale.

The red and white floor tiles, the glass cases brimming with pastries, cakes and pies, the candy jars that line the top of it, and the jukebox in the corner of the café are reminiscent of another era for some, while cool and different for others, depending on your age. The staff, particularly the café’s “second in command,” employee Nate Nicholson, will bring a smile to your face and keep it there for your entire visit. There is no way to keep the laughter bottled up in Nicholson’s charismatic presence. His laughter is seriously contagious.

Kent is no stranger to ice cream shop ownership. She previously worked at, and eventually purchased, what was then known as The Polar Cave, from its owners, Arthur Luke and Mark Lawrence. “I had a dream,” Kent says. “So, in 2015, I went to purchase.” She re-branded the store, and renamed it. Penguins, she says, mate for life. “That’s not something children might understand but, at the same time, they can understand the meaning of ‘love for life.’ Our penguin (typically an employee or Kent, herself, in a penguin costume) is VERY popular with our customers.”

Boeyinga is a chef and baker (he’s been cooking since he was 11), and has a long history of cooking in restaurants and eating establishments not only on the Cape, but in Tennessee and even Bermuda. In addition to serving up great breakfasts and sandwiches, he does wedding cakes, birthday cakes, holiday pies and provides food for events, as well.

“I had thought about opening up another ice cream place,” he says, “but decided to go with a diner instead. I found this location, which was empty at the time, and talked to Patti about it. We decided it would be a great location. It took five months to renovate, and is a combination of both of our personalities. We named it Penguins, because people already know it.”

Penguins on Main sits in the same plaza as The Silver Unicorn on Route 28, and is conveniently located just diagonally to Skull Island. It’s open year-round, you can find them on Facebook and, in case you’re wondering, this location serves ice cream, too!

Ann Luongo, CapeCod.com Lifestyle Reporter

About Ann Luongo

Ann Luongo has been writing for Cape Cod and South Shore publications for over 15 years.



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