Locals and visitors to Tannersville this summer may have spotted Serhiy Yevtushenko sitting outside the storefront at 5941 Main St., assembling giant ice cream cones, gummy bears, and macarons.
Those oversized sweets now form the arch leading into Sugarville, a dessert shop that opened in late August as a hangout for locals.
Yevtushenko first came to Tannersville in 2000 after emigrating to Brooklyn from his hometown of Lviv, a city in western Ukraine.
“We thought, ‘Why don’t we design a place where kids go and spend quality time together, have fun, and smile?’” said Yevtushenko, 42, who opened the business with his wife, Alina, 37. “What do kids love? They love ice cream, they love gummy bears, they love Oreos, right? This all became a part of the arch.”
“We came here because it was the Fourth of July weekend and our friends were coming up here and they invited us,” he said. “We enjoyed this area a lot. We decided to stay here instead of going back to Brooklyn.”
He took English classes at Hunter-Tannersville High School, graduated in 2002, and eventually landed a job in fashion design that took him to New York City. He returned to Tannersville full-time with his wife and their two children, ages 7 and 12, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
His wife was eager to open a business last year and first suggested a coffee shop, Yevtushenko said. He wanted to “do something more fun.”
“We came up with the concept of Sugarville,” he said. “It’s basically like a kids’ Starbucks. They come in, they get their hot chocolate, a milkshake, or a dessert.”
The shop, open noon to 8 p.m. seven days a week, is anchored by two mascots, Chip and Sweetie. Yevtushenko designed its artwork using generative artificial intelligence.
“It’s all about the story first,” he said. “If you just have a product and try to work around and market the product only, that’s not going to be as successful. You have to come up with a story for the location and then build around it.”
Not every customer likes the artwork, Yevtushenko said. By Nov. 10, three one-star Google reviews of the shop specifically mentioned artificial intelligence. He isn’t letting that deter him.
“This is an experience for children, and children love it,” he said. “Not a single kid has said, ‘I don’t like that this is so pink, playful, and fun.’”
The shop also sells gelato imported from Italy. A robot that spins cotton candy in a variety of shapes, colors, and flavors has been a hit with some customers, he said.
The shop’s best-known item, Yevtushenko said, is its “bubble clouds,” a waffle-like pastry served with gelato and sweet toppings.
“At Sugarville, all of the toppings are unlimited,” he said.
Sugarville also has a full coffee bar for adults and serves crepes, he said.
There aren’t many businesses for children in the area, Yevtushenko said. Along with birthday parties, he wants to hold children’s talent shows and other small events.
“We want to have local kids participate because there’s nothing in the area or nearby that allows kids to get together,” he said.
He isn’t worried about selling ice cream in winter, either.
“Our target customer is a child, not an adult,” he said. “What child, in the wintertime, would not want cotton candy or an ice cream? It’s year-round.”
“At our grand opening, some kids were eating, and they didn’t know I was the owner,” Yevtushenko said. “I’m just walking, saying ‘How’s it going?’ and this kid goes, ‘This is the best ice cream shop I’ve ever been to in my life.’ That just stays with you.”
Connor Greco is a staff reporter for The Overlook covering Windham, Hunter, and surrounding Greene County communities. Send correspondence to connor@theoverlooknews.com.
