Main Street Stories: Oink's Dutch Treat

NEW BUFFALO, Mich. -- The ice cream is as smooth as the cursive that created its name.

The famous ice cream shop, Oink's Dutch Treat, wouldn't be what it is today without its namesake.

Roger Vink purchased the shop in 1986. He was a teacher in New Buffalo for 25 years when he decided to invest in this ice cream shop.

He named it Oink's Dutch Treat and added windmills and pigs as the décor of choice.

"He always joked that the windmills went away, and the pigs stayed, which is true," shared store owner Mike Schimanski.

'Roger's last name was Vink. And somehow in high school he got the nickname Oink. I assume that cursive writing made the V look like an O and some teacher called him Oink or someone mispronounced his name, and it stuck."

Schimanski purchased the shop from Vink in 2020 and kept the pig theme alive. The collection that Vink worked on for 33 years.

"It's amazing how many people come in here that love pigs and the ice cream."

People from all over send the ice cream shop pig themed items to add to its walls. Schimanski often receives purchase offers for some items, but he keeps the pigs right where they are.

Except for the pig-packed store in the back of the shop. Those pigs, and there are many of them, are for sale.

 'We have everything pig related. The kind that you didn't know existed."

One woman has decorated a whole small Christmas tree with pig key chains sold at the shop.

Outside, each parking space has a pig themed name, there are pig themed signs, and a new addition, a special made pig bench with ice cream on top.

"It's a hit, the kids love it."

And the ice cream is what really keeps visitors coming back.

"We have 50 flavors of ice cream…a flavor for anybody who wants one."

While normally potholes are widely unpopular, Oink's most popular flavor is "Michigan Pothole."

Schmanski's favorite is the "Spumoni," which includes amaretto, cherry, pistachio, almond, dark chocolate, and golden rum with whipped cream mixed in.

The ice cream shop also features a soda bar original to the 1940's restaurant called Carl's Diner.

"We still make old fashion sodas and green rivers and stuff, but we've added cold brew and nitro coffee to it. You can get a nitro float. Think of a root beer float but you can get any flavor ice cream you want and float the coffee across it. Or you can get a shake made and pour the cold brew into it."

While Oink's has many regulars, they also see visitors from all over the world.

"We get people from New Zealand, Australia…we get every continent and every state in the United States. You can tell by license plates where a lot of people come from, and we've seen every state including Alaska. Hawaii is the only state I have yet to see."

I suspect the visitors won't stop showing, and the pig collection won't stop growing. Oink's is one of the most "happening" places in growing New Buffalo.

"If it happens in New Buffalo, it happens here."

Learn more about Oink's Dutch Treat.