Hollywood's Coolest New 'Hot Spot' Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store

Hollywood's Coolest New 'Hot Spot' Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store

Brings Old Fashioned Ice Cream, Homemade Candies, and Unique Disney Items to the Boulevard; Opens Today

LOS ANGELES, June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- A Hollywood tradition returns with the opening of Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store on Hollywood Boulevard, adjacent to the historic El Capitan Theatre, it was announced today by Lylle Breier, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Special Events, Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050624/LAFRU1 )

The Soda Fountain, which offers an old fashioned ice cream parlor experience with some fun new twists, will proudly serve ice cream custom prepared by Dewar's, an award-winning fourth generation family business based in Bakersfield, California, dating back to 1909.

Cones, sundaes, shakes and malts, freezes, floats, and old-time phosphates will be available at the counter, at full service tables, for take-out, and at the sidewalk cone window on Hollywood Blvd. Dewar's will also be providing their homemade taffy chews (five delicious flavors including the popular peanut butter chew), and secret family recipe for hot fudge and marshmallow toppings. Coca-Cola products will be featured at the Soda Fountain, where specialty beverages will be freshly mixed for real fountain flavor and served by an authentic soda jerk.

The Studio Store will feature a wide assortment of Disney DVD titles, as well as access to Buena Vista Home Entertainment's entire available catalogue via a one-of-a-kind interactive kiosk designed exclusively for the store, where guests can find the largest selection of new, old and hard-to-find Disney DVDs and videos.

Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store will begin service to the public today, in conjunction with the El Capitan Theatre opening of Walt Disney Pictures' new family comedy, "Herbie: Fully Loaded."

Commenting on the announcement, Breier said, "Hollywood Boulevard has a rich tradition for amazing ice cream dating back to 1929 when C. C. Browns was the place to go, and we are excited to be reviving this great experience for today's visitors. Walt Disney Studio Chairman Dick Cook's childhood memories of Dewar's Candy Shop in Bakersfield led us to the perfect source for the very best ice cream, and we know Los Angeles ice cream lovers are in for a special treat."

Breier continued, "In addition to that, guests are going to love shopping at the Studio Store, where they'll discover original and exclusive merchandise and enjoy finding a favorite Disney DVD or video title. Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store is a great addition to the Boulevard for families, out-of-town visitors, and anyone who loves great ice cream and entertainment."

Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store, which occupies 4,698 square feet along Hollywood Boulevard right next door to the El Capitan Theatre, will offer ice cream sundaes, cones, and shakes at a take-out counter, a street- front cone window, and in-store table service. Theatre patrons will have access to the store through a connecting door. Other family friendly favorites as hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, and Mickey Mouse-shaped peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches, will also be on the menu.

Dewar's Ice Cream and Candy Shop of Bakersfield, California will supply fresh ice cream each week, and will transport it in refrigerated trucks. This homemade ice cream is created in small batches of ten gallons each with no preservatives and all natural ingredients. The top-secret recipes remain virtually unchanged from the ones that James Harvey Dewar created nearly 100 years ago.

Dewar's was featured in a 2002 segment of Huell Howser's popular PBS "Road Trip" program, on the Food Channel's "Unwrapped," and in such magazines as Sunset and Westways. For their popular peanut butter chews, fresh peanuts are ground, oiled, and salted from scratch for each batch. Dewar's has been a culinary institution in Bakersfield since 1930, and is currently run by George Dewar and his two children, Mike and Heather.

Disney's Soda Fountain & Studio Store is at 6834 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 90028 and is open daily 9:30 a.m. - 10 p.m. For more information about Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store, please visit the official Web site: www.disneysodafountain.com or call 818-845-3110.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050624/LAFRU1 AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/ PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Source: Disney

CONTACT: Heidi Trotta, Senior Vice President, Communications, The Walt Disney Studios, +1-818-560-7280

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