A Day in the Life...of the manager of Kline's

Carolyn Walser / senior photographer Everybody loves ice cream, and that us true especially for Kline's Dairy Bar owner Mike Arehart. Now 44 years old, he has been scooping ice cream since he was 19.

Owning Kline’s Dairy Bar is a rewarding, but certainly not relaxing responsibility. At only 44 years old, Mike Arehart has been owner since 1979, when he first took over at the age of 19.

Kline’s was founded by Bess and John Kline in 1943. They owned the store for 33 years. It then was bought by Sam Fletcher, who was owner for five years. When Arehart was just 19, Fletcher financed the business to him for all help he had done with heavy work. Arehart still managed to attend Blue Ridge Community College for his first two years as owner.

Now, Arehart’s day starts by seeing his two kids, 12 and 16, off to school. He prefers to begin his day with his family.

"I very much like to be there in the morning and see them before they go off to school," Arehart said.
He then heads over to Kline’s on 58 E. Wolfe St.

"I try to stay very hands-on," Arehart said. Once there, he helps employees and ice cream makers Lanny Holsinger and Dan Scanlan, conduct inventory and handles banking. He keeps in touch with the store manager, Melissa Armentrout, who has worked for Kline’s since she was 14. Employees come in at 10:30 a.m. to prepare for the store’s opening at 11 a.m.

"Mike is very easy to get along with, and he works well with you if you need days off," senior Sarah Henderson said. Henderson has been working for Arehart for three years and now is a shift manager.

Flavor-picking is another one of Arehart’s duties that must be done months in advance. "In the spring and fall, we try to run the flavors that the college kids will like the most," Arehart said. Pumpkin, apple strudel and coffee are upcoming seasonal flavors.

Though he spends several hours throughout the day at the store, Arehart still manages to fit exercise into his day. After making sure that everything at Kline’s is in order, Arehart heads over to the RMH Wellness Center for a game of pick-up basketball around 11 a.m. with friends.

He checks back into the store periodically. Arehart also is a licensed real estate agent for Old Dominion Realty. He specializes in property management and income-producing projects. "My real job is still Kline’s Dairy Bar," he said.

"I try to end my day between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m., and I have a dog that demands to be walked every day," Arehart said. He calls the store every night at 7 p.m. to check on things. If anything needs to be done, such as making more ice cream, he comes in immediately.

"I got started at Kline’s because I wasn’t college material," he said. After attending Davis and Elkins College in W.Va., he knew that he wanted to come home.

"My favorite thing about Kline’s is that we provide a lot of jobs to people who’ve never had jobs," Arehart said. He has given jobs to countless high school students in the area who have continued working there until college graduation.

A new Kline’s is set to open in December on the corner of S. Main St. and Mosby Ave. Arehart is busy getting details, like a new color scheme, worked out for the store.

"Kline’s should never change — we’re never going to be some high-tech ice cream business," Arehart said. Most JMU students wouldn’t change a thing either.