GR business known for ice cream

Some may like the ice cream, while some might enjoy the burgers, but one thing proven by their sales is, Green River loves its Arctic Circle.

Green River's Arctic Circle sold approximately 15,000 ranch burgers and 60,000 shakes in 2015. June of last year, their busiest time of year, they sold 2,000 gallons of ice cream, 2,500 pounds of Black Angus Beef and used 200 gallons of fry sauce.

The Green River location was fifth in sales in 2015, out of 60 stores.

"What's unique about our store is it's higher in sales, but in a smaller community," store manager Robert Berg said. "We're really lucky to be where we're at. We get a lot of support from the community."

Robert attributes the store's success to a combination of what they do at the store and the community they live in. He says it's a perfect combination.

The restaurant's guests come back time after time for many reasons. One is their ice cream.

Their ice cream products, shakes, sundaes and cones are some of their biggest sellers. People especially love the seasonal shake and sundae flavors.

Guests look forward to their fall flavors, like pumpkin and eggnog. In the summer, guests flock to the store for huckleberry-flavored anything.

Aside from their seasonal flavors, the everyday menu includes more than 30 flavors of ice cream, and that doesn't take into consideration all of the numerous flavor combinations one could make with just a little imagination.

Robert said a popular flavor on the menu is strawberry cheesecake.

"People mix the weirdest stuff," assistant manager April Berg said. "Also, chocolate with anything."

Arctic Circle's ice cream is popular, but that is not the only thing that draws people from Green River, Rock Springs and surrounding areas to the store.

"People have told me they wish they had built one over in Rock Springs," Robert said.

He said people come from Rock Springs regularly. An item the store sells only second to their ice cream would be the Ranch Burger.

"We sell more Ranch Burgers than any other burger," Robert said. "It's what Arctic Circle was based on, and that's why we still have our saddles."

The Green River store is the only one left with a table with saddles for chairs now, the last remnants of the original Arctic Circle theme, the arctic old west. With every store remodel, the Bergs insist the saddles stay. The saddles are as much a part of the store as the guests who love them.

Often times, guests assume the Green River Arctic Circle is a franchise store, owned by Robert and April Berg.

But that is incorrect. Many people are surprised to find out the store is corporate owned.

"We take care of the store as if it's our own," April said. "That makes a huge difference."

The pride taken in their store, the service they provide and the consistent quality of the food served is evident. It is evident not only in the store's number of sales, return customers, or even the cleanliness of the store, but also in the interpersonal relationships made between management, the employees and the guests.

"We create an atmosphere," Robert said.

Employees and guests are treated like family. For many of the employees, Arctic Circle is their first job.

"We care about them and also teach them," April said.

When a longtime employee quits, moving onto other endeavors, "It's like my child's leaving the nest," she said.

Robert has had previous employees contact him later in life to thank him for the impact they made on them while working there.

"That means the world to me," he said.

Their employees aren't the only family there, the guests are as well. Years of guests past and present have made an impact on the store. Many of the guests, the employees know by name. People appreciate it when Arctic Circle employees learn their names, he said. Robert recalls exactly which table many of their guests have sat over the years. Reminiscing on a particular guest, "He sat there in the first booth," he said pointing to the table closest to the door.

Guests new and old of Green River's Arctic Circle may come for a variety of reasons.

Something Robert has heard from his returning guests, especially those who make sure to stop by on their way traveling through is, "They have to get their Arctic Circle fix."