magazine 2012 - Mashpee Chamber of Commerce

mashpee chamber salutes
Cape Cod
Score
Winner
Congratulations to Mark Lawrence, owner of
Polar Cave Ice Cream Parlor, this year’s Mashpee
recipient of the “Build A Better Mouse Trap
Award” presented by Cape Cod SCORE.
Mark Lawrence came to the United States to attend the
University of Nevada and continued living there for five years
working at some of the city’s leading hotels: Las Vegas Hilton,
Caesar’s Palace and The Dunes.
In 1982, an opportunity arose to open a travel agency in the
Boston area. Mark moved east and soon discovered the
magic of Cape Cod. “A friend invited me to the Cape for a
weekend getaway, and as they say, I got sand in my shoes
immediately!” says Mark. “The Cape reminded me so much of
the south coast of England where I would holiday as a child.”
After 20 years in the Cape Cod hospitality industry, Mark
decided to step away from corporate America and opened
Polar Cave Ice Cream Parlor in Mashpee.
As each year passed, word of mouth spread and the business
grew. Polar Cave works closely with many local organizations
including United Way of Cape Cod, Kids Klub, Boys & Girls
Club of Cape Cod, Cape Cod Children’s Museum, Mashpee
Children’s Library and school PTA’s, and is a sponsor of
sports teams. Whenever an organization seeks a donation,
Mark is there for them with gift certificates and advice. Mark
claims, “In all our years, we’ve never said no to a fund raising
request, especially when the cause is local and our children
are involved.”
Polar Cave has a loyal following of customers, many of
whom have been there from the early days. “I would not be
in business today if it were not for my ‘family’ of customers,”
he says. Yet possibly Polar Cave’s greatest customers are
the ones they never see. “We offer ice cream to patients
of a VNA hospice nurse.” With tears welling in his eyes, he
continues, “Whether it be a scoop or a quart, it does not
matter. To be able to bring a smile for a brief moment is
priceless to me. I wish my father had been able to have such
a treat in his final days.”
Over 50 flavors made-toorder
in waffle cones
•
Super-premium ice
creams and yogurts
•
No-sugar-added ice
cream made exclusively
for Polar Cave by a
Boston-area creamery
•
One of the largest
displays of Coca Cola
bottles and memorabilia
on the East Coast
POLAR CAVE #1
Rte. 28, Mashpee/Cotuit Line
POLAR CAVE #2
Rte. 28
Yarmouth Town Centre Plaza
West Yarmouth
www.polarcave.com
SCORE is the nation’s
largest volunteer business
counseling service that is
dedicated to the formation,
growth and success of
America’s small businesses. The
awards are a way to show-case
the accomplishments of small
business owners and to
give them some well
deserved exposure.
34 Mashpee Magazine | Annual 2012 Mashpee: A Town for All Seasons www.mashpeechamber.com 35