Frozen daiquiri shop coming to Cape's Town Plaza

Good Time Daiquiris is planning to open in Cape Girardeau's Town Plaza, 2136 William St., this fall.

"We're hoping for a fall opening, maybe in September," said Keri Keller, who will co-own and operate the business with her husband, Travis, an Oak Ridge High School graduate.

"(Frozen daiquiri shops) are quite popular in the South — Texas and Louisiana, for instance. We've been talking about the idea for close to 10 years and we decided to finally go for it," said Keri Keller, who said she and her spouse have owned multiple businesses in the past.

The City of Cape Girardeau is reviewing the couple's plans and a contractor has been hired to build out the 4,000-square-foot space, formerly occupied by Guy's Bigâ—Tall.

"We hope to bring a nice, family-friendly, sit down place where you can enjoy a daiquiri and relax a bit," Keri Keller said.

A daiquiri is a cocktail that started to advance in popularity in the U.S. after World War II rationing made whiskey and vodka more difficult to obtain.

Rum, a basic daiquiri ingredient, was easily obtainable owing to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Good Neighbor Policy, also known as the Pan-American program. Rum-based drinks, therefore, became fashionable in the 1940s.

Daiquiris were said to be a favorite drink of President John F. Kennedy and writer Ernest Hemingway.

Tom Kelsey, broker with Lorimont Commercial Real Estate, handled the lease transaction between Greater Missouri Builders and the Kellers.

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