History/Background

Rex and Angie St. John bought the family-owned business in 1991. Homemade ice cream toppings and special recipes headline their menu. "We're known around here for our sloppy joe, [made from] a secret recipe even I don't know yet," says Angie. Rex's grandfather opened Dairy Dream in 1953. The business was passed to Rex's father, who operated it until 1991.

Now the third generation has continued the legacy of the specialty ice cream shop. "When Rex's father wanted us to take over, we were both working for someone else, but decided to just go for it," Angie says. Working as a couple in a small business operation can provide its own unique challenges. "Sometimes it's hard to separate work from home life when Dairy Dream's office is in our home," Angie says. She adds that an advantage is that they share the same pressures and triumphs.

Angie, who obtained her bachelor's degree in 1989, and Rex, who received his bachelor's degree in 1987, both are graduates of Ball State's entrepreneurship program, one of the leading entrepreneurship programs in the nation and affirm that their college experience provided a foundation for them. "We are definitely putting our degrees to work," Angie says.