I Scream! You Scream! We All Scream for Ice Cream!
Zachary Plauger, WVU Potomac State College Alumni, holding the perfect summer treat
at his new business, The Dairy Barn.
Zachary
Plauger grew up in Keyser, WV. He knew early on that WVU Potomac State College was
where he wanted to continue his education upon graduation from high school. He
liked that it is local with many of the same educational opportunities as the
WVU Morgantown campus — just smaller and not so spread out. He was able to take
advantage of the free tuition offered by the WV Invests Grant Program.
Zachary’s biggest fear with starting college was not making close friendships. Since he was a commuter student, he didn’t think he would have the opportunity to make friends. On day one at PSC, he met a lot of people. Zachary credits the smaller size of PSC for allowing increased interaction with faculty, staff, and fellow students. “I headed to the student union with the intention to meet people and that location didn’t disappoint. I met a lot of people there,” stated Zachary.
“Between classes and working, I didn’t have a lot of time to commit to clubs or other activities, even though PSC offered a wide variety of both. Instead, I enjoyed self-initiating my recreation opportunities at the student union. This was my favorite place to meet and make friends. I also attended the pop-up events that allowed students to drop by as they were able. This worked well with my schedule.”
Academically, PSC lived up to his first impressions. His favorite courses were Economics with Professor John Stone. The classes opened his eyes to the world of business, something that he had never considered before. He was inspired to open a business, but more on that later…
Zachary enjoyed computer classes, particularly the networking ones. Running ethernet cables, setting up servers, and learning how to create a network of computers, printers, etc., were of particular interest to him.
At PSC, Zachary built connections and had networking opportunities with both fellow students and faculty that helped him in his career. He improved his communication skills, learned how the IRS works, how taxes are determined, and even how to do his own taxes for running a business. As a sophomore, he created a five-year business plan for an ice cream shop that later became the model for his business — The Dairy Barn, located in Keyser.
“Assistant professor, Amy Weaver, instructed me on creating a business plan. Her classes were instrumental in helping me create my business plan for The Dairy Barn,” stated Zach.
When reflecting on the campus culture, Zach shared, “The campus was very inviting. There was always something happening every day. There were no boring moments. As I mentioned earlier, the student union was my favorite hang-out spot, but I also really enjoyed the pop-up events and special events. The most memorable for me were the pop-ups where students could enjoy snow cones, cookies, and other delicious snacks. I also attended career days, blood drives, and the Cowboy Dance.”
The fun stopped abruptly on March 20, 2020, when the campus was closed due to the COVID pandemic. Fortunately, the learning did not end. The campus faculty and staff swung into action to provide a remote learning environment. Zachary noted, “My physical time on campus was bookended. I started out on campus, switched to remote learning, and then ended my time with PSC back on the campus once the pandemic restrictions were eased.”
Fortunately, despite the pandemic, Zachary graduated on schedule from PSC in May 2021. He received a Bachelor of Applied Science in Computer Information Systems.
On July 10, 2021, Zachary realized his business plan when he and his mom, Tania Plauger, opened The Dairy Barn. Zach shared, “I am the ‘Face and Brains’ of The Dairy Barn and my mom, (whom Zach affectionately refers to as ‘The Bank’), handles some of the behind-the-scenes responsibilities. She currently works full-time elsewhere but plans to work at the Dairy Barn full-time once she retires.
The Dairy Barn started out on Armstrong Street in downtown Keyser. The business was an instant success, so much so that they grew out of that location. There wasn’t enough room to serve the volume of customers frequenting the shop. “There was no longer enough room so that people could sit down and enjoy their dessert. They had to leave and eat it elsewhere,” stated Zachary.
This season, The Dairy Barn reopened in a roomy storefront in the Sav-a-lot Shopping Center at 397 New Creek Highway (Route 220) in Keyser. The soft-serve ice cream sold there is made from milk sourced from a small family-owned dairy in Pennsylvania. Zachary explained, “The ice cream has a richer taste. The Holstein cattle are bred to produce lower lactose. Customers who have lactose sensitivities comment that our ice cream doesn’t bother them like other brands do.”
The Dairy Barn features three flavors of ice cream per day. Naturally, chocolate and vanilla are always available. A huge variety of other flavors are rotated as flavors of the day. There are also 30 flavors to choose from if you opt for a snowball instead of ice cream. The snow cone pop-up events at PSC definitely influenced this menu item.
In July, The Dairy Barn is adding three new dessert items — brownies, funnel cakes, and Belgium waffles. “The customer picks their dessert base, favorite ice cream flavor, two toppings, and choice of syrup. The creation is topped off with whipped cream and, of course, a cherry,” added Zachary.
In August, The Dairy Barn will be adding food items, but you will have to wait until August to learn more about them — it’s a surprise! Plans are to expand the menu even more once the kitchen expansion is complete.
When you are in town, stop by The Dairy Barn and enjoy some ice cream or other delectably sweet treats. Remember to “like,” “follow,” and “share” The Dairy Barn on Facebook where you can keep up with all their news and most importantly — learn the ice cream flavor of the day!
Zach reflected again on his time at WVU Potomac State College, “Even though COVID interrupted my time at PSC, I still have fond memories while on the campus.” Zach shared this advice to future students, “Don’t be afraid. Take risks. Don’t say no to new opportunities. These new experiences might lead you down a path that you didn’t know you wanted to go down, but you are better because of taking a chance.”