OUR STORY

Funny memory - Early in our courtship, we shared a Sebastian Joe’s ice cream cone at the Franklin and Hennepin location.  From then on, it was a favorite dessert spot for us and an inside joke between us and our friends that even if we were out to dinner at a fancy restaurant, we had a better dessert choice at Sebastian Joe’s.  Almost 20 years later, in 2012, our family of 5 moved to downtown Excelsior.  We always enjoyed visiting the Trolley on balmy nights in the summer and we always enjoyed talking with the owner, Tommy Drummond.  Tommy got to know each of us by name and we would chat whenever we came down.  We used to dream about owning a quaint establishment like the Trolley and we would joke with Tommy and make him generalized offers like many people did – “If you ever decide you want to sell this place, let us know…we’re interested.”  He would smile and we would walk home, happily eating our ice cream and think about owning a place like the Trolley.  

It was the summer of 2018 – 4th of July, in fact, when Dean was visiting the Trolley and Tommy told him that he was thinking about retiring and wondered if we were serious in our frequent offers to buy his business.  Within a few weeks, the three of us were sitting down at our kitchen table cooking up future plans.  I was working shifts inside the Trolley in order to get to know the products and the business.   Our 14-year-old, Celia, was taking shifts, as well.  We were all in.  That fall, we converted our separate garage into our storehouse, and this is where we receive deliveries today. The 2019 season was our first at the helm with Tommy right there coaching us along the way.  Our college daughter, Aubrey joined the Trolley team too and we all pitched in. 

Fast forward to the end of summer, 2020.  Tommy had a fast, fierce battle with an aggressive gliobastoma.  He fought a good fight, but Tommy passed away on November 21, 2020.  We miss him daily and are so much better for knowing him.

Here we are in spring, 2021.   Our son, Jonah, has created this updated Trolley website and we are looking forward to another fun-filled season.  We owe a debt of gratitude to Tommy Drummond – for his friendship, for his mentorship, for his vision that his pride and joy could successfully pass to  another, and for his unwavering trust and belief in our family.  

We love this business and being part of our community of Excelsior. 

Becky and Dean Salita