Berryman’s Tastee Treat is the oldest continuously operating business in Mt. Sterling. Started in 1951 by brothers Billy and Warren Berryman along with their wives, Mae and Sissy, Berryman’s was located in a building on Main Street with just enough room for a kitchen, one ice-cream machine and two walk-up windows.
Berryman’s quickly became known for its ice cream and milkshakes, the town favorite for a summer-time treat.
“People would be lined up on both sides of the street as far as you could see,” recalls Julie Berryman, the current co-owner. “But everybody was patient. It was like Berryman’s was where you went to hang out and visit.”
Berryman’s menu grew to include a family chili recipe created by Mae, and used to make their famous chili dogs and chili buns.
“The chili recipe is still a secret,” says Tom Curtis, a customer. “You know why? You cannot duplicate it.”
Danny Berryman, son of Billy and Mae, married Julie, and after graduating from Georgetown College they both became high school teachers.
That was 1984, and Berryman’s had been sold to someone outside the family. But when co-founder Warren suffered a heart attack, within a week Danny and Julie left their teaching jobs and bought Berryman’s back.
Re-establishing the restaurant to its former popularity wasn’t easy. Danny and Julie worked seven days a week in the summer while raising two children. “We were never together as a family, and that was hard,” Julie says.
Danny remembers his parents working in much the same way, sometimes up to 80 hours a week in the summer.
In 2003, Julie and Danny moved into the Dairy Queen building across Main Street, gaining enlarged space. The menu was expanded to include hamburgers, fries, onion rings and much more.
Today, Julie and Danny take turns opening the store in the mornings. They hope to pass the restaurant to their son, Kyle.
Julie and Danny had been grooming their daughter, Kim, to take over the family business. But she tragically passed away in October 2004 in a fire. In honor of Kim, the family raises money for a scholarship fund, part of the Mt. Sterling Distinguished Young Woman leadership program that helps prepare high school women for college.
“It just changes your whole perspective,” says Julie, looking back on the long history of restaurant employees. “The good thing about it is, we have the most wonderful people. They are all my daughters and my sons. It’s very family, very family . . . We do trust them with our lives.”