Dairy Inn, beloved St. Pete ice cream shop, has closed

• For our Tampa readers, Dairy Inn was St. Pete's version of Dairy Joy or Bo's, giving off that nostalgic, slightly sticky vibe that only a neighborhood ice cream shop can.

Flashback: Over its 76-year history, Dairy Inn was known for its house-made root beer and three-for-$1.25 hot dog specials, according to newspaper archives. Some years, the shop hosted hot dog-eating contests, with 2007's contest raising money for a local toddler injured in an accident.

Yes, but: There's still hope. The shop's Instagram bio reads: "Relocating. Look forward to updates." Another post on Dec. 1 reads: "Keep Calm and Stay Tuned."

💭 Our thought bubble: That's easier said than done. Selene and Kathryn can't imagine life without Dairy Inn's layered sundaes, the ultimate comfort treat.

• Kathryn's go-to order was the Reese's layered sundae, an actual stack of ice cream, peanut butter and chocolate sauce layers mixed with an approximate ton of crushed peanut butter cups that put Cold Stone to shame.

• The shop is the only place that takes Selene's combined love of cake and soft serve seriously. She'd have savored the green icing of the birthday cake sundae she got last week if she'd known it could be her last.

The bottom line: We take our neighborhood ice cream stands for granted. They're a thoughtless detour on the way home or a spontaneous outing —until they hit hard times.