Old-school soda shop and arcade opens in Croton, caters to kids, families

Rockland/Westchester Journal News

One step into Croton Corners is like a step back in time.

A general store, old school soda shop, and arcade all rolled into one, Croton Corners offers snow cones, sodas, and floats featuring homemade syrups, with the exception of four Pepsi product flavors, New York egg creams — Manhattan (vanilla) and Brooklyn (chocolate) — and candy.

The store also sells soaps, spices, and has an arcade featuring Atari, Super Nintendo, PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Nintendo Wii consoles as well as old school gaming cabinets.

Croton Corners, located on Grand Street, has been in a soft opening phase since Aug. 7, but plans a grand opening celebration Sept. 17-19.

Tessa Tokke makes a float behind the counter at Croton Corners, a new general store, old school soda shop and arcade Sept. 14, 2021. The store is located at the intersection of Grand Street and Old Post Road in Croton.

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"We're trying to keep (the products) mostly local," Tessa Tokke, one of the owners, said. "Trying to stay in the northeast with our products and fair trade where I can."

The shop, owned and operated by Tokke, her brother-in-law Graydon and father-in-law Hans, was an idea they came up with amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Croton Corners, a new general store, old school soda shop and arcade Sept. 14, 2021. The store is located at the intersection of Grand Street and Old Post Road in Croton.

"It really is a family effort. We noticed there were a lot of kids wandering around last spring with not much to do," Tokke said. "So we thought it was a good opportunity to give the community something to do."

After a space became available to rent across the street from Hans Tokke's and his wife's storefront, Double Docs Design, Tessa Tokke and her family kept their eyes on the vacant space.

"It was pretty spontaneous," Tokke said. "We just saw this place — it used to be a (frozen yogurt) shop — and we were just kind of looking at the vacant spot seeing if it was still for rent or not. And we jumped on it and just made it happen."

For the grand opening, there will be live music, prizes, apple cider doughnuts and pretzels made by SamMade Sweets, as well as an unveiling of Croton Corner's fall flavored floats — apple, pumpkin, cinnamon or maple syrup.

On Saturday at 8 p.m., the shop will screen "Back to the Future." The screening is limited to 30 people so it is advised to reserve your spot as soon as possible. Tickets are by donation with all proceeds going to Croton Caring, a community based organization with a mission "to enlist the resources of the community to help the frail, elderly, homebound, handicapped and families in need of temporary assistance, enabling them to maintain their independence and dignity."

The game room at Croton Corners, a new general store, old school soda shop and arcade Sept. 14, 2021. The store is located at the intersection of Grand Street and Old Post Road in Croton.

At 3 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday it's the Mayor's Challenge Video Game Tournament featuring "Ms. Pac-Man" and "Mario Kart Wii." The top four players of each game will win "up to $100 in Croton Corners gift certificates." Croton-on-Hudson Mayor Brian Pugh will present the prizes to the winners at 3 p.m. Sunday.

"I'm hoping people enjoy (the grand opening celebration)," Tokke said. "I'm just hoping it'll be busy, fun and a festive atmosphere and hopefully people can walk here and have a good time."

Tessa Tokke adds a scoop of ice cream as she makes a float behind the counter at Croton Corners, a new general store, old school soda shop and arcade Sept. 14, 2021. The store is located at the intersection of Grand Street and Old Post Road in Croton.

What's on the menu?

Croton Corners' full menu will also be available, including the Croton Combos, which Tokke said her husband concocted.

"My husband is not a soda aficionado," Tokke said. "Once he learned how the old fashion soda jerk works, he just made them up."

Some of the Croton Combos include "Dummy Light," a snow cone with lime, lemon and strawberry syrups, "Grand Street," a chocolate soda and chocolate ice cream float, "Croton Point," a sour blue raspberry soda with vanilla ice cream, and "Aqueduct," coconut soda, chocolate ice cream and chocolate syrup float.

According to Tokke, her favorite changes everyday but she enjoys the purple cow, a float with grape soda and vanilla ice cream, as well as the sugar-free strawberry soda.

Go: 124 Grand St., Croton-on-Hudson; 914-810-7800; info@crotoncorners.com; crotoncorners.com. Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday; closed Monday.

Heather Clark covers business openings and closings throughout Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties. Keep up on the latest comings and goings by joining our Facebook group at What's going there Westchester, Rockland, Putnam. Contact Clark via email, hclark@lohud.com.