IT'S CUSTARD, DARN IT.

Tornadoes to the south of me, lake effect snow blowing across the Frozen Tundra to the north, and wind preceded by thunderstorms preceded by a blanket of wet snow.

Never mind any of that.  Ollies is open.

Sitting at a picnic table in front of the business, DeKalb residents Paula Hastings, Heather Freund and Jill and David Downs acknowledged it was a bit funny to sit outside wearing coats or sweatshirts while eating frozen custard.

The temperature was just above 40 degrees, but customers said enjoying the creamy treats again was worth it. Some took frozen custard back to their cars to eat.

“We were very excited about opening day,” Hastings said.

The Federal Reserve is not anticipating any general inflation, but relative price changes still matter.

Ollie’s will be experiencing some changes this season, said co-owner Joe Cranden, including the sampling of some new flavors in May, opening up a side window in the summer to get the line moving faster and increasing some of the prices for certain items.

“We’ve had to raise prices due to the cost of goods,” Joe said. “The cost of goods has sky-rocketed in the last couple of years. We’re doing our best to keep prices as low as we can.”

Even with price increases, however, Joe said Ollie’s customers are extremely loyal. The establishment had a customer waiting for 20 minutes before their window opened Wednesday.

The loyal customers channel Patrick Henry.

The precise combination of creamy custard and assorted toppings, keep customers coming back each year.

“Never close down or we’ll die,” said Bekah Walker, Kishwaukee Community College student.

Walker said going to Ollie’s, especially in the summer, is a tradition with her and her friends.

“We’re looking forward to a fun season, serving our customers a superior product,” Joe said.

Earlier this week came the first rollout of Mint Chocolate Chip, a Cold Spring Shops favorite.