Cream King, the beloved roadside ice cream parlor that’s been a summer staple in Pennington since 1956, has officially reopened for the season—this time under new ownership. Lifelong Hopewell Valley residents Olivia and Mike Matejka have taken the reins from the previous owners Stacy and Joe Paolella.
The Matejkas will open for their first full season on Saturday, April 19, from noon to 9 p.m. On Friday, they were busy with final preparations—setting up umbrellas, placing flowers in pots out front, and getting the ice cream stations ready for service.
Cream King first went on the market in the fall of 2023, and Olivia and Mike began the purchase process shortly after. The sale wasn’t simple: the property required the removal of old underground tanks and soil remediation, all in coordination with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The process took time, and the Matejkas officially closed in February 2025—more than a year after they first expressed interest.
Mike grew up in Ewing and moved to Pennington at the age of six, spending much of his childhood playing local sports. Olivia, originally from Titusville, NJ, rode horses on her family’s farm. Though they’ve been married for three years, the two have known each other since meeting at Timberlane Middle School nearly two decades ago.
Their connection to Cream King runs deeper than just geography. The couple lives in the former home of Mary and Alvin Gorecki, who opened the original “Kreme King Dairy Bar & Restaurant” in 1956.
“Over the years in deep cleaning the house… behind drawers, we would find old hoagie bags, and… Cream King swag if you wanna call it,” Olivia said.
In the process of exploring the Cream King purchase, Mike learned his family once owned an ice cream parlor in Spring Lake, NJ in the 1980s. Olivia’s mother and stepfather also had friends who worked for the Goreckis in the 1970s.
“It does kind of seem like a perfect match… and we get to follow in their footsteps,” Mike said.
Mike also has personal ties to the shop from his childhood.
“I remember being with my dad one day and we literally got lost… walking through the woods and found our way to Cream King,” he said. “[Buying the business] wasn’t something we even considered until we lived in the house and found the stuff and met the owners, and then one thing led to another and it just seemed like it was too good of a fit to not do it.”
The Matejkas’ goal is to keep Cream King the same—a place that’s felt like home to many over the decades.
“I’m just excited that they wanted to keep Cream King as it is now,” said Stacy Paolella. “There were other people that looked at the property but they wanted to change it.”
That sense of continuity is important to Cream King’s loyal customers. For generations, it’s been a destination for post-game cones, summer night meet-ups, and simple traditions.
“Cream King is one of my favorite ice cream spots in Mercer County,” said Isabella Darcy, a student at The College of New Jersey. “I have so many great memories of going to Cream King with my friends and hanging out at its tables while enjoying sweet treats.”
Alyssa Filippini, another TCNJ student and former Hamilton resident, remembers visiting after swim meets. “It always felt like a sweet reward and a way to bond with my family and friends after a long day of swimming.”
Mike and Olivia want to preserve that nostalgic feeling.
“I think that if it were anything other than kind of a dingy roadside ice cream parlor, I don’t think the community would accept it,” Mike said. “If we went in and we called it something different or renovated, it probably would upset a lot of people and it would hurt us in the process.”
The couple does plan some minor interior updates to improve efficiency and ensure Cream King can operate smoothly for years to come. They’re also planning to introduce new non-dairy options later in the season once they’ve settled into their routine. But the customer experience, pricing, and overall charm will remain untouched.
The road to ownership wasn’t easy. From navigating DEP requirements and legal logistics to installing a new point-of-sale system, the Matejkas dealt with more than a few bumps along the way.
“Mentally, it was a big obstacle for us because we were ready to buy it a year ago, and thought we were going to and it kind of fell through,” Mike said. “It’s not one person’s fault but it kind of felt like the rug got ripped out from underneath us.” Olivia added that it was an “emotional rollercoaster” for a while.
What kept them going was the encouragement from friends, neighbors, and the broader community.
“We thought people might get really pissed that there’s new owners and what we found was the polar opposite,” Mike said. “They were really excited for us and just happy that it’s local owners that are a family that have been here for a long time.”
Though the Matejkas are officially new owners, they spent last season training under Stacy and Joe and getting a feel for daily operations. They were especially impressed by the teenage staff, many of whom have returned this season.
“We’re the new owners on paper but we’re really not new,” Mike said. “We worked there all year last year. We’ve gotten to roll our sleeves up. We’ve got to see what a Friday and Saturday night rush can be like and honestly, we know exactly what to expect and we love it. So, we’re really excited to just kind of double down and dig in deeper this year.”
As for favorite orders? Mike goes for the Vanilla Peanut Butter Swirl or the Black Raspberry Chocolate Chunk, introduced last year. Olivia’s picks are Blueberry Pie and Jersey Shore, a salted caramel flavor.
When asked to describe Cream King in three words, the Matejkas chose: nostalgic, ice cream, and fun.
photos by Seth Siditsky
