By Cara Beth Lewis
In January of 2017, Amanda Freed West opened Over Yonder Coffee, Teas, and Creamery alongside her husband, Walter West. Having a place that locals could come and enjoy had always been something Amanda hoped to do, and now that the family has brought the dream to life they continue to grow and improve to offer “much, much more” than just ice cream. 
Owners, Walter and Amanda, are the parents of three children, and also own and operate “3 Kids Screen Printing.” Amanda shared, ”I grew up around here and I have always loved Bladenboro and the people here. If you come to see us you will find out that we love to talk to everyone.” She added, “We want you to know you are welcome here, even if it is to just sit and talk about the old days.”
Upon opening in 2017, Over Yonder had a variety of 16 ice cream flavors and coffee. Amanda explained, “… Nothing extravagant. Just coffee, cream, and sugar.” Eventually, they added fresh-squeezed lemonade and orangeade to their menu. Fast forward to present time, the shop now carries 24 ice cream flavors, “pretty much any way you want them,” according to Amanda, who runs the shop alongside her mother, Barbara Freed.
Another popular menu item at Over Yonder is their gourmet coffee, served hot or cold. With options of iced coffee, hot coffee, cold brew, espresso, and a wide variety of flavor options, customers love the coffee served “over yonder.”
The local shop showcases art by college student, Elizabeth West, who is the daughter of Walter and Amanda West. The colorful and unique cow mural is certainly a focal point in the shop, and is popular for photo ops. 
Amanda happily shared, “We have changed our hours recently. We are now open Monday through Friday from 7 AM until 8 PM, Saturdays 11 AM until 8 PM, and on Sundays from 2 PM until 6 PM.” She explained, “We changed our Sunday hours so our staff can go to church on Sunday mornings and Sunday nights.”
Since extending hours into the morning, Over Yonder has added to their menu to accommodate. You can stop in in the mornings for the beverage of your choice, and get breakfast too. Over Yonder now serves overnight oats, fruit cups, bagels with cream cheese, yogurt cups, muffins, cream cheese danishes, various turnovers, and more!
Since opening, the owners and staff at the beloved Bladenboro ice cream shop have persevered through hard times. From severe flooding, to COVID, to family losses, the Wests have worked diligently to continue to serve their loyal customers. 
Amanda shared that they love their community, and support the community however they can. She added, “We are supporters of Beast Fest and Spring Fling. I love having a booth at both events so that I can see everyone and enjoy the fellowship. We also support our local schools with their fundraisers, and all the kids’ activities: from baseball, to dance, and so many more. We have had Easter egg hunts behind the shop and yard games for people to play. We try to have fun entertainment for everyone to enjoy.”
Over Yonder is not currently hiring, but anyone who is interested in joining their team can visit the shop and speak with Amanda.
Location: 114 W. Seaboard Street, Bladenboro.
Contact: 9102120672
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
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