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Junior DJ Christensen walked to Shubert's Ice Cream & Candy on May 14 to find a camera crew filming a crowd of about 200 people holding signs reading "Vote for Shubert's" and "Chico loves Shubert's."
Christensen was shocked to learn Shubert's was one of the top four finalists of "Good Morning America's" Best Scoop Challenge, a contest that allows people to vote for the best ice cream in the nation.
Christensen has been going to Shubert's since she was a little girl, she said.
She thinks the ice cream shop deserves the award because it's been around longer than Cold Stone Creamery or Baskin-Robbins, she said.
"This just shows that local businesses can stick around," she said.
Storeowner Kasey Pulliam-Cowan was more excited than surprised when she found out May 13 that Shubert's was a finalist.
"It's hard to make nationals for anything," she said. "Deep in my heart I thought I had a good chance, but I didn't know we'd actually make it."
Shubert's regulars have been writing to "Good Morning America" all April telling them it should be chosen over 500 other stores across the nation, Pulliam-Cowan said.
The store uses Chico-grown products, such as almonds, she said. She thinks that's what got the store in the top four.
Shubert's opened its doors on East Seventh Street in 1938 and has continued to use the same ice cream machine ever since, Pulliam-Cowan said.
Butte College sophomore Tyler Koistinen heard about the challenge on the radio and came to support the store, he said.
"I've never seen anything like this happen here," he said.
Online voting for the best ice cream started May 18 at abcnews.go.com/GMA.
The results will be announced Sunday, the same day as Shubert's 70th anniversary.
"Even if we don't win, we're still going to be celebrating in here," Pulliam-Cowan said.
Raelene Willis can be reached at rwillis@theorion.com
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