There is a photo hanging in the lobby of Mooney's Ice Cream on State Street in Saginaw that stops people in their tracks.
It is a picture of the original building. The one on the corner of Gratiot and Williams where generations of Saginaw families waited in line on summer nights for a scoop of Superman or Blue Moon. The building that was eventually sold, closed in 1996, and demolished in 1997.
People see that photo and the conversations start immediately. I remember that place. I had my first job there. My parents used to take me every Friday. That was our spot.
That photo is not just a conversation piece. It is the entire reason Mooney's Ice Cream still exists today.
Nearly 100 Years of Saginaw History
John Mooney founded Mooney's Ice Cream in 1927. He ran delivery trucks carrying ice cream from Flint all the way up to Mackinaw Island and the main shop on Gratiot and Williams became one of Saginaw's most beloved institutions. After John's passing his wife and stepsons kept it going until 1996 when the location was sold and eventually demolished.
But Mooney's did not die. Reid and Roger Kwaiser kept the name and the tradition alive on State Street from 1996 to 2016. Then Nina Steiner, who had worked for Reid and Roger for years, took over and ran it with the same love and dedication until 2025.
It was during Nina's time that Lauren, Neal and Heather Gorney's daughter, came to work at Mooney's. She fell in love with its history and traditions and always dreamed that when Nina retired she would buy it herself.
Things happened a little too early for Lauren.
So her parents did what parents do. They stepped in.
A Frantic Search and a Fresh Start
Neal and Heather bought Mooney's Ice Cream knowing full well the Plaza where it had operated for 27 years would not allow them to stay. What followed was a frantic search for a new location worthy of the Mooney's name.
They found it. Bigger. Brighter. More family friendly than ever before.
The new Mooney's at 5982 State Street features a 50 person indoor lobby with a cozy fireplace and a 75 inch TV playing sports, holiday shows, and cartoons depending on the season. Outside seating for 25 or more in the summer. And a menu that has only gotten better.
48 flavors in the front display case. 20 more in the back freezer including house made ice cream and non dairy options. Soft serve. Slushies. Cookies. Cakes. And the hand made Choco Tacos that Heather says they simply cannot keep up with production on.
The banana splits made with hand dipped ice cream of your choice are legendary. The ice cream nachos are unlike anything else in Mid Michigan. And Superman and Blue Moon remain the fan favorites they have always been.
Open year round from 11am to 9pm expanding to 10pm in the summer months. Because Saginaw deserves Mooney's every single month not just July.
The Next Chapter is Already Written
Lauren will take over Mooney's in about ten years. And after Lauren comes her son. He is five years old and already tells everyone he is the CEO.
Nearly 100 years. A delivery truck in 1927. A corner building that became a landmark. A photo that starts conversations. A family that refused to let it end.
This is Mooney's Ice Cream. And Saginaw is lucky it never gave up on them.
Find Mooney's Ice Cream at 5982 State Street in Saginaw. Open year round 11am to 9pm.