Out-of-town mascot promotes ice cream shop.
By: Jennifer Potash
There was a lion prowling Palmer Square on Friday afternoon, but it must have felt a bit lonely amid all the Princeton Tigers returning for Reunions.
The lion happened to be The College of New Jersey’s mascot, and it was pacing in front of The Bent Spoon, a new artisan ice cream shop at 35 Palmer Square West, to promote the state college’s 150th anniversary.
Gabrielle Carbone and Matt Errico, a married couple who met as undergraduates at The College of New Jersey, own and operate The Bent Spoon.
As part of its opening promotion, the shop will create a new ice cream based on the suggestions from students, alumni or the public.
"Gabrielle and Matt embody the entrepreneurial spirit of TCNJ and partnering with the theme for this contest was a perfect fit," said Janis M. Blayne Paul, major events coordinator for the college.
The College of New Jersey’s Sesquicentennial Anniversary kicks off Sept. 8, and will include the contest-winning ice cream.
Since the May 16 opening, The Bent Spoon has attracted a steady stream of customers, Ms. Carbone said.
"We thought we would have this quiet opening but there were people lined up down the block," she said. The line took about three hours to clear, she recalled.
And the couple were happy to support their alma mater, especially during Princeton University’s Reunions.
"I hope the (Princeton University mascot) tiger shows up," she said.
In 1996, Trenton State College changed its name to The College of New Jersey, fomenting outrage and a lawsuit from Princeton University, which was founded in 1746 under that name. Princeton University adopted its current name in 1896. The suit was later dropped.
"We’re so past that now," said Ms. Paul.
But at least one Princeton alumnus still had a bit of fight in him.
"That’s the wrong mascot for Princeton," called out a man wearing a blazer bedecked with tiger prints.
The lion, perhaps sensing he was outnumbered that day, had no comment.
To enter the naming contest, visit the Web site http://150years.tcnj.edu or pick up a paper ballot at The Bent Spoon.