By Amber Williams

City editor

Jitters and Bliss, formerly TCBY, is tentatively scheduled to open March 6 after many unanticipated delays.

The restaurant, 424 W. Lincoln Ave., was originally set to open the first week of February, but setbacks with construction and delays on equipment have pushed back the date.

The Department of Health inspected Jitters and Bliss February 20 and found that one of its pieces of used food storage equipment was not up to code and needed to be replaced, said Ron Bradley, inspector for the Department of Health. Bradley said he had not received the information on the equipment before going to the inspection.

Jitters and Bliss will offer a variety of coffee, pastries, frozen custard, bagels, muffins and homemade ice cream, said Keith Bliss, owner of Jitters and Bliss.

“It will be quite an extensive menu,” Bliss said.

He said Jitters and Bliss will be the only restaurant in the area to incorporate three unique foods – homemade ice cream, gourmet coffee and pastries imported from Europe.

Homemade ice cream will be available about one month after the restaurant opens, Bliss said. Until the restaurant is prepared for homemade ice cream, it will offer 16 flavors of hand-dipped ice cream.

“People will drive for miles for homemade ice cream,” Bliss said.

The restaurant will offer different blends of coffee in 40 different flavors as well as iced coffee drinks.

Bliss hopes to have a coffeehouse atmosphere with the design of the new restaurant. The restaurant will have three types of seating, music playing in the background, bright colors and designs and the smell of baking pastries.

“We are incorporating all of the senses,” Bliss said. “Everything in here is fun.”

Bliss decided to change the name of TCBY to Jitters and Bliss, so customers would know the new restaurant has something different to offer. Jitters and Bliss has a different menu than TCBY did and is not offering frozen yogurt.

In the future, Bliss hopes to expand the menu at the restaurant. In the spring, it will offer fruit smoothies and torts. Soup and bread are possible for the future.

For those who choose to dine in their car, Jitters and Bliss will have a drive thru sometime in the first weeks of operation, Bliss said.

The restaurant also will sell whole bean coffees, mugs, logo shirts and hats. Refills are at a discount price for anyone who buys a Jitters and Bliss mug.