Grand opening announced for Italian ice and frozen custard shop in Idaho Falls
Published at
IDAHO FALLS — The wait is finally over to try a sweet summer treat at a new Italian ice and frozen custard shop.
Zeppe’s Italian Ice and Frozen Custard is located at 1505 East 17th Street. It’s the same location where the Great Harvest Bakery Cafe used to be.
“The thing about Zeppe’s that makes it a little bit different is the batch freezers that we make the Italian ice in; those are Italian-made machines, so it’s not just Italian ice. It’s a legitimate Italian product that you are getting,” said Craig Anderson, one of the franchise owners.
Anderson announced the grand opening to EastIdahoNews.com on Monday. It will be on Aug. 29 from noon to 2 p.m. and everyone is invited to come out.
“It’s delicious, and then the custard is Zeppe’s own ingredients. It has a little bit more fat content. It just makes it extremely rich. It is smooth; it is amazing. So when you put the two together, it’s heaven!” he said.
The grand opening will have music, fun and prizes. There will be a spinning wheel, free small gelatos and Italian ice. There will be BOGO cards, too.
“We just want to have some fun with it,” Anderson said. “I’m really excited. This day is actually finally here.”
Anderson and co-franchise owner John Worley originally planned to open Zeppe’s in May, but the building needed much more work than initially thought.
“We had the building plans. Everything was approved; we had the permits, and then when the general contractors came, and they started peeling back layers, they found that there was so much more work that they had to do,” Anderson explained.
The floors had to be reinforced to hold the weight of Zeppe’s machines.
“Then, the electrician was up cutting some holes, and the plaster ceiling collapsed. So it has been a lot of surprises along the way,” Anderson said.
There’s new wiring, new flooring, new insulation, new plumbing, and a new HVAC system. The building has been modernized. However, the iconic building has the same exterior, brick and architecture.
“In our main seating area, we kept the fireplace. It was actually sheetrocked in, and when we pulled that off, we found it. We were like, we got to keep this!” he said.
There’s also an outdoor seating area with umbrellas so that people can enjoy the sunshine.
Anderson is a huge fan of Zeppe’s. When he attended college at the University of Utah, about 20 years ago, he discovered it in the Ogden area.
“It was always an exciting summer when Zeppe’s would open. They only had one location (at the time). We lived down the street from it,” he said.
There are now over 10 locations in Utah. This is the second location to open in eastern Idaho, with the first being in Rexburg.
With the grand opening just around the corner, 19 hired employees, and a lot of excitement, he hopes people will come experience Zeppe’s.
“You’ve got to come and try it. Taste the Zeppe’s difference because it is a superior product. Just try it,” Anderson said.
Zeppe’s not only has Italian ice, concretes, gelata, and frozen custard, but also treats like pretzels and churros. Anderson hopes it will be a year-round destination, even during the winter. They plan to have gourmet hot chocolates.
