A well-known sweet treat spot is opening the first of four Sarasota locations soon.
Carvel, an ice cream chain based in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, has been a favorite for northeasterners for geneartions, with the first shop opening its doors in 1934. Now, it will soon welcome guests to its first Sarasota location at 8382 S. Tamiami Trail, bringing the longtime favorite to Suncoast residents.
The shop has completed construction and is expected to open in the coming days after recently passing its restaurant inspection. It’s the first of four Carvel locations franchisee Bobby Enrico plans to open in the Sarasota area over the next four years.
For longtime locals, the sweet treat arrival may feel both on time and overdue. Carvel appeared on a 2019 Herald-Tribune reader wish list of chains Sarasotans wanted to see come to the area — that list also included Trader Joe’s and Shake Shack, both of which have since landed and thrived in Sarasota.
Enrico, who previously worked as a car industry entrepreneur and is originally from New Jersey, said the brand’s regional familiarity, and Sarasota’s lack of a location, made opening the ice cream shop an easy decision, he said in a press statement.
“I’m originally from New Jersey, which is where I knew Carvel from,” he said. “When I retired out of the car business after 25 years, I was still a little too young to retire completely. So we decided to franchise with a brand that’s recognizable and influential.”
What kind of sweets does Carvel serve?
Carvel is an ice cream company that has interesting roots; the brand got off the ground after a happy accident.
On Memorial Day weekend in 1934, founder Tom Carvel’s ice cream truck got a flat tire. He pulled over and started selling the slightly melted soft serve — and to his surprise, customers loved it.
The softer texture became the brand’s signature, and Carvel grew into one of the country’s most recognized ice cream names, with more than 350 U.S. locations and operating in 25 states and territories today.
Its famous ice cream cakes can already be found in the frozen section at most big-box chain grocery retailers such as Publix, Target and Walmart. Now, customers can grab a scoop, a cone or a sundae at an actual shop for the first time in Sarasota.
The Sarasota menu will include soft serve, scooped flavors, shakes, take-home treats and the chain’s famous ice cream cakes and signature items such as the Flying Saucers that feature soft serve ice cream sandwiched between chocolate wafers.
Enrico said he plans to root the business in the local community, including partnerships with area schools. Three more Sarasota-area locations are expected to follow in the coming years.
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Popular ice cream chain opening first Sarasota shop soon
Reporting by Samantha Gholar, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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