Some local families pass down recipes. Others build traditions.
For the Saljanin family, they’ve done both — turning scoops of decades-adored ice cream and crave-worthy smash burgers into destinations that customers have continued to seek out in New Smyrna Beach and beyond.
After maintaining loyal followings on both fronts, the family behind Frozen Gold Ice Cream and Big Mike’s Burgers is writing its next chapter with not one, but two local expansions.
Today, they’re bringing even more fudge-drizzled treats and flavor-dripping burgers to the table, with the opening of Frozen Gold’s third location in Ormond-by-the-Sea and Fat Daddy’s Grill, housed on the east side of New Smyrna’s Frozen Gold building.
Frozen Gold Ice Cream expands
Following the opening of Frozen Gold’s Port Orange location last year, the Saljanins recently expanded the brand about 20 miles north.
After purchasing the former Surfin’ Scoops property at 1760 Ocean Shore Blvd. in the spring, the new Ormond-by-the-Sea location quietly opened just weeks ago, owner Frank Saljanin told The News-Journal.
“I wanted to buy it a couple times that it went for sale, because we have a house up there … And it’s a beautiful location,” Frank said.
“Ormond is a place we’ve always wanted to be in,” his son, Mike, of Big Mike’s Burgers, added, noting that while soft serve isn’t currently on the menu at the 600-square-foot shop, it has adapted the brand’s signature sundaes and floats to showcase its hard-scooped ice cream instead.
The beachside venue embraces the same Old-Florida spirit tied to the original Frozen Gold with a sand lot, several outdoor picnic tables and a walk-up window for placing orders.
It will soon house its own variation of the brand’s signature oversized lawn chair — a photo-op favorite among local families and vacationers alike.
Fat Daddy’s Grill opens in NSB
About 30 miles south of its Ormond location, the Original Frozen Gold — an address synonymous with decades of after-dinner treats — is now giving customers a savory reason to stick around.
Fat Daddy’s Grill, located along the property’s Eddie Road frontage, made its debut in May. According to Frank, the former storage space was originally slated to become a Planet Pizza, though numerous floods, among other business setbacks, led the family to step away from the concept after nearly two years.
“We were totally done, and then the logo for my dad’s place popped up on my Facebook page. We had a place called Fat Daddy’s in downtown Orlando that he opened when I was younger,” Frank said, describing the moment as less a coincidence than a sign.
“Mike used to go there, and that’s kind of where his love of burgers started. It just so happens that now Mike also has a burger place but, obviously, we don’t want to compete.”
While Big Mike’s is known for its fresh, never frozen Angus beef smash burgers, warm pretzel buns and waffle-cut fries, Fat Daddy’s Grill offers made-to-order flame-grilled burgers — available as a double or triple — on seeded brioche buns with standard-cut garlic salt fries.
“This is a different crowd here than over there (at Big Mike’s),” Mike said. “That’s a lot more of a regular spot … and this store is a lot more touristy, you know? So, we were like, ‘Why wouldn’t we do food as well and make it a rest stop for people?’”
Alongside its signature quarter-pound creations, like the Fat Daddy’s Burger, Bacon Lover Burger and Chili Cheese Burger, the roadside shop offers loaded fries — Buffalo ranch, chili cheese or animal style — as well as several all beef, quarter-pound hot dogs.
Landing it a spot on The New Journal’s recent roundup of the best local hot joints, the Frankenstein Dog, sandwiched between a warm brioche bun, comes dripping in cheese sauce, crispy applewood bacon and grilled onions, while the Big Mike’s Dog adds sauerkraut and smash sauce to the equation.
Who’s behind Big Mike’s, Frozen Gold and Fat Daddy’s Grill?
For the Saljanins, running restaurants is nothing new.
Frank, just 14 when his family moved from New York to the New Smyrna Beach area, says his late father Marko Saljanin spent three decades at the helm of Orlando’s Planet Pizza restaurant before his death in 2019, prompting the family to sell the business and work closer to home.
In 2021, after purchasing the former Donnie’s Donuts property at 1112 W. Canal St. — which closed in 2022 following back-to-back hurricanes — Frank and his son, Mike, a Stetson University graduate and local real estate broker, later converted the space to the now thriving Big Mike’s Burgers, which opened in 2023.
Just three months after purchasing the Canal Street property, the family bought New Smyrna’s Frozen Gold Ice Cream — an iconic location that’s gone through several owners in its 56 years of business.
“When I came here as a kid — probably 14 years old — we stopped at Frozen Gold with my dad. That’s how we were first introduced to it, and that was always kind of the family joke, like, ‘Hey, I’m gonna buy this place one day,’” Frank said.
“Over the years, we did different stuff and never bought it, but then we kind of stepped away from everything in Orlando … and we ended up buying the ice cream shop. I just like making old things look nice, clean and new.”
Last year, the family bought Ritters Frozen Custard in Port Orange, transforming the beloved 1,563-square-foot, 12-sided building into their second Frozen Gold location.
Today, Frank’s son Chris, a former Daytona Beach Police officer, primarily runs the 104 Eddie St. location, while Mike oversees Big Mike’s — though each business is a family affair, they said.
“We do enjoy just making everything nicer,” Mike added. “Any property that we’ve taken over, you’ll pretty much know it’s us, because the first thing you’ll see is that it’s brought back to life.”
Frozen Gold’s Ormond outpost is located at 1760 Ocean Shore Blvd. and is open from 1 – 9 p.m. Monday – Wednesday, noon – 9 p.m. Thursday and 1 – 10 p.m. Friday – Sunday. Fat Daddy’s Grill is located at 104 Eddie Road in New Smyrna Beach and is open from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Wednesday – Monday. For information, visit facebook.com/Frozengoldnsb.
— Helena Perray is the food and dining reporter for The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Follow her on Instagram, and support local journalism by subscribing
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Find flame-grilled burgers, ice cream at iconic NSB location
Reporting by Helena Perray, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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By Helena Perray, Daytona Beach News-Journal | USA TODAY Network
