An iconic Norwalk ice cream shop in operation since 1992 has come under new ownership ”“ Frank and Judy Lanzo purchased Sweet Ashley’s ahead of the seasonal reopening on March 29.
“We have been coming here since our 15-year-old son went to camp at the Marvin School in the summertime,”Judy Lanzo recalled.
“We’re both really excited to keep it alive,”Frank Lanzo added. “We’re not going anywhere. Norwalk is growing and it’s a great area.”Sweet Ashley’s, located on the corner of Van Zant Street and East Avenue, is adjacent to the 1 Cemetery lot where a controversial mixed-use development has been proposed. The Lanzos decided to purchase the business after Stephen Tyminski, the original founder and owner, announced his intention to retire in 2022.
The Lanzos intend to hire back the dozen seasonal staff members from last summer, and work with them to implement some of their planned changes.
“We were looking for something new to do,”Frank Lanzo explained. “I’ve been in the fishing industry my whole life, but this opportunity kind of presented itself. Judy and I have both been residents here in Norwalk for about 20 years and I heard that Steve was selling. We wanted to take over and pick up where he left off and keep this going.”Frank Lanzo previously ran a charter fishing boat and founded a fish market in Fairfield. He intends to bring his business experience forward with him into the new venture.
“I try to train almost every day,”Frank Lanzo said. “So, I do a lot of protein shakes and I’ve got great ideas coming. Maybe we will do some protein shakes or smoothies as well as ice cream.”The Lanzos are also considering launching vegan ice cream options and non-dairy flavors which customers can share with their dogs. It might strike some as strange to make a maple-bacon peanut butter ice cream with a vegan base and real bacon, but Frank said the price of the coconut based non-dairy ice cream has encouraged him to explore new ways to put it to use.
“What better way to cool your pet off than with a nice cold ice cream?”he asked.
Humans interested in vegan ice cream will be able to enjoy new formulations like lavender chocolate chip and peanut butter banana.
Several businesses, primarily country clubs, also serve Sweet Ashley’s ice cream after buying it wholesale. Those contracts keep the ice cream equipment busy even when there isn’t a line out the door, the Lanzos explained.
Ahead of the March 29 soft re-opening, the Lanzos have been busy preparing huge batches of ice cream. The Sweet Ashley’s menu includes more than 70 different flavors, although limited counter space limits the menu to only 24 options at a time. One of the few changes planned ahead of the opening is replacing the menu board with one which will only display the current choices, supplemented by QR codes and a social media presence that will let customers start deciding on their order before getting to the front of the line.
“We want the same quality, if not better than, what Steve had,”Judy Lanzo said. “We don’t want customers to have a different experience, but you know, we’re learning as we serve so, please be atient with us.”A grand re-opening of the shop with festivities is planned for April 6.
