Italian ice adds flavor to Logan
Easter decorations adorn the tables in the entrance of Zeppe’s Italian Ice shop in Providence ,a,nd though it may be the dead of winter is frozen treat stop is open seven days a week. All the employees wear the Zeppe’s t-shirt and a smile as they help you make your decision.
Zeppe’s is an Italian ice shop that opened in Providence by the Andrade family in September 2010 and has had recent success in its first few months of opening.
“A lot of places have a hard time covering costs their first year in business, but this is our first year open and already we’ve been doing great,” Michael Andrade, the manager of Zeppe’s, said.
This is the fifth year Zeppe’s has been in business with each of its shops being individually owned. Andrade said Italian ice started in Italy and was brought over to New York years ago. He said that now the Italian Ice people try here is much more American-ized and it is slowly spreading across the country.
“I love seeing new people try it,” Andrade said. “Everyone who ever tries it always loves it.”
Andrade said that his parents John and Laura Andrade decided to open a Zeppe’s in Providence because there was a Zeppe’s in Harrisville they loved to go to. Unfortunately the store in Harrisville was only a seasonal store which meant they could only go to it in the summer. The Andrade’s decided that when they opened the one in Providence, it was going to be a place where people could come to all year.
Andrade said he’d seen people who came in to Zeppe’s regularly enough that they had their own self-designated table, as well as those that came in and tried it for the first time who fell in love with it so instantly, they “went crazy” with all the praises they sang about the amazing gelata, shake or other concoctions that they tried.
Zeppe’s currently has 25 different flavors that they rotate throughout the weeks and plan on getting those flavors up to about 32 different flavors later this year. Andrade said they hope to start catering towards college students by teaming up with Blue Cache Cards and getting in the Bridgerland phone book.
The ice shop is also co-joined with Little Ceaser’s Pizza and shares a hallway with them so that customers can walk into Little Ceaser’s to order a Pizza, and then walk straight into Zeppe’s for a Sunset Splash Gelata.
When asked how the Italian ice was created, Andrade declined to share the secret. He said that it was a secret that couldn’t be shared because Zeppe’s couldn’t have that “precious” information leaking out.
Andrade said the majority of their workers are high school students who come to work there and are able to gain a positive work experience in a fun environment.
“It’s like a party here,” Andrade said, “people come to try out this new thing called Italian ice, and they always love it.”
Zeppe’s has also started catering weddings and Andrade said they already have some bookings for this summer so they plan on staying busy. Andrade said that they can serve whatever flavors are desired, and as much as is desired. Then once all your relatives have tried it out at your wedding, they’ll all want to come try all the other options available at the Zeppe’s store.
“We really wanted people to have a good place to hang out,” said Andrade “I mean this is an odd place in the valley, and these people need a place like this.”
– jessica.black@aggiemail.usu.edu