Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor
| Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| City | Columbus |
| State | Columbus, Indiana |
| Country | United States |
Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor is a restaurant in Columbus, Indiana.
History
[edit]The restaurant was founded in 1900 by James, Lewis, and Pete Zaharako, three candymakers from Sparta, Greece, who opened it as a confectionary shop.[1][2][3][4] After visiting the 1904 World's Fair, they added ice cream to their offerings.[1] By the early 1910s, they had added soda fountains, a mahogany backbar, and a 1908 Welte orchestrion.[1][2] By the middle of the century, there was a self-service area.[1]
The restaurant closed in 2006 when the youngest generation of the Zaharako family weren't interested in continuing to run the business.[1] The orchestrion was sold to a California collector.[3]
In 2007, Tony Moravec, a local businessman, purchased and restored the restaurant, including purchasing the orchestrion from the collector who had bought it, at a total cost of $3.5 million and reopened it in 2009.[1][5][6] The family living quarters above the shop were also restored, and Moravec also opened the space next door as a museum of 19th-century soda fountains and mechanical musical instruments.[1][7] As of 2019, the orchestrion was the only one in the country available for the public to hear play.[3] By 2013, the building had been named to the National Register of Historic Places.[8][9]
Moravec died in 2022 and his son took over the business.[5][10]
The restaurant is also known for its Gom Cheese Brr-grr, a type of sloppy joe or loose-meat sandwich with cheese.[6][3][8]
The restaurant was used as the primary set for Robert Moniot's short film The Ice Cream Man about Ernst Cahn, a Jewish ice cream parlor owner in Amsterdam whose arrest sparked the February Strike.[7][11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Crichton, Ginger (May 26, 2021). "A Scoop of Americana in Columbus, Indiana". Midwest Living. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b Hartz, Michael (January 23, 2020). "Zaharakos: A Columbus favorite where history and tradition are served daily". WRTV. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Caruthers, Teree (May 19, 2015). "Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor Serves Up Fizzy Business". My Indiana Home. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ Blair, Brian (August 25, 2022). "Hollywood producer from Seymour visits Zaharakos for video series". Seymour Tribune. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b Sanderson, Emily (November 17, 2023). "This hidden gem in Indiana has an old-school soda fountain and a banjo that plays itself". WLWT. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b Watson, Jenna (August 7, 2019). "The butter pecan, hot fudge sundae at Zaharakos will complete your summer". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b "Columbus ice cream parlor ready for its close-up". Indiana Landmarks. May 10, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b Blume, Aimee (June 4, 2013). "Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor continues sweet 110-year-old tradition". Courier & Press. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ Jane, Tori (February 10, 2024). "The Historic Ice Cream Parlor In Indiana Where You Can Still Experience The Early 20th Century". Only in your state. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "Business leader and preserver of historic Zaharakos dies". WKKG. November 10, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "Story Of Jewish Resistance Fighter Targeted By The Infamous Butcher Of Lyon Wins Claims Conference Emerging Filmmaker Contest". Claims Conference. February 23, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2024.