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Frozen Custard

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Bob Jo's Frozen Custard
Wyandotte, MI		 Sycamore Drive-in
Logansport, IN
Bob Jo's Frozen Custard has been here since 1947. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

The Sycamore Drive-in has been selling homemade frozen custard since the 1950s.

Don's Original
Rochester, NY		 Mountain Mist Custard
Saranac Lake, NY
Don's Original opened in 1945. It features frozen custard, burgers, and "white hots" (pork hot dogs topped with chili sauce). Don's slogan is "Where Quality Predominates". They now have two other locations but the one shown here is the original and just next door to the Sea Breeze Amusement Park.

Mountain Mist Custard has been here since the 1950s. They have another location in Lake Placid, NY.

Anderson's Custard
Kenmore, NY
Anderson's Custard was founded in New York City in 1946. This location in Kenmore was built in 1953. The building remained basically unchanged until around 2008 when an indoor dining room was added to the front. The top left photo is from around 2001; the others are from 2010. In addition to frozen custard, Anderson's is famous for its roast beef sandwiches ("Beef on Weck"). There are now seven locations in the Buffalo area. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 2.

Krekel's Kustard
Main St.
Decatur, IL		 Krekel's Kustard
Wood St.
Decatur, IL		 Krekel's Custard
Springfield, IL
Krekel's Kustard was established in 1949. The local chain has six locations and is perhaps best known for their hamburgers. Their Mount Zion location features a cow on the roof and a Chicken Mobile. These Decatur locations spell custard with a "K" while their website spells the word the traditional way. The Main St. stand features a pole sign that reads "Krekel's Dairy Maid". The Wood St. stand might be their original location. The Springfield location has an unusual slanted roof and spells custard with a "C". For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Original Frozen Custard
Lafayette, IN
Original Frozen Custard started out in 1932 with an igloo shaped stand. That building is now gone. This building, at a different location in town, was built in 1949. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.

Frozen Custard Igloo
Lafayette, IN
The Frozen Custard Igloo is a modern stand. I don't know if there is any relationship with Original Frozen Custard (see above) but the Igloo's signs were obviously inspired by the older stand. For more, see this website.

Jarling's Custard Cup
Danville, IL
Jarling's Custard Cup
Champaign, IL
The Danville Jarling's Custard Cup opened in 1949 when it was known as Potter's Custard Cup. The owner of this building was good friends with the owner of the Original Frozen Custard (see above) and was given the plans to build this stand.

The Champaign Jarling's Custard Cup opened in 1983. The building appears more 1960s or 1970s and makes me suspect it was adapted from a previous ice cream store or restaurant. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Massey's Frozen Custard
Carlisle, PA
Massey's Frozen Custard opened in 1949. The neon ice cream cone flashes on and off at night. For more, see this website.

Carl's
Fredericksburg, VA
Carl's opened in 1947 and its building and neon sign remain intact. Carl's uses 1940s Electro-Freeze ice cream machines to make 120 gallon batches of frozen custard. Hank's Frozen Custard in New Brighton, PA also uses these machines. Frozen custard uses more eggs than ice cream and is smoother and softer. Carl's offers vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. For more, see these websites 1 and 2.

Ted Drewe's Frozen Custard
St. Louis, MO
This Ted Drewe's Frozen Custard Route 66 location opened in 1941. There is another, smaller location in town. The company was founded in 1929 with a stand in Florida. Ted Drewe's is world-famous for its "concretes" (super thick milkshakes). For more, see these websites 1 and 2.

Andy's Frozen Custard
Springfield, MO
Andy's Frozen Custard first opened in 1986 in Osage Beach, MO. Apparently, the stand copied the building style of Leon's Frozen Custard (see below). Andy's is now expanding to AR, TX, IL, CO and other cities in MO. Andy's opened in Springfield in 1987 and added the third location in town (shown here) in 1999. Their revolving signs are topped by giant ice cream cones. For more, see their website.

Leon's Frozen Custard
Milwaukee, WI
Leon's Frozen Custard opened in 1942. The company had five locations in Wisconsin at one point and there were plans to expand all the way to Key West, FL. That never happened and the other locations have been sold. This walk-up stand is open year-round. About 90% of its sales comes from frozen custard. Leon's has also sold hot dogs from the beginning.

There was originally a neon skeleton sign of a howling dog installed in the window. The American flag sign was built in the 1940s. In 1955, the building was remodeled and the rooftop neon signs were installed. These non-animated signs remain and are lit at night. The dog sign is about six feet long. According to the sign shop that maintains Leon's signs, the dog sign would be the most difficult sign to replace because of the intricate neon bends. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Leon's Frozen Custard
Oshkosh, WI
This Leon's Frozen Custard opened in 1947. Although it was established by Leon's mother and modeled after the Milwaukee stand, this location has always been a separate operation. This stand features car hop service. The custard machines bear the Carvel Custard King logo. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.

Kitt's Frozen Custard
Milwaukee, WI
I believe Kitt's Frozen Custard opened in 1950 by Jon Kittridge. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Gilles Frozen Custard
Fond du Lac, WI		 Strickland's
Akron, OH
Gilles Frozen Custard was founded in Milwaukee in 1938. This was their second location which opened in 1950. However, the two places are independently operated now. This stand still features car hops. For more, see their website.

Strickland's began producing frozen custard in 1936. This is the original stand. There are now 14 locations in Ohio, South Carolina, California and Florida. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Ritter's Frozen Custard
Franklin, IN		 Ritter's Frozen Custard
Mishawaka, IN
Ritter's Frozen Custard
Warsaw, IN
Although these Ritter's Frozen Custard locations are not old, I'll include them anyway because of their interesting round shape. The first Ritter's was built in 1989 in Franklin and it might be the one shown above. There are other buildings just like this one in Livonia, MI and Columbus, OH. There are probably others as well since Ritter's has locations throughout the Midwest as well as CO, FL, NV, TN, and TX. There is also a look-alike building in Lima, OH that was not part of this chain. For more, see their website.

More Frozen Custard:
Gilles Frozen Custard (Milwaukee, WI)
Kopp's Frozen Custard (Milwaukee, WI)
Kohr Bros. Frozen Custard (various cities)
Custard List

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