Carvel Ice Cream Opens Newest Location in Astoria

Carvel Ice Cream opened its newest location at 37-11 35th Ave., Astoria in Kaufman Astoria Studios on Friday, March 10.

Homer Simpson loves it. Kelly Ripa and the Sopranos celebrate birthdays with

it. And now Astoria residents can enjoy

America's freshest ice cream. Carvel Ice Cream announces the opening of its newest Astoria location at 37-11 35th Ave. in Kaufman Astoria Studios.

Carvel will offer its famous ice cream cakes and soft serve ice cream, as well as a wide variety of premium hand-dipped flavors, take-home novelties, and fountain-style products, including cups, cones, sundaes, and shakes. All products are made fresh daily in the store.

In addition to their East Meadow store, franchise partners Xenofon Efthimiadis and Zisis Gatzoflias will oversee Carvel's newest Astoria location. Current store hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. To reach Carvel at Kaufman Astoria Studios, call 718-786-8389.

"This new Astoria location is a great next step as we transform Carvel from a regional concept into a national brand," Steve Romaniello, president and chief executive officer of Carvel Corporation, said. "Being a family-oriented concept, we pride ourselves on our high-quality, freshly made products, and we are delighted to provide our wide variety of menu items to customers throughout the Astoria area."

The 71-year-old ice cream company is currently undergoing a nationwide expansion plan. Recently ranked 93 in Entrepreneur magazine's 2006 Franchise 500, the company is experiencing franchise sales growth in new markets such as Texas, California, and Ohio.

The nation's first retail ice cream franchise, Carvel has become one of the best loved and most recognized names in its industry. The 71-year old company is the leading manufacturer of uniquely shaped ice cream cakes, including its signature Fudgie the Whale and Cookie Puss cakes, as well as a leading provider of premium soft serve and hand dipped ice cream products. Carvel currently operates approximately 540 franchised and food service locations, and sells its famous ice cream cakes in more than 8,500 supermarket outlets. The company is based in Atlanta, Georgia with its supermarket headquarters in Rocky Hill, Connecticut.

FOCUS Brands Inc. is the franchisor and operator of more than 1,300 ice cream stores, bakeries, and cafes in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 30 foreign countries under the brand names Carvel, Cinnabon, and is the franchisor of Seattle's Best Coffee on military bases and internationally. The primary objective of FOCUS Brands is to "FOCUS on making its constituencies happy."