Cool off on hot days with Zeppe’s Italian Water Ice
Lydia Keever, 1, eats her mother's gelata at Zeppe's Italian Water Ice in Harrisville Tuesday, May 17, 2016.
Zeppe's Italian Water Ice serves a variety of frozen deserts but is most popular for its gelata, which is a mixture of Italian ice and frozen custard. According to a Yelp search, the shop is one of the top places in Davis and Weber counties to get ice cream and other frozen treats.
Cassi Cosby eats gelata at the order counter at Zeppe's Italian Water Ice in Harrisville Tuesday, May 17, 2016.
Zeppe's Italian Water Ice serves a variety of frozen deserts but is most popular for its gelata which is a mixture of Italian water ice and frozen custard.
Zeppe's Italian Water Ice serves a variety of frozen deserts but is most popular for its gelata which is a mixture of Italian ice and frozen custard.
Alexis Harris, a manager at Zeppe's Italian Water Ice in Harrisville, serves gelata on Tuesday, May 17, 2016.
Dallen, 12, and Wesley Keever, 4, eat gelata at Zeppe's Italian Water Ice in Harrisville Tuesday, May 17, 2016.
HARRISVILLE — Drive by Zeppe’s Italian Water Ice and Old-Fashioned Frozen Custard any evening and there is likely to be a crowd.
The outdoor eatery at 883 N. Washington Blvd. is not only a spot to slurp down iced custard, Italian water ice and other cool treats but also a place to meet up with friends and family of all ages.
Zeppe’s opened this, its first restaurant, in 2007 but the franchise also has stores in Providence and St. George. A new food truck for the company was recently finished and will start to travel across the Wasatch Front to different events and to offer catering.
Italian water ice is made from a fruit puree and has the same texture and consistency as ice cream, Winfield Scott, the owner of Zeppe’s said, but it’s dairy-free, fat-free and cholesterol-free. Frozen custard is a premium egg-based ice cream, he explained.
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Scott purchased Zeppe’s in 2012. He said the previous owner was from the East Coast where the Italian water ice and frozen custard “gelatas” were a big hit.
Turns out they are a big hit here, too.
A gelata is made when the water ice and custard are layered in a cup and it’s Zeppe’s most popular item, said Mikayla Wheeler, a manager of the Harrisville store.
There are more than 40 flavors to be added to the ice and three flavors of custard to choose from – chocolate, vanilla or twist.
“It’s a good combo. When you get a bite of that ice and creamy custard together, it is one of the best things ever,” Wheeler said.
Zeppe’s Italian Water Ice
Address: 883 N. Washington Blvd., Harrisville
Phone: 801-786-0400
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Summer hours begin May 26: 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
Many locals seem to agree. Ogden resident Heather Stephenson said in a Facebook query for customer comments on the restaurant that coconut ice with chocolate custard on top is “heaven.” Wheeler said that is one of the most popular combos because it tastes a bit like an Almond Joy candy bar.
Another popular flavor is to mix is vanilla custard and root-beer flavored ice for a sort of root-beer-type freeze.
The Italian water ice can also be purchased separately. The 40 flavors are rotated on daily basis, but customers can check online to see what the flavors of the day are. Wheeler said there are usually about 25 flavors available on any given day.
Employees can also whip up shakes with the custard and ice blended together, or make custard cones where customers can choose between the three flavors and select from a variety of cones including sugar cones and waffle cones. Pretzels are also served with different types of dip and flavors.
A regular gelata runs $3.69 and regular water ice is $2.79.
The ordering windows and dining at the Harrisville location are all outdoors so the shop is open seasonally. The other Zeppe’s franchises in Utah are indoor-only facilities and open year-round, Scott said.
Scott said he has enjoyed being a business owner in the community and enjoyed the support he has received.
“It’s a fantastic community and I’ve really gotten to know the people,” he said. Expanding to different locations and adding the food truck has been a natural progression based on demand, he said.
Wheeler said she enjoys her job because the customers are happy to be there and it’s a family-friendly atmosphere.
Kristen Bullock of Harrisville said on social media that the large selection keeps her coming back and the sizes are good servings.
“You get lots for what you pay for,” Bullock said.
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Ogden resident Nate Kozak posted on social media that he appreciates the good, courteous service and Ogden High School senior Diego Duke said it’s not just about the treats, which he loves, but it’s more than that.
“It’s like a complete thing to do for kids my age. It’s more than the ice and the custard, it’s actually going there. The atmosphere is cool and it’s a nice treat when it’s hot out,” Duke said in response to the Facebook query.
Kozak admits he has even stood in the rain to get Zeppe’s because “it’s so good.”
Lindsay Sandberg, a Pleasant View resident, said on social media that Zeppe’s reminds her of the shave ice from Hawaii.
Scott said he has never met anyone who has tried the product and not fallen in love, adding, “It’s refreshing and unique.”
To find out food truck locations or to inquire about catering, call 801-786-0400, 801-864-2484 or 801-540-8975.