New Owners To Reopen Sweet Ashley's In Norwalk This Spring

NORWALK, CT — For many who frequent the East Norwalk area, stopping by Sweet Ashley's Handcrafted Ice Cream on East Avenue is as much of a summer tradition as watching the Memorial Day parade or enjoying Fourth of July fireworks.

Since 1992, Sweet Ashley's has been serving a wide variety of inventive flavors of handmade, small-batch ice cream throughout the spring, summer and fall months.

Frank Lanzo, who recently purchased the shop with his wife, Judie, has no plans to change that.

"Customers can rest assured," Lanzo said to Patch, "I'm training with the previous owner to make sure all the recipes are the same."

Sweet Ashley's will reopen for the 2023 season March 29, with a grand reopening planned for May 6, Lanzo said.

A Norwalk resident for over 20 years, Lanzo said he has always loved ice cream and felt it was important to keep Sweet Ashley's open when it went up for sale.

"I thought it would be great to get involved and give back to the community," Lanzo said. "It was really important to keep this business alive in town...I'm looking forward to making the ice cream in house and keeping this tradition alive."

He also wanted to maintain the level of quality set by the shop's previous owners that has kept the business thriving for over three decades.

"Quality is going to be there," Lanzo said. "If anything, the quality is going to go up, it's not going to go down. We're thriving on using great, high-quality products. We're trying to do the best that we can to produce the best ice cream that we can do."

Judie Lanzo also emphasized loyal fans will still be able to find their favorite flavor when the shop reopens this spring.

"We're not getting rid of anything," Judie Lanzo said. "We're just hoping to maybe expand. We want to make sure customers have a pleasant experience, good customer service and a family-friendly environment."

While many aspects of the original store will remain intact, the new owners also plan to introduce new elements, including dog-friendly ice cream and more vegan-based options, as well as some brand new ice cream flavors, such as maple bacon and peanut butter banana.

"We're going to kind of put our twist on it and keep some of the same recipes as well...I'm very excited," Lanzo said.

For customers who like to enjoy their ice cream outside the store, Lanzo said they plan to add more outdoor seating, as well as lighting and music.

Lanzo has also developed a new system to let customers know what flavors are available before they come to the store.

"We've got 75 different flavors," Lanzo said, "and people really didn't know what was available. It was kind of choice by luck, and they could request flavors."

Customers will now be able to scan a QR code on the store's website and social media that will bring up a list of flavors that are currently in stock.

"If customers do have a [flavor] request," Lanzo said, "they can always request it and I can make a custom flavor or a tub if they want."

In years past, Sweet Ashley's has typically opened in early April and operated until November. Lanzo said the store will likely follow a similar schedule, however a final decision has not been made yet.

He also encouraged customers to "bring their pups" as they enjoy their frozen treats.

"I'm looking forward to just selling ice cream," Lanzo said, "bringing smiles to kids and happiness."