Ice Cream Shop May Open In Hinsdale

HINSDALE, IL — A businessman who is planning to have an ice cream truck in Hinsdale for a few days later this month is looking at opening a permanent ice cream shop locally — something the village does not have.

On Tuesday, the Village Board approved a Rainbow Cone truck to operate at The Fruit Store parking lot at 26 W. First St. from Aug. 18 to Aug. 22.

Owner John Buonavolanto said his purposes include gaining brand recognition and testing new markets for brick-and-mortar stores. Last year, his company opened Rainbow Cone shops in Darien and Lombard.

Village President Tom Cauley asked Buonavolanto whether Rainbow Cone was considering Hinsdale as a possible place for a store.

Buonavolanto responded, "Absolutely. I would love for this to be very successful and forces our hand."

Trustee Luke Stifflear noted the lack of such a shop in Hinsdale.

"It's always amazed me that Hinsdale has not sustained an ice cream store," he said.

Cauley said he hadn't seen such a request for a truck in the last dozen years. He said his biggest concern would be if a food truck took business from brick-and-mortar stores.

Stifflear agreed.

"If I were a brick-and-mortar store paying real estate taxes every single day of the year and a competitor drove up, it would be tough," Stifflear said.

According to the village, two other downtown businesses — Toni Patisserie & Cafe and Cafe La Fortuna — include ice cream among their offerings. Buonavolanto said his truck would be open outside those two restaurants' hours.

Cauley encouraged Rainbow Cone to consider Hinsdale.

"If you're looking to Hinsdale for a brick-and-mortar store, that's great," he said.