Gofer Ice Cream reclaims its Darien roots
Gofer Ice Cream will reopen at the location in Darien where it began five years ago.
The shop, after agreeing to shut its doors in order for the location owner to reconstruct the streetscape and shop exterior, has returned to its Boston Post Road location.
“I’m happy to be back in Darien, we took a chance by closing the doors, and we hope to welcome the Darien customers back,” said Jay Ragusa, owner of Gofer Ice Cream.
After a two-year absence, Gofer’s Darien location, which was once a seasonal operation, will reopen at 1020 Boston Post Road, ready to serve cold desserts year-round. The new shop features indoor and outdoor seating.
“Darien is the ideal place to debut our new premiere store,” said Ragusa. “Because we already established a presence in the community and a reputation for quality ice cream and service, we look forward to being well received again.”
The location is currently being renovated into a mixed-use development that will include several new retail stores, restaurants, and office space with parking in the rear of the building.
Gofer also has locations in Stamford and Greenwich.
The Gofer Ice Cream store is known for its red, white and blue cartoon logo of a gopher enjoying an ice cream cone.
Gofer is also using the new store to introduce the Gofer chocolate bar, featuring gourmet loose and boxed chocolates from around the world, and Italian ice.
“The highly anticipated reopening of Gofer Ice Cream at 1020 Post Road promises to contribute to the vibrancy of downtown Darien,” said Debbie Parnon, executive director of Darien Revitalization Inc. “We are excited about the impact Gofer will have downtown. Jay identified a niche market and responded by expanding his original menu of delicious ice cream to include a new chocolate bar and Gofer Italian ice. This is the kind of creative thinking we are looking to our merchants to engage in. Variety of merchandise and quality of goods and services offered by downtown merchants will encourage more foot traffic. Gofer has the added bonus of offering their customers an outdoor eating venue.”
In 2006, Gofer Ice Cream was named Best Ice Cream Shop in “The Best of The Gold Coast,” a people’s choice award encompassing Fairfield County.
“It’s an all-around upgrade for the whole Gofer chain,” said Ragusa. “The business is a fun business; people are always in a good mood. It’s a happy experience and the social return on investment is high.”
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