Peace Out Cookie Puss: Original Carvel Closes

First the financial crisis, now this. Nostalgic sweet tooths are now screaming vainly for ice cream in Hartsdale, New York, where the first Carvel on earth closed yesterday after more than seven decades in business. Legend has it that company founder (and beloved commercial spokesman) Tom Carvel opened the depression-era soft serve icon at the location because that's where his self-made frozen custard trailer broke down with a flat tire on Memorial Day 1934—business was so good at the spot he stayed put, built the store, and even lived out back with his wife for a while.

Carvel died in 1990, but his legacy lives on in 500 Carvel stores, in frozen desserts sold in 8,500 supermarkets nationwide, and in those distinctively amateurish commercials. The Hartsdale property, 25 miles north of Manhattan, was bought from the Carvel Foundation two years ago and the owners say high taxes have made the frozen dessert game unsustainable. So they'll be replacing the ice cream stand with a restaurant, which is always a sure-fire money maker. After the jump, a couple classic Reagan-era Carvel commercials.

Photo courtesy Ken Bringer.

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By John Del Signore in Food on October 6, 2008 9:55 AM

Comments [rss]

msl422004

Fudgie the Whale is very much still alive. I had one at an office party recently (there's a carvel on Fulton Street downtown).

Felix Hoenikker

They probably got a fat cash offer for the land from a chain restaurant.

Spirit of 76

Ah, Tom Carvel and Frank Perdue, kings of the kitschy commercial. Those were the days.

Steven

I really don't know how can any small business can set themselves in black especially in a affluent area like Hartsdale. I wonder what the taxes were on the property.

Snoopy

And people want the "Home of Hip Hop" to be landmarked? This is the kind of structure that needs to be landmarked. Long live Fudgie the Whale.

Outter Burrougher

smitty, Carvel has franchises, so complain to the local Carvel if you want Fudgie. I used to hang out in the back of a Carvel in high school while my best friend worked - and decorated tons of those cakes.

Of course, since the owner trusted my friend completely, she never came in, and thus didn't catch that we were smoking back there and other such elicit activities. So maybe you don't want that Fudgie the Whale cake anyway...

veeelchop

the first carvel should have been a national treasure and historic place. we're talking about ice cream and ice cream CAKES people!

JacqueMehoff

isn't hartsdale an affluent area?

don't most dairy queens close during the winter?

maybe it should have a starbucks along side it to supplement their income. but it's going to be some japanese bbq buffet place.

HenryKrinkle

How the fuck can any business stay afloat anymore? Unless they sell this shit @ Walmart or Target small businesses are simply fucked... let's keep taxing everyone until they have nothing left...

ides_of_march

"the owners say high taxes have made the frozen dessert game unsustainable."

The power to tax is the power to destroy. Remember this next time a politician suggests raising taxes to stimulate the economy.