Andy Kuntz, CEO and owner of Andy’s Frozen Custard (left) and La Grange Park Mayor Jim Discipio (right) cheer as store manager Ruben Rodriguez cuts the grand-opening ribbon. (Photos by Steve Metsch)
Newest Andy’s Frozen Custard gets a warm welcome in La Grange Park
By Steve Metsch
On a chilly gray winter day, about 200 people patiently waited outside in the cold to purchase $2 frozen custard sundaes.
Why the fascination with a frozen concoction on a day better suited for hot chocolate?
They simply love Andy’s Frozen Custard, the newest addition to La Grange Park’s business community.
The chain, which started in 1986 and has grown to 130 sites nationwide, held a grand opening on March 16 for its 15th location in Illinois at 531 N. La Grange Road.
Located on busy La Grange Road and sitting near florist, dental office and the La Grange Park Public Library – with Memorial Park next door to the east – the location promises to sell plenty of frozen custard, officials said.
Business has been steady since the soft opening in January, district manager Marcin Polanco said.
With Andy’s offering a “family friendly business in a family friendly community,” La Grange Park Mayor Jim Discipio expects big crowds, especially during warm summer months.
He and others noted the big crowds who for the past seven years have been packing into the nearest Andy’s, just 2.7 miles to the south at 5745 S. La Grange Road in Countryside.
One woman who attended the La Grange grand opening said she once waited 90 minutes at Countryside store. Others talked about the long line of cars down 58th Street, waiting to use the drive-up lane.
Andy Kuntz, CEO and owner of Andy’s Frozen Custard, said those long waits and big crowds were one reason why he decided to open in La Grange Park.
“We were strategically trying to take a little pressure off Countryside,” he said.
Kuntz said his mother Carol and late father John started the Andy’s chain in Osage Beach, Missouri, modeling it on Leon’s Frozen Custard, which started in 1942 in Milwaukee.
Giving a tour of the new place, which unlike Countryside has no indoor seating, Polanco said, “We’re really proud of our custard.”
He noted that company policy forbids custard from being sold if its more than one hour old. Given the hungry crowds, that’s seldom an issue.
“We can tell a difference when its 45 minutes old. For us, that’s a big deal,” Polanco, 28, of Bolingbrook, said.
Ruben Rodriguez, 25, of Oak Lawn, general manager of the La Grange Park and Countryside stores, thinks both will succeed.
“We fielded complaints left and right. ‘I can’t get out of my apartment complex’,” he said of the Countryside location.
“This has definitely helped out,” Rodriguez said. “People bounce back and forth.”
There are 18 jobs in La Grange Park, 22 in Countryside. That will likely increase in the summer, he said.
The popularity is because of fresh ingredients. “The freshness makes us different,” Rodriguez said.
The chain’s growth has been explosive.
“When we opened our first store in the Chicago area in 2006 in Bolingbrook, we had 11 stores total. Now we have 130,” Kuntz said.
The pandemic was actually good for the chain.
“People stayed home, used the drive-thru. This was a little escape for them,” Kuntz said.
Frozen custard is popular because “everyone enjoys a frozen dessert. Ice cream has been around for hundreds of years.”
“Other than some local mom-and-pop shops, in my opinion, there’s no Starbucks of frozen desserts. There’s Dairy Queen, that kind of stuff. To me, (Andy’s) fills a lot of niches,” Kuntz said.
“The crazier the world gets, people take their dog and kids, they come to Andy’s, sit on a bench, have a treat and let things go by for a bit,” Kuntz said.
Tish Murphy, 77, of Broadview, and boyfriend Bill Jones, 87, of Brookfield, were among those waiting in line.
“It’s my favorite place. Oh, my, gosh, I love Andy’s. I love the vanilla. It’s so creamy and harder than some of the other frozen custards. It has such a good taste,” Murphy said.
While Jones is not as big a fan, he does enjoy “a little vanilla.”
“Don’t let my doctor see this,” he added with a wink.
Bill Selonick, a real estate broker for WSS Real Estate Service in Evanston, has worked with Kuntz for the past 15 years.
The site will be a winner for many reasons, he said.
“It’s a confluence of the ballfields, the draw of the grocery store and the library. It’s going to meet its promise. In the evenings, where there are (outdoor) concerts (in the park) and, of course, the traffic. It’s a busy road. And it’s a lovely community filled with children,” Selonick said.
Before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Kuntz thanked called in workers from other Andy’s locations in the area to help with the grand opening.
“Chicago is very important to us. It’s one of our largest markets,” he said.
About 75 percent of the products used in Chicago area stores are from local suppliers, he said.
“We’re still growing. We want to continue to be the treat of choice for Chicagoland. We have at least two more stores coming,” Kuntz said to applause.
The addition of Andy’s “makes La Grange Park a destination,” said Nancy Cummings, executive director of the La Grange Business Association.
“Anything that’s a strong business on La Grange Road ultimately benefits La Grange as well,” Cummings said. “We’re excited.”
Discipio said La Grange Park tried for “about 10, 12 years” to find a business to fill the vacant land where a pancake restaurant once stood. Culver’s and Starbucks were suitors, he said.
“They were both concerned about ingress and egress,” Discipio said. “Andy’s had the perfect solution by having just a drive-thru and walk-up. So far, so good.”
Local News
Body of missing Forest View woman found
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan The search for 20-year-old Charisma Ehresman of Forest View is over. The body of the young woman was found Friday evening in her vehicle in Chicago’s South Austin neighborhood, on the city’s west side, which borders Oak Park. The car had apparently been there for several days. The Cook County…
Heritage Middle School cheer team takes first
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan Congratulations are in order for the Heritage Middle School Cheer Team. The team competed for the first time on Saturday, January 15, at Old Quarry Middle School in Lemont and took first place. It was a huge accomplishment for the team and Summit School District 104 is very proud of…
Area Sports Roundup: Sandburg bowls ’em over at state; Marist cheerleaders win sectional
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Is there a state trophy coming for the Sandburg boys bowling team in the future? With this unpredictable sport, that’s hard to predict. But after a fourth-place finish in the IHSA state tournament, held Jan. 28-29 at St. Clair Bowl in O’Fallon, the needle is pointing up. The…
Intense dance performance nets Evergreen Park sixth place at state finals
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Actual competitive dancing returned to the state level this year and Evergreen Park’s dancers couldn’t be happier. The Mustangs are on the rise, and the team enjoyed its highest state finish by placing sixth in Class 1A in the IHSA state meet held Jan. 28-29 at Grossinger Motors…
Cool customers: Chicago Christian snaps losing streak with tight win over Shepard
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Chicago Christian’s players acted cool after the game. No yelling. No jumping around. No histrionics. It was a subdued celebration after a 44-40 road victory over Shepard on Jan. 26 in the Battle of Palos Heights. The Knights acted like they had been there before, even though the…
Setting the standard: Sandburg seniors show underclassmen how it’s done
Spread the loveBy Randy Whalen Correspondent Erin O’Connor has a nose for the ball. The determination of O’Connor was demonstrated on one play midway through the second quarter in Sandburg’s 46-45 win over Lockport on Jan. 27. The Eagles had just missed a shot and the ball looked to be going out of bounds. But…
A long time coming: Oak Lawn wins first conference title in 39 years
Spread the loveBy Steve Millar Correspondent After a 39-year wait and some near-misses in recent seasons, Oak Lawn is finally bringing home a conference championship. The Spartans sealed their first South Suburban Red title, and first conference championship of any kind since winning the SICA West in 1982-83, by pulling out a dramatic 48-45 road…
Trying to see the sunny side of life
Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com Hi everyone. I hope you’re doing well. Coming up is one of my favorite months, and it’s not for the reason you think. Yes, Valentine’s Day is special, but I like the fact that I see more sun, more daylight…
Newman backs Starbucks unionization
Spread the love U.S. Rep Marie Newman (D-3rd) recently stood with those who support unionization of Starbucks workers, outside its shop in nearby La Grange. She called unionization “the moral, correct and right thing to do.” Workers are attempting to organize under the banner of Chicago and Midwest Joint Board, Workers United, an affiliate of the…
A new look for an old friend
Spread the loveBy Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 The West Lawn Branch Library, 4020 W. 63rd St., is finally open. I visited on their re-opening day. The library has a more open and airy feel. It is fresh and clean. The walls have been painted and there is new carpeting. The…
Neighbors
EPCHS adds Emmy-winning actor Gary Sievers to Hall of Fame
Spread the loveEvergreen Park Community High School has added a name to its list of Hall of Famers. Gary Sievers, a 1968 EPCHS graduate who became well-known for his acting, public speaking, work in radio and television, community service, civic leadership and teaching, was posthumously inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame during the Honors…
Worth vehicle sticker applications ‘lost’ in the mail
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle Worth Village Clerk Bonnie Price said that even though application forms for village vehicle stickers were sent out to the post office last month residents were still waiting to receive those applications. “We have been doing this for 15 years,” Price said during the Worth Village Board meeting May 7. “This…
Hunt killer in ‘drifting’ slaying
Spread the love. Police seek witnesses, video of 59/Western . By Tim Hadac Police are appealing to the public to help find those responsible for the slaying of a 20-year-old West Englewood man during a takeover of the intersection at 59th and Western at 3:21 a.m. Sunday, May 5. The victim–identified as Guillermo “Memito” Caballero…
Mom gets 20 years in babies’ murder
Spread the love. Stuffed her newborn twin boys in an alley garbage cart . By Tim Hadac The books closed this month on a double murder that shocked and sickened many in the Garfield Ridge area more than 20 years ago. Antoinette Briley, 44, pled guilty on May 7 to murdering her twin baby boys…
Ladies lead the way to stylish Kentucky Derby fun
Spread the love As a tip of the cap–so to speak–to the Kentucky Derby, acclaimed chef Gloria Hafer (second from right) visited the Garfield Ridge Satellite Senior Center last week to cook a burgoo (a thick stew traditionally popular in the South). For an added bit of fun, the center had a derby contest. Among…
Seek donations for charity at Two Holy Martyrs
Spread the love. By Tim Hadac The Society of St. Vincent de Paul chapter at Two Holy Martyrs Parish will host a bundle weekend on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19. Volunteers will staff two trailers at the St. Rene Goupil Church parking lot, 64th and New England, from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday…
Palos Park finance director heading to Westmont
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Palos Park was in good hands with Altic. Finance director/treasurer Allen Altic is leaving the village later this month to take a similar position in Westmont, just a few miles from his home in Downers Grove. Altic was an assistant finance director in Bloomingdale from 2012 to 2020, when he…
Orland Township hosting free senior health fair
Spread the loveOrland Township and Supervisor Paul O’Grady are hosting a senior health fair to provide free health services and information to senior citizens on Tuesday, May 21, from 9 a.m. until noon at Orland Township, located at 14807 S. Ravinia Ave., Orland Park. The Senior Health Fair is an excellent opportunity for seniors to…
District 128 teacher joins Golden Apple Accelerator Program
Spread the loveBy Kelly White A Palos Heights School District 128 educator was selected to be a part of the Golden Apple Accelerator Program. Also, a District 128 alum, Moira Touhy, a paraprofessional at Independence Junior High School, 6610 W. Highland Dr., Palos Heights, will be participating in the 15-month online program specifically geared toward…