You Can Visit One Of The Most Elegant Old-School Ice Cream Parlors In This US State

Founded in 1900, Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor and Museum is one of the oldest ice cream parlors in the U.S., and a cherished historic landmark in Columbus, Indiana. However, its story started many miles away from the Hoosier State. 

Siblings James, Lewis, Pete, and Ellen Zaharako emigrated from Greece to New York City in 1898. Ellen married a confectioner and moved to Richmond, Indiana, and encouraged her brothers to follow her to the Midwest. The Zaharako brothers took their sister's lead and settled in Columbus, where they opened their own confectionery shop. The Zaharakos decorated their emporium in a grand turn-of-the-century style with two onyx soda fountains, a Tiffany-like lamp, a 50-foot mahogany backbar, intricate wood and brass works, and an Italian marble counter. At some point, the brothers expanded their sweet offerings to soda water (an innovation at the time) flavored with syrups and ice cream cones. One of their prized acquisitions — and clientele favorite — was a 1908 Welte Orchestrion, a self-playing organ, similar to a player piano, that imitates a several-piece orchestra. 

Although Lewis left the business in 1914 to open his own confectionary, Zaharakos stayed in the family for three generations. In 2006, however, the business took a downturn, and the remaining family decided to sell their beloved Welte Orchestrion, but shortly thereafter, Zaharakos was forced to close. The Zaharakos (affectionately called "the Greeks" by Columbus residents) had been integral in the community, and a group of concerned citizens considered purchasing the ice cream parlor. But then entrepreneur Tony Moravec stepped in and decided to restore Zaharakos to its former splendor.

Inspired by other ice cream parlors he had visited, Morevac immediately set to work in renovating Zaharakos. He hired highly-skilled workers to meticulously repair and replace the original tin ceilings, woodwork, and stained glass windows. Morevac managed to track down the buyer of the Welte Orchestrion, repurchased it, had it restored, and then reinstalled back in Zaharakos. 

The Welte restoration was the jumping off point for what became Morevac's present-day museum of mechanized musical instruments and soda-fountain collectibles that you can visit today inside the parlor. The beautifully restored shop reopened in 2009. Morevac continued making improvements, including transforming the family's former upstairs residence into a museum of Victorian-era rooms and furniture. 

Morevac died unexpectedly in 2022, and when you enter Zaharakos, you can see the plaque on the door that honors his memory and contributions to the community. Ice cream sundaes and ice cream sodas made from house-churned ice cream are still on the menu, but you'll also find a variety of sandwiches, like Zaharakos' famous GOM, an extra-cheesy sloppy Joe. Visitors can also create their own personalized old-fashioned sodas by mixing and matching the shop's wide selection of flavored syrups, such as raspberry, cinnamon, Coca-Cola, and the local favorite, Green River, a neon-green concoction that's reminiscent of Sprite. Chicago has a century-old ice cream parlor, as does New York City, and even Fidel Castro built a massive ice cream parlor in Cuba. But for its timeless elegance and old-school charm, Zaharakos can't be beat.