Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
Jerry and Anna Endico, Chelsea residents and owners of Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, a new sweet spot that opened in Chelsea on June 13.
Jerry Endico had a dream of one day opening an Italian ice restaurant with his father in Florida, but his dad unfortunately passed away at age 54, before they were able to make the dream a reality.
Originally from New York and growing up in Navarre, Florida, Endico’s family would always visit Italian ice spots for a sweet treat.
“I always still wanted to do that,” Endico said. “Probably five or six years ago, I got pretty serious. I was looking at Italian ice wholesalers and different ways that I can purchase the ice, and I was going to buy a cart with an umbrella and go to baseball games and coach my son, and then I was going to push my cart for the rest of the day.”
It was around that time when Endico’s mom was looking to diversify her real estate portfolio and came across the Jeremiah’s Italian Ice franchise in Orlando. She asked her son if he’d like to invest in a business and, although he originally wanted it to be Endico’s Italian Ice, he said franchising with Jeremiah’s made business sense and the chain aligned with his values.
The Endico family moved to Chelsea 10 years ago and are excited to open their business in the city. After resigning from his district manager position at AT&T in February, Endico went all-in with his new business venture.
The Chelsea location of Jeremiah’s Italian Ice is the second in the state (the first is in Madison), with several more slated to open in the near future. Most locations are between 800 and 1,200 square feet, but the Chelsea location is likely the largest in the franchise at 1,647 square feet.
Jeremiah’s motto is “Live Life to the Fullest,” and Endico describes it as the coolest frozen dessert brand.
He said the shining star is the gelati, which he describes as a perfect layering of Italian ice and soft ice cream.
The menu offers more than 40 flavors of Italian Ice and three soft ice cream flavors. Twelve “Frog Squad Flavorites” rotate on the menu with new flavors daily. Some of the most popular include: Strawberry Shortcake, S’more, Grasshopper, Birthday Cake, Oreo Mud Pie, PB&J, Orange Mango Tango and Candy Bar. The treats can be layered and topped with Oreo crumbles, chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles or chocolate sprinkles.
“You can make any combination, so it’s endless,” Endico said. “Our team has fun trying the flavors, coming up with their own favorites.”
The Chelsea location has hired 32 employees to allow flexibility for students schedules and activities. They range in age from 15-20 and are from schools in Chelsea, Coosa Valley and Harpersville. For Endico, it’s not just providing a job, it’s also teaching life skills.
“We wanted to bring that space to Chelsea, a place where families come to make memories,” he said. “Where kids could get life skills for their first job getting in the workforce, and more than that, we could minister to the youth and give them light in the dark world. We don’t want to just teach them professional skills, but also teach them life skills and help them grow as individuals.”
The initial options will include dine in and drive through, and later online ordering and delivery services from Uber Eats and DoorDash will be available. Jeremiah’s Italian Ice can also host birthday parties, serve on-site at sporting and outdoor events and will host Ice Nights (spirit nights) for local schools. Other out-of-store options include vending, catering and more.
The family have four children and Endico’s wife, Anna, will work as the chief marketing officer and events coordinator while Jerry handles the business side of things. Endico said he is most excited about having a place people can come and make memories with their family and also serve and give back to the community.
Endico said he wakes up every day and lives his dream. The store opened on June 13 and has an official grand opening in July, which is also special as it’s the anniversary of Endico’s father’s passing.
“I finally found something I enjoy doing, and it feels like my dad comes to work with me every day,” Endico said. “It’s really just to have a place where people can come and create positive memories with their family, and we want to serve our community. That’s what we’re most excited about.”
Jeremiah’s Italian Ice is located at 16383 U.S. 280 in Chelsea and will be open
Sunday-Thursday from noon to 10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from noon to 11 p.m.
