Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices & Ice Cream in Astoria, pictured on March 2, has reopened after a short winter recess (Photo by Paul Frangipane)
March 13, 2023 By Michael Dorgan
A popular ice cream shop near the busy corner of 30th Avenue and 30th Street in Astoria has reopened after a short winter recess.
Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices & Ice Cream, which has more than 80 shops across the tri-state area, reopened its 3002 30th St. location on Wednesday, March 8.
The chain is known for its range of soft serve ice creams, water ices, and arctic shakes.
The operators of the establishment made the reopening announcement via several posts on its Instagram page Saturday.
“Open for Business!??,” read the first post that included a picture of an arctic shake, while the second post came in the form of a video of the storefront with the caption “Guess who’s Back?! Ralph’s Astoria!!???.”
The shop, the only Ralph’s in Astoria, first opened about two years ago and has proven to be hit with residents.
It has a 4.5-star rating, from a possible 5, on the delivery app Seamless with 84 ratings. It has a 3.8-star rating, from a possible 5, from 93 reviews on Google.
Customers can purchase and pick up their items via takeout windows at the shop. There is no indoor dining space.
Some ice cream favorites at the shop include the chocolate fudge brownie and the birthday cake, according to the delivery app Seamless.
Noteworthy sundaes include the hot fudge crunch, hot fudge brownie, and the nutty buddy, while water ices on the menu consist of the peach, the rainbow, and the blue Hawaii. The location also offers milkshakes, smoothies and icebergs.
Chalsie Lall, who has managed the shop since it first opened, said her team is happy to be back serving customers. Lall said the company typically closes its locations during the colder months when demand isn’t as high.
“We are excited to see all of the faces again,” Lall said. “I think the store is needed in this area of the neighborhood.”
Lall expects business to pick up once the weather improves and said that the evening time has proven to be the busiest period since reopening.
Opening hours are Mondays through Sundays from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., Lall said.
Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices & Ice Cream was established in Staten Island in 1949 by Italian immigrant Ralph Silvestro, according to the company’s website.
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Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices & Ice Cream on 30th Street in Astoria has reopened. The store is pictured on March 12 (Photo by Paul Frangipane)
Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices & Ice Cream on 30th Street in Astoria has reopened. The store is pictured on March 12 (Photo by Paul Frangipane)
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