Jason and Laura Kasten had their first date at Dave & Andy’s Homemade Ice Cream Shop more than two decades ago. When the couple heard the legendary shop was closing, they approached owner Andy Hardie with their daughter Sarah to ask him to reopen the business.
Jason and Sarah are the new co-owners and Laura is the manager. The name Dave & Andy’s remains the same.
“We’re so excited,” said Sarah Kasten, a third-year student studying media and professional communications with a minor in business at Pitt. “We’re a big family with a sweet tooth. We want to continue the tradition of Dave & Andy’s.”
Sarah Kasten said her favorite flavor is birthday cake, but she likes any other flavor. She said the family cleaned and painted the store to prepare it. She and her parents also worked with three employees who had previously worked there to learn how to make the ice cream. They plan to keep the same recipe, Sarah Kasten said.
The Oakland store was known for more than 200 flavors, including the aforementioned birthday cake, ginger cookies, brown butter, black raspberry chocolate chip, KitKat fudge, Nutella and cannoli.
An Instagram post on Monday said rumors about Dave & Andy’s reopening were true.
A provisional reopening is planned for September 7.
“Dave and Andy are good friends of ours,” said Sarah Kasten. “I’ve often heard about my parents’ first date there and they’ve taken me there many times. That’s why this is so special to them. It was a simple and sweet date that turned into so much more.”
Dave & Andy’s Homemade Ice Cream Shop is located at 207 Atwood St., Oakland.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a reporter for TribLive, covering the area’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She also writes stories about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” Reach her at [email protected].
