Rosati's Frozen Custard opens Brunswick location

BRUNSWICK — Rosati's Frozen Custard has taken over Brunswick's Honey Hut location to offer residents a newer and fresher product. VP of Operations Jonathan Rosati is the son of Jim and Marcia Rosati, who own both Honey Hut Ice Cream and Rosati's Frozen Custard. His maternal grandfather opened Honey Hut in Cleveland in 1974, and his parents later took over the business, he said. Then in 2000, his parents began looking for something different and came across frozen custard, which led to Rosati's Frozen Custard opening in Northfield Center. Jonathan Rosati described frozen custard as being creamier, more flavorful and more versatile than ice cream. He said the product is also fresher because customers eat it immediately rather than it being frozen for a period. "When I make strawberry ice cream, I put in fresh strawberries, but then I have to freeze that product for 24 to 36 hours in a deep freezer, so those strawberries get icy and frozen," he said. "When I'm making frozen custard, my goal is (for customers) to eat it as close to fresh as possible, so you will literally see me scooping your cone out of the machine as it is coming down the chute." Rosati's Frozen Custard also sets itself apart by offering a different special flavor of the day alongside its standard products like sundaes and drinks, Jonathan Rosati said. The special flavors contain fruit, candy or other types of sweets. "We're trying to incorporate some of those more exciting global flavors," he said. "It's exciting to see something new and to try something new, and this product really lends itself to that." Brunswick's Honey Hut opened around 10 years ago, Jonathan Rosati said. Last year, the family retrofitted the location and reopened this spring as Rosati's Frozen Custard in order to offer a new product. "I want the city of Brunswick to understand that we have their best interest at heart," he said. "We are doing this because we love the product, and we believe in it." Many Honey Hut customers were upset when they heard about the switch, and more than 1,000 people signed a change.org petition to keep Honey Hut in Brunswick, Jonathan Rosati said. Yet, over the past few weeks of being open, the company has struggled to keep up with the demand for frozen custard. "We are so overwhelmingly busy in a way that I didn't predict," he said. "That is so nice to see, and it's certainly a surprise. It's also so heartening, like it tells us that we were right, that Brunswick really was craving something new and exciting like this." The Brunswick store at 922 Pearl Road is currently open every day from 3-9 p.m. Jonathan Rosati said he hopes to expand the hours and have it open for a full day. Another hope is for Rosati's Frozen Custard to continue the tradition of making childhood memories for the younger generation, he said. "When I interview people who are 16 or 17, they tell me this is the place they've been going to for the last 10 years, and they couldn't wait to be old enough to be able to work here," Jonathan Rosati said. "I want to make sure that the next generation of kids has that and are comfortable in this place." To learn more about Rosati's Frozen Custard or to view a calendar of the upcoming special flavors, visit tinyurl.com/47pkavfh. Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.