Today we’d like to introduce you to Jim & Denise Bartley.
Hi Jim & Denise, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Our first exposure to Italian ice, was in Princeton NJ, and in Pennsylvania, where we frequented Rita,’s water ice. When we moved to Utah, we thought it would be a great idea to open up a Rita,‘s franchise here. We loved their water ice, especially on a hot day. So it seemed like a natural and interesting venture to explore.
In 2018, I was playing drums in a local rock ‘n’ roll band, “The Riptides”. Our band was invited to perform for the grand opening of the Syracuse, Utah Zeppe’s. We met the wonderful owners, Todd and Shellee Coleman. They served us our first Zeppe’s, Italian Ice, Sunset Splash (Gelata style).
We had never had any frozen treat, so delicious, in all our lives. We loved Rita’s water ice, but all of a sudden, we really really really loved Zeppe’s Italian Ice!!! To us, it was PARADISE in a cup!
They told us all about their new venture, and shared their business model with us.
We were hooked! They had us at “Gelata”.
Soon after that, we met with the franchiser, Dave Thompson, and began searching for a location. We bought a piece of land in Springville, on 400 S. and in 2020, during the height of Covid, built our building from the ground up, becoming the first Zeppe’s in Utah county. It became an overnight sensation. In spite of the pandemic, Springville Zeppe’s, was an immediate hit! You will not find a more busy business in Springville on any spring or summer evening, except for Walmart or Smith’s.
Utah has been the home for Zeppe’s for about a decade. There are a total of 11 Zeppe’s franchises throughout the state, including Lagoon. Our family will be opening our second location in Orem in the spring of 2026. We also have a food truck, food trailer and other vehicles for all of our catering events. We invite cities, businesses, churches, and families to reach out to us for all of their Utah County Zeppe’s catering needs, including weddings, neighborhood parties, employee, appreciation days, and civic events of all kinds. Catering, reservations can be made, by calling our Springville Utah store at: (801) 515-6391.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We have had our successes and challenges. Though Zeppe’s, was an immediate hit in Springville, our challenge was finding a second location that met our geographical needs, and didn’t break the bank on a lease, or property purchase. Keep in mind, the skyrocketing inflation of real estate in Utah county. So it took a while to find the right second location.
Covid also created some hiccups for our business. Primarily adapting to the local health department guidelines of social distancing, masks, gloves, and other health enforcement challenges. Opening in the middle of the pandemic, was a cause for concern, especially as we were watching so many other types of businesses fail, due to access during a very unsure time.
Luckily for us, people were not traveling that much. Instead, they focused their staycation family budgets, on places like Springville Zeppe’s.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Springville Zeppe’s Italian Ice?
Zeppe’s, is not only a place where we want our customers to enjoy a cool, refreshing, frozen tasty treat, we also want them to enjoy the atmosphere of outdoor dining on one of our shaded porches or family dining on the lawn, surrounding Springville Zeppe’s,
The gelata that we offer, is the “full experience” with frozen custard and Italian ice,, in one delicious serving. We have a drive-through, for those on-the-go, and walk up windows, for those who want to enjoy the friendly social atmosphere of Springville Zeppe’s. Our Italian ice is lactose free. We also have a lactose free cream ice in several flavors. Additionally, for those who want something warm, we have the best hot pretzels, served in the state. Buttered and salted to perfection. Ask for our cheese dip, to add to the, already perfect flavor of our hot pretzels.
Our employees don’t just work for us, they are all friends, outside of the workplace. We pride ourselves with our atmosphere of strong employee satisfaction.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Thankfully, we came into Zeppe’s, with both eyes wide open.
If I were to give any advice to someone going into business like ours, or any other business for that matter, I would recommend knowing your market, understand your potential, maximize your quality and Customer Service, while minimizing your costs/waste,
Hire the best people that you can find. Put together an environment/atmosphere where your employees don’t feel like they have to go to work, instead they get to come in and work at this wonderful place.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.zeppesitalianice.com/stores/italian-ice-in-ogden-utah
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/zeppesspringville
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/14HfwXYn6oL/
