Williston Park’s iconic Hildebrandt's Ice Cream Parlor, a holdover from the roaring 1920’s, originally announced their impending closure in 2020 after a new landlord hiked their rent to unsustainable levels. However, it was recently announced that the establishment will remain open as a new owner will be preserving the well-know eatery, hopefully for generations to come.
Henry Hildebrandt originally opened Hildebrandt's in the 1920’s, and it’s beautiful storefront has remained an well-known sight in Williston Park ever since; locals had mourned the announcement of its closure, but that’s when Randy Sarf – a regular at Hildebrandt's – stepped in to become the new proprietor, taking the reins from previous owner Bryan Acosta.
Sarf, along with his cousin, Spencer Singer, have purchased Hildebrandt's in a 10-year deal, and anticipate keeping the ice cream parlor open for at least another 100 years, if not more.
Sarf and Singer intend to renovate and expand the establishment, while strictly adhering to its historical character, and evolving the menu while still keeping all of the staples that customers love.
Plans are to eventually grow the business to the point that it could become an actual national franchise, Singer said.
"We're gonna stay true to what Hildebrandt's is," he said. "We see Hildebrandt's not only as this great community staple, we see it as a brand, and we want people to enjoy it from far and wide. So the ice cream is really how we're going to stay around for another 100 years. We want to take the ice cream nationally. We want to wholesale it to local markets, local restaurants and then bring it direct to consumer. Once we renovate, we'll expand with the ice cream."