Frosty Freeze at the corner of North and Lincoln avenues on the Cranford-Garwood border, a regional institution for more than half of a century, is
closing. The owner hopes it will reopen in the spring through the sale of the company.
CRANFORD/GARWOOD, NJ — Frosty Freeze, a summer institution on the border between Cranford and Garwood for more than half of a century, will soon close as usual for the winter, and its owner hopes it will return in the spring.
Linda McGovern, a Frosty Freeze owner, told the LocalSource in a Sept. 17 email that she hopes the Frosty Freeze legacy will continue despite its sale.
The season’s closing date is uncertain but is planned to be in the next few weeks.
“We don’t have a firm date as it depends on weather and staffing,” McGovern stated.
Rumors of the ice cream shop’s possible closure have circulated in both towns after Frosty Freeze’s Facebook page notified customers of its plans on Aug. 5.
“Great news! Frosty Freeze doesn’t have to leave! We have decided to offer Frosty Freeze to the next generation of happy owners. If you are interested in continuing the Frosty Freeze tradition please message us for more info,” the social media post said.
In a recent interview with LocalSource, McGovern confirmed plans to sell the shop.
“We are in talks with a few interested parties and hope that the tradition of Frosty Freeze continues on.”
McGovern said she leases the lot on the southwest corner of North and Lincoln avenues.
Many feared that a rumored sale of that property would mean the end of the shop.
“As far as we know, the purchase of the property did not go through as expected,” McGovern said.
Frosty Freeze has been an anchor in Garwood for approximately 50 years, drawing customers from across Union County.
While famous for its frozen confections, it has gone beyond “just selling ice cream” to the surrounding community on several occasions through its active community engagement.
“We have been a part of the community by participating in fundraisers for different organizations, and we also have ice cream socials with the Kenilworth and Garwood Senior Citizens,” McGovern said.
Many would miss the mom and pop shop, including Janet Lovell, a former Fanwood resident who recalls the loving memories she spent with her family while eating ice cream cones in the densely packed parking lot during summers in the 1960s and ‘70s.
“I am very sad to hear about the announced closing. Frosty Freeze is a landmark,” Lovell said in a Sept. 18 email. “A lot of people love that place. I have lived in Colorado for many years, and every time I come home for a visit, I make my way to Frosty Freeze for that chocolate soft-serve with rainbow sprinkles.”
Lovell reminisced on her childhood as her dad and five siblings would make going to Frosty Freeze a routine summertime event.
She said the place was always busy and that they historically ate cones in the parking lot to avoid messes in the car.
“That ice cream was dense, not whipped full of air.
This caused the ice cream to melt much more slowly in the summer heat than other shop’s soft serve,” Lovell said.