Gofer In The News!
Ice cream provided his twins respite in COVID. So this dad opened an ice cream shop in Ridgefield
Original article by Alyssa Seidman, The Middletown Press, Nov 16, 2021
RIDGEFIELD — When his twin daughters became frustrated after a virtual school day, Eric Barrow quelled their troubles with a scoop of ice cream.
Last year, the Greenwich family enjoyed going out for ice cream more than ever because it offered a lick of respite amid the coronavirus pandemic. This experience inspired Barrow to become a franchisee for Gofer Ice Cream, which has seven locations in lower Fairfield County.
Gofer’s eighth location opened in Ridgefield on Oct. 15, and will hold a grand opening this weekend. Residents with a sweet tooth can sample a “diverse menu” of frozen goodies, including hand-dipped and soft-serve ice cream, plant-based ice cream, Italian ices, smoothies, ice cream cakes and more, Barrow said.
When selecting a location for his store, Barrow envisioned a neighborhood spot that would garner a good amount of foot traffic. To this, Gofer’s CEO and Founder Jay Ragusa said, “Have you checked out Ridgefield?” A vacant storefront on Main Street presented the perfect opportunity.
“We made the decision to come to Ridgefield because of how much there is to offer,” Barrow said. “We spoke to other business owners on Main Street, and they all said exactly what we thought: that we would do great here.”
July 2021
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1 // GOFER // WINNER OF BEST ICE CREAM
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‘The right spot:’ Gofer Ice Cream to open new shop in Stamford
Original article by Robert Marchant,, Stamford Advocate, Feb 22, 2021
STAMFORD — A new shop is coming to the Ridgeway Shopping Center in hopes of meeting the downtown neighborhood’s craving for ice cream.
Jay Ragusa, founder and CEO of Gofer Ice Cream, signed a lease to open a new ice cream business at the shopping center — the second location for his chain in Stamford. He said he plans to open the shop, which will be the seventh in the chain, sometime in the spring.
“I’ve always wanted to be downtown,” said Ragusa. “I had to find the right spot. There’s something to be said for the foot traffic on Bedford Street, but we wanted to have the option of parking at Ridegway.”
A Stamford resident, Ragusa said he wanted to establish a presence close to the city center, and said the new location will work well.
“It has it all, and we are excited to open. Growing up in Stamford, I know it will be successful and in some ways reminiscent of the Baskin-Robbins that operated there in the ‘80s,” he said.
Gofer operates another shop in Stamford at 869 High Ridge Road, which has served the North Stamford territory since 2005, he said.
‘Latest and greatest:’ Gofer Ice Cream reopens in Cos Cob after fire
Original article by Robert Marchant,, Greenwich Time, Feb 22, 2021
GREENWICH — Gofer Ice Cream in back in business in Cos Cob, along with another popular eatery, the Pizza Post, after a major fire in the building where both are located in late 2019.
“It’s been a long time,” Gofer Ice Cream owner Jay Ragusa said Monday. “It has been a long road to get to this point. … There were a lot of different parties to deal with.”
While it has been a difficult time for the business, the newly reopened shop at 522 E. Putnam Ave. is now a more efficient operation, Ragusa said.
“I’ve learned a few things in the last 17 years,” Ragusa said of the time since he first opened his shop. And he said he put his experience to use in designing the rebuilt ice cream shop.
“It’s the latest and greatest,” he said. “Better countertops, a restroom, the layout is a little better, some more products.”
“We are grateful the community has stuck with us, and we think they will be very happy,” Ragusa continued.
There are six Gofer locations, with a seventh set to open at the Ridgeway Shopping Center at 2367 Summer St. in Stamford this spring. Four of the operations are franchises. Gofer opened its first store in Greenwich in 2003, and has since grown with shops also now open in Cos Cob, Stamford, Wilton, New Canaan and Darien.
The aim was to create a “hometown ice cream store,” one that is embedded in a community, Ragusa said. The business sponsors a number of community events and organizations, and it typically hires local teenagers to work at the stores.
“We have been looking for several years for just the right location in the downtown area” in Stamford for a second location in the city, he said. The Ridgeway location offers good access for walkers and drivers, with ample parking and storefront visibility, Ragusa said.
“We have been fairly busy during 2020 and into 2021, not only planning several new shops, but renovating our existing locations (at 869 High Ridge Road) in Stamford and Cos Cob,” he said.
The operation is looking to expand into New York and is seeking franchisees, said Ragusa.
Gofer Ice Cream Opens New Shop In New Canaan
Original article by Alfred Branch,, Patch, May 28, 2020
It is the 17-year-old company’s third franchised location in Fairfield County.
NEW CANAAN, CT — Gofer Ice Cream recently opened a new shop at 103 Main Street in New Canaan, the company’s sixth location and third franchised shop in Fairfield County, according to officials.
Launched in 2003, Gofer Ice Cream has grown in popularity throughout the area, and now boasts shops in Cos Cob, Darien and Stamford, among others.
“I’m proud of the team and my family for helping get us this far,” said founder and Greenwich native Jay Ragusa. “They say success is never a straight line, and we can prove that. Despite recent setbacks including a fire at our original location in October 2019, and the recent pandemic, we have been very fortunate to have built a business and brand that customers, crew members and franchisees seem to love.”
Gofer Ice Cream To Open Wednesday in Downtown New Canaan
Original artical by Michael Dinan, New Canannite May 19, 2020
Following months of anticipation and an extensive interior renovation, Gofer Ice Cream is to open Wednesday in the Main Street commercial space formerly occupied by Baskin-Robbins, according to the business’s owner.
For today’s Q&A with a local business, we talk to franchisee Jordan Savitt, who owns the Gofer at 103 Main St. with his wife, Dina.
It will be open 12:30 to 9:30 p.m. seven days per week (12 p.m. on Saturdays).
As we learn from Savitt, customers as per health officials can are not yet allowed inside the ice cream shop, but can get their sweet treats through a safe kiosk at the door, or else phone in an order (203-594-1342) or have it delivered through Uber Eats or GrubHub.
Here’s our interview.
New Canaanite: How are you feeling on the eve of your opening in New Canaan?
Jordan Savitt: It’s exhilarating. It look a lot to finish construction during the quarantine. We were ready to open on April 1st and we were about 90% done with all of the construction on April 1st, but I just did’t feel it was appropriate to open then. I said it’s going to feel right and I will know when to open. We also are very weather-dependent and it’s been kind of cold. It hasn’t been real summery. I am always looking at the seven-day forecast. I do want to be open for Memorial Day. It’s very important that we mark the summer between Memorial Day and Labor Day. I reopened in Wilton last Friday and Darien has been open the whole time, and I have to tell you, I am ecstatic how many New Canaan people have been coming in with their ‘New Canaan’ sweatshirts and talking to us about when we will open on Main Street. We’re getting a good vibe in our Darien store
Gofer Ice Cream On Track To Open in One Month
Original article By
Gofer Ice Cream is on track to open downtown in late-March or early-April, according to the business’s owner.
Gofer Ice Cream is on track to open in late-March or early-April 2020 on Main Street in New Canaan.
The final major piece of the interior renovation at 103 Main St. that’s been underway since January is a granite countertop, said franchisee Jordan Savitt, who owns the business with his wife, Dina.
“I am over-the-top excited to be going to such a great town like New Canaan,” the North Stamford resident told NewCanaanite.com. “We have already had some New Canaan people coming into our Darien location, and a lot of New Canaan kids applying online, so I am very excited to open our ice cream store at a perfect time.”
Gofer has operated in the area for 17 years, and the Savitts already own and operate both Darien and Wilton locations.The well-known Main Street commercial space has been vacant since Baskin Robbins closed last month after Anna Valente-Krolikowski retired…
Continue to read more here newcanaanite.com
Gofer Ice Cream Shop Coming To New Canaan CT
Original article by Alfred Branch, Patch Staff
NEW CANAAN, CT — Jordan and Dina Savitt, owners of the new Gofer Ice Cream shop scheduled to open in New Canaan early this spring, released the following information about their new store, the sixth Gofer Ice Cream in the area.
The new shop is taking over the space where Baskin Robbins was located on Main Street in New Canaan for more than 25 years:
Today Gofer Ice Cream announced it will expand its Fairfield County footprint with a new location at 103 Main Street, New Canaan, Connecticut. This will be the sixth area Gofer Ice Cream shop.
A lease was recently signed for the new location and the anticipated opening date is early Spring, 2020. The new Gofer location will be owned and operated by existing successful Franchisees, Jordan and Dina Savitt. This will mark the third area location for the Savitt’s. They also own and operate the Wilton shop, opened in 2017, and they purchased the Darien location in 2016. Gofer Ice Cream has operated in Darien since 2004.
“My wife and I are overly excited to bring Gofer Ice Cream to the hallowed ground where Baskin Robbins was located for so many years. We hope the community will enjoy our ice cream of more than 40 different flavors, our famous Razzle and many other wonderful products that Gofer has to offer.” Mr. Savitt said.
Continue Reading… Patch
After 16 years of Success, Family Owned, Gofer Ice Cream Launches Franchise Program
Markets Insider Dec 10, 2019
Connecticut based Gofer Ice Cream announced today it has launched a program to offer Gofer Ice Cream Franchises throughout Connecticut immediately. The company is set to expand beyond the State in 2020.
Jay Ragusa, Gofer Ice Cream’s Founder, said: “We’ve been preparing for this day since we launched the brand in 2003. It has always been the plan to prove and perfect the concept and then replicate it through the franchise model. We’ve learned a lot over the years, and we feel we’re in a great position to help others own, operate, and prosper in their own business. Prospective franchisee partners can be confident in the Gofer Ice Cream Brand and system that we offer. The fact is that many concepts have come and gone, but we are here thriving and growing.”
The successful “Gofer” brand has been serving the Fairfield County Connecticut area for over seventeen seasons, through its current five locations, and it has become a local favorite for many. The concept of Gofer Ice Cream, which was founded by Jay Ragusa and his family, is to be the “home team” of ice cream places. In every town or city, the goal is for Gofer Ice Cream to become the center of the community, where family and friends can enjoy a high-quality frozen treat in a welcoming environment. The shops are simple, easy, and fun to operate. Also, Gofer Ice Cream Shops are built for a relatively low cost. Franchise Partners are already scooping smiles daily, and the goal is to bring this experience to more and more communities. Gofer Ice Cream offers a variety of frozen treats for the entire family. From traditional hard and soft ice cream to fat-free treats, and more recently expanding into plant-based ice cream products with the same promise of high quality for which the brand is known. In 2019 a new company, “Gofer Franchise Systems LLC,” was formed to focus on expanding via franchising the concept beyond Fairfield County.
For the past several months, in preparation for the franchise opportunity launch, the team has been working with Franchise Industry Veteran Gary Occhiogrosso of Franchise Growth Solutions. “Gary brings his experience in not only the Franchise Industry but specifically in the frozen dessert business. He has the deep knowledge and connections specifically needed at this point in our growth. With the addition of Franchise Growth Solutions to the team, we are working with the best in the business to make sure we do franchising right. An investment made by a Franchisee is, in many cases, a once and a lifetime decision, and we don’t take that responsibility lightly.” commented Jay Ragusa.
Continue reading… Markets Insider
