Want a Good Scoop? Get Your Free J. Foster's Ice Cream Saturday!

It's been almost a decade since John D’Arcangelo decided to leave the corporate business world and open his first ice cream shop in Simsbury.

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of J. Foster's, both the Simsbury and Avon locations are offering a free scoop and a half to customers who come in between noon and 5 p.m. on Saturday.

"It opened my life up to a world of other people I never would have met otherwise," D'Arcangelo said. 

D'Arcangelo decided to host Free Ice Cream Day well in advance of the exact anniversary, Aug. 31, before families leave for vacations over the summer. The first 100 customers will each get a J. Foster's T-shirt. 

After D'Arcangelo's friend, the owner of Wentworth Handmade Ice Cream in Hamden, gave him a flavor of the process of making ice cream, it soon became a dream of his to open his own place.

When he opened at 894 Hopmeadow St. in 2003, he named the business after his grandfather.

"The guy just absolutely loved ice cream," D'Arcangelo said. 

J. Foster's ice cream is handmade. Graham Central Station and Cookie Monster  flavors are some customer favorites. D'Arcangelo began making his own gelato in 2006, first flying in a gelato expert from Italy to train him. J. Foster's also offers sorbet and is building up its soft serve offerings in Avon, which include Oreo. 

Connecticut Food Association dubbed the J. Foster's "Slider" the "number one cookie in Connecticut" two years ago, D'Arcangelo said. Sliders are homemade baked chocolate chip cookies filled with the customer's favorite ice cream and hand-dipped in chocolate.

D'Arcangelo opened the Avon store in 2006, around the time he also launched a wholesale side of the business. J. Foster's Ice Cream is served at many Connecticut restaurants and ice cream shops, including Firebox, Salute and Dish in Hartford, Dish 'n Dat and Flatbread Company in Canton, Abigail's Grille and Wine Bar in Simsbury, the Pond House Cafe in West Hartford, the Pond House Grille in Glastonbury, the Market Grille in Manchester, The Mill on the River Restaurant in South Windsor, Republic in Bloomfield, Tratoria da Lepri in Ellington and Lepri's Burger Bar in Ellington, Tissa's le Souk du Maroc in Old Saybrook and Whittemore Ice Cream in Seymour. 

When D'Arcangelo bought the Avon building at 4 Bailey Road to open a second ice cream shop, he initially kept it a secret from his kids. He brought them, ages 6 to 10 at the time, to the unfinished building. He pretended to break into the place he actually owned and led them through to explore like they were on a "big adventure." Inside, he asked them, "What do you think is going to be there?" After the pretense of spotting an ice cream machine for the supposed first time and "miraculously" finding plans for an ice cream shop, he told his kids "this would have been a great place for us to put an ice cream shop." 

They agreed and D'Arcangelo eventually came clean.

"Then I blurted out it was our place and they were so happy," D'Arcangelo said. 

Family remains an integral part of J. Foster's. Alice D'Arcangelo, 17, his oldest, and a rising senior at Northwest Catholic in West Hartford, is an employee there. His other kids, Ian, 15, and Elizabeth D'Arcangelo, 13, also help out.

The Avon and Simsbury ice cream shops are go-to stops for many local families. One couple liked the ice cream so much that they got married at J. Foster's on Christmas Eve in 2012.  

Customer interaction and community are D'Arcangelo's favorite part of the business. Many local celebrities have frequented J. Foster's, including WRCH radio personality Joan Dylan, WFSB weatherman and Better Connecticut host Scot Haney, former professional basketball player Rebecca Lobo and Olympic figure skater Sasha Cohen.

D'Arcangelo said he has become very plugged into the happenings in the area and made strong connections with residents and business owners through the ice cream shop. He recently donated 1,000 J. Foster's coupons, $2.80 a piece in value, to the Avon Free Public Library and another 1,000 to the Simsbury public library for summer reading prizes. J. Foster's also donated ice cream to Avon Middle School's poetry anthology celebration last week. 

You'll also see J. Foster's Ice Cream at different events. D'Arcangelo said his ice cream business is already booked for a spot in the Connecticut state house at the Big E in the fall for its fifth year participating. Music lovers will be able to buy J. Foster's ice cream at Simsbury Meadows Saturday night throughout the Harry Connick Jr.'s concert. 

Of all the customers he's had, the most meaningful visitors were perhaps his parents. They visited the Simsbury shop when it first opened in 2003 and enjoyed their son's ice cream a few more times before they both passed away in 2004.

"That made me happy they got to see my dream come true," D'Arcangelo said.