Isaly’s ice cream cone came to a point at the top. They were the tallest an the best ice cream cone I ever have eaten. I’m from Pittsburgh Pa. my husband and I take her grandchildren as we did our children to the old Isaly’s in Oakland show them the building and told them all the stories of how our parents brought us to Isaly’s to get our pointing ice cream cone and how is the sit out in the parking lot and look over to the J&L steel mall below to eat our ice cream. That was always our family outing…
While a senior in high school in 1965, I was lucky enough to have worked at Isaly’s in Dormont, Pa. I remember in October of that year I actually became the head clerk working 40 hours/week, making a huge $1/hour. It really was a good wage for a high school kid and let me save money for college books and also take my girlfriend out 2 to 3 times a week. The work ethic of the career Isaly employees provided lessons that were the foundation for success in life. We were known for our skyscraper cones, and klondikes. plus whitehouse and Maricopa ice cream. Skyscraper cones required practice to make them correctly, because if you made them too large, the customer could end up with a huge 15 cent cone and Isaly’s would lose money. I wish I could remember my managers name, because he and the assistant manager, Mr. Fonner, ran a great store. The daytime porter, Bill, (we called him the old Dad) prepared all the food sold on the lunch steam table and made the best ham salad in the world. The general public didn’t know it, but all “ends” of the deli meats and cheeses went into the mix of the ham salad. In reality, the mix was probably 90+% baked ham, boiled ham, chipped ham, kosher corned beef, corned beef, and even a small amount of bologna and salami. I had pride knowing that Isaly’s sold the best quality foods and look back fondly at those experiences. I remember some of the prices of our products in 1965. I do recall that the ice cream cones were 7 cents for the child single scoop, 10 cents for the small sky scraper and 15 cents for the large skyscraper. Klondikes were a dime. Chipped ham was 59 cents/lb. – (49cents/lb. on sale.) Baked ham was 89 cents/lb. – (69 cents/lb. on sale.)
When I was a child my favorite was Isaly’s in Mahoningtoww & there giant vanilla cones. Later when I worked for my Dad at PAGLEY Shoe Repair that’s where I ate lunch. The had the best apple pie top off with a large scoop of ice cream. Days gone by never to be again . SO SAD .
For a few years in the 1960s, I was a teen who worked after school at an Isaly’s store in Akron, Ohio. With dried ice cream up to my elbows, I dug down deep into the ice cream bins to produce the ‘skyscraper’ cones for customers of all ages. If the cooking staff was extra busy, I made cheeseburgers on the hot huge grill located in the very front area of the store. I remember so well that it was hard work, that being on time for my shift was important and that the managers were the kindest people and the customers were the friendliest! However, I either never learned or didn’t pay attention to the fact that it was family Isaly that founded the store. We young, naïve teens who were told this: Isaly’s was an acronym for ‘ I shall always love you sweetheart.’ These many decades later I find no mention of this….and I was crushed. But no matter, I will always love my very first job experiences at my neighborhood Isaly’s store. Since then, with hard work, I became a senior exec at a non-profit association in Washington, DC. I still have a bowl of ice cream almost every day!
My husband worked at the Isaly’s store in South Hills Village in the 70’s. I walked in there with a friend to buy chipped ham and a cone and it was love at first sight. Sounds silly, but here we are married 42 years and have 2 sons and a beautiful family. Every year that we are blessed with an anniversary, we celebrate with Isaly’s chipped ham sandwiches and a Klondike with our family. We miss the skyscraper Whitehouse cone. What a tradition Isaly’s is for our family, and what a blessing walking into the Isaly’s store to meet the love of my life and best husband and father ever. Praying we win the train set, what a part of our yearly celebration this would make for our family. Thank you Isaly’s for all the years of tradition you have been part of in our family. Happy New Year!
When I was a little boy I would stop on my way home from school and get a scoop of ice cream .. Or get a 1/2 a pound chip ham and eat it on my way home !! I miss it and I miss Pittsburgh
Grew up behind the store in Marion Ohio. The best of times going to get ice cream and watching the ice cream being made in the factory. Angelo Dorian was the greatest manager of the plant a great man who loved making ice cream and running the restaurant.
Every Friday my mother ordered breaded haddock from the Irwin Isaly’s which was owned and operated by Art Lewis. It was the best tasting breaded fish we have ever eaten and to this day I can still remember the delicious taste.
My grandparents use to own the Isaly’s in Irwin PA and I have so many good memories of making the donuts and selling all the good products.
I grew up with Isaly’s in Sewickley, PA. My family lived only 4 doors away from the local store. What a treat it was to buy a rainbow or a maricopa skyscraper cone! My Dad loved the chocolate chip with the jimmies inside. I’ve never seen another CC like it. And my favorite lunch was, and always will be, a fresh chipped ham sandwich and a vanilla milkshake!
