Второй магазин популярного мороженого открылся в юго-восточном районе Колорадо-Спрингс

Colorado Springs’ Rizuto’s Ice Cream opens second location in city’s southeast A Colorado Springs favorite has opened a second location, bringing large servings of affordable ice cream to the city’s southeast side. Rizuto’s Ice Cream, in business at 4785 Barnes Road for more than 20 years, opened its second location at 2050 Jet Wing Drive in June. It opened in the Chelton Crossing Community Hub in the area formerly occupied by Stompin’ Groundz Coffee, which shut down in January. “I’ve been looking for something south for several years,” said Leo “Chip” Rizuto, the shops founder. “We lived down near Memorial Park for 20 to 25 years, it’s where we raised our kids; the south part of town is our home.” The shops have soft-serve ice cream with a new creation daily, according to the website. It has 31 flavors of ice cream by the scoop and in-house specialties, one of which is Leo’s favorite. While customers tend to gravitate toward Rizuto’s Coffee, a combination of Heath bars and Oreos, Rizuto said his favorite is Rizuto’s Special. This flavor, a concoction of Fudge Revel, cookie dough, marshmallows and brownies, is hard to beat, he said. “I’m a huge fan of cookie dough,” he said. Business in the new location is off to a slower start than Rizuto expected, but he’s not too worried with summer now in full swing. The new spot is in a potentially prime location, less than a mile from Sierra High School and Panorama Middle School and in an emerging hub run by Solid Rock Community Development Corp. Solid Rock was set up to build generational wealth in an area that has historically been underinvested in. With Chelton Crossing, the group created a community investment trust, a mechanism that allows community members to invest directly in their own neighborhood. With the trust, residents can build equity in commercial real estate properties nearby, addressing “asset poverty” and building “community capital,” according to Solid Rock. Solid Rock is excited to have Rizuto’s moving in, not only because it offers a fun and sweet treat, but because it’s affordable for the community, said Solid Rock’s Associate Director Shameeka Ford. She took her family to the ice cream spot and was only out $20, she said. “That’s important, especially for our community where you might have families with several children,” Ford said. “Rizuto’s as a business is great, but they made a conscious decision which is to invest in the southeast. … That’s a big deal.” The southeast neighborhoods of Colorado Springs have historically been subject to severe “challenges related to poverty and health inequities,” according to the Southeast Strong Community Plan. The plan, which has yet to be adopted by the City Council, identifies Chelton Crossing as a place that can serve as both a community hub — offering people a “third space” separate from work and home — and a business investment opportunity. With the addition of Rizuto’s, Ford hopes more businesses see the opportunity in that section of town. Keeping things affordable have been at the core of what Rizuto has tried to do with Rizuto’s, but that doesn’t mean skimping on quality or portion sizes, he added. Some people have even told him to raise prices, which Rizuto said he avoids as much as possible. “We try to do the best quality possible, but I try to open it up for the families that really can’t afford to do an expensive place,” he said. “We have such a great customer base, that’s what I’m hoping for south too.” Rizuto’s South is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.