Photograph by Susan Wiedmann
Coming Soon: The Baskin-Robbins ice cream store at 1060 Willow Street, east of Lincoln Avenue, will reopen in mid-June. It has been closed for about eight months because of the bankruptcy of its last owner.
Baskin-Robbins will be reopening this summer
By Susan Wiedmann
Just in time to help Willow Glen residents cool off from the summer's heat, the Baskin-Robbins ice cream store at 1060 Willow Street, east of Lincoln Avenue, will finally reopen in mid-June. It has been closed for about eight months because of the bankruptcy of its last owner.
The store's new owners, Dave Belardi and Mike Levine, both have existing connections to Willow Glen. Belardi now lives in South San Jose, but he grew up in Willow Glen, and his mother still lives in Willow Glen's Palm Haven area. Levine is a Willow Glen resident and was a longtime co-owner of People's Pants on Lincoln Avenue. He recently sold his share of that store to his brother to embark on the Baskin-Robbins venture with his friend, Belardi.
Belardi's most recent job was working for a small circuit board manufacturing company in Milpitas. He said that both he and Levine were looking for something different to do when they discovered the Baskin-Robbins shop was out of business. They contacted Frank Butterfield, the original owner; Belardi has known him since he was a child, when he frequently enjoyed 'Mr. B's' ice cream. Butterfield told them he had sold the store to an employee, but the individual had been unsuccessful with the business.
"Mike and I decided to put an offer in, and our offer was accepted," Belardi said. "So now we're going to reopen it and pretty much bring it back to what it was when 'Mr. B' had it."
Baskin-Robbins stores are franchises, so ownership involves a lot more than just ordering delicious ice cream creations and training employees to ask, "How many scoops?" Prior to a franchise's grand opening, at least one of the new owners must take a special 5 1/2 week training course. Belardi has been commuting to and from Los Angeles for several weeks to take the classes and has come home just on weekends.
"They teach you the brand because the company is a mothership that covers Baskin-Robbins and also has Togo's and Dunkin' Donuts as their franchise options," Belardi explained. "So they teach you about dessert management, shift leader training, basic management training, human resources, store management and 'serve safe,' which is about sanitation."
He also has to go to Boston the first week in June to take a mandatory franchise business course.
"When I get back, we can, hopefully, hire a few people and get rolling," he said.
Belardi promised the renowned Baskin-Robbins standard of "31 flavors"--such as Jamocha Almond Fudge--will still be served, along with some special flavors that Belardi and Levine will choose from the more than 1,000 choices that Baskin-Robbins offers. He said that there are 31 standard flavors because Baskin-Robbins thinks customers should come in every day of the month to enjoy a different ice cream. New coffee drinks are planned for late summer by the parent organization, and the Willow Street store will carry them as well.
Ice cream cakes--all ice cream or part ice cream, part cake--are also popular at Baskin-Robbins stores, and Belardi took classes in Los Angeles to learn how to make those specialties on the premises all by himself.
"In a class of 21 people, I was probably third best," he said proudly.
Belardi said that he and Levine plan to join the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association, and they will also probably sponsor a local sports team or two, which will include giving some in-store parties at a season's end.
Baskin-Robbins will be open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m., beginning in mid-June.
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
