Kopp's Frozen Custard
jumbo burgers | |
| Owner | Kopp and McGuire family |
|---|---|
| Website | kopps |
Kopp's Frozen Custard is a
Kopp's was the first custard stand to offer a special "flavor of the day" in addition to the more traditional chocolate and vanilla flavors.[3]
History
Founding
Elsa Kopp opened the first Kopp's stand at 6005 W. Appleton Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin (now the site of JJ Fish & Chicken) in 1950.
The Kopp's frozen custard stand rose in popularity quickly during the 1950s and was soon seen as a Milwaukee staple.[5] By 1960 the Kopp's stand was successful enough that Elsa felt comfortable experimenting with more exotic frozen custard recipes. Initially she mixed chocolate and vanilla, a controversial act in the early frozen custard community. After this, Kopp's began offering increasingly diverse concoctions which became their well known "flavor of the day" menu option.[3] Kopp's offers two unique flavors every day and a featured shake and sundae of the month. The featured flavors are often related to events for that day or month.[6]
The Glendale location (5373 N. Port Washington Ave.) is on the site of the former Milky Way drive-in restaurant, the inspiration for the external look of the Happy Days diner, Arnold's Drive-In.
Kopp's is now owned by Elsa's son, Karl Kopp, who also owns Elsa's on the Park on Jefferson Street in downtown Milwaukee, which opened New Year's Eve of 1980.[7] He has also opened restaurants in Arizona and New York.[8][9] Each location prominently displays a portrait of Elsa Kopp.[10]
In September 2004, Vice President Dick Cheney made an unannounced visit to a Kopp's Frozen Custard location while campaigning for his and George W. Bush's reelection.[11]
Joe Biden visit
In June 2010, Vice President Joe Biden visited a Kopp's Frozen Custard location while campaigning for Democratic senator Russ Feingold. Biden asked Scott Borkin, the manager of Kopp's, what he owed for his custard. In response, Borkin joked, "Don’t worry; it’s on the house. Lower our taxes and we’ll call it even." In response, Biden came back later to the manager and said, "Why don’t you say something nice instead of being a smartass all the time?" Just a couple minutes after that interaction, Biden approached the manager again and apologized, saying that he was just kidding.[12] Borkin appeared on Fox & Friends to discuss the incident, which was covered by local and other national news agencies.[13]
See also
References
- ^ "Kopp's, Oscar's top our custard dream team". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on February 10, 2007.
- ^ "Milwaukee Talks: Karl Kopp". OnMilwaukee.com. 2017-01-03. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
- ^ a b "A peaches 'n' cream career". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.[dead link]
- ^ Trousil, Carrie. "Kopp's Frozen Custard". About.com Milwaukee. Archived from the original on 2013-09-28. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
- Shepherd Express. Archived from the originalon March 20, 2006.
- ^ "Need a treat? Check the flavor forecast at Kopp's Frozen Custard". Studio A. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: The Tribune Company. July 17, 2014. Fox6 (WITI).
- ^ "Milwaukee Talks: Karl Kopp". OnMilwaukee.com. 2017-01-03. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
- ^ Tarnoff, Andy (April 14, 2004). "Kopp's restaurant empire doesn't stop at state line". OnMilwaukee.com.
- ^ Tarnoff, Andy (March 10, 2009). "Milwaukee's Kopp continues westward expansion with Hanny's". OnMilwaukee.com.
- Shepherd Express.
- ^ Applemann, Eric. "The Travels of Vice President Dick Cheney -- September 2004". P2004: The 2004 Presidential Campaign. Democracy in Action.
- ^ Christopher, Tommy (29 June 2010). "Joe Biden Custard Store 'Smartass' Speaks Out". Mediaite. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- ^ "V.P. Joe Biden Visits Kopp's Custard; Banters With Manager". Milwaukee, Wisconsin: WISN-TV. June 26, 2010.
Further reading
- Jane Stern; Michael Stern (4 June 2009). 500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late: and the Very Best Places to Eat Them. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 238. ISBN 978-0-547-41644-1.
- Allison Engel; Margaret Engel (5 September 2000). Food Finds: America's Best Local Foods and the People Who Produce Them. HarperCollins. p. 236. ISBN 978-0-06-095837-4.
