Pittsburgh’s Klavon’s Ice Cream Parlor celebrates its 1923 founding
Here are two scoops.
Klavon’s Ice Cream Parlor in Pittsburgh’s Strip District is marking the 100th year of its founding.
And it’s also no longer for sale.
“Klavon’s is a piece of Pittsburgh history, and I feel like not enough people know about it,” said Desiree Hanchar, of Fox Chapel, who owns the shop with husband Jacob. “The inside captures an old-school looking shop. Ice cream is something pretty much everyone loves, even in the winter.”
No matter the temperature, people still want to buy ice cream, said Desiree Hanchar.
She and her husband and children — she recently gave birth to the couple’s seventh child — fell in love with the business as customers.
She hopes her children, ages 14 years to 1 month, will want to become part of the ice cream industry.
Jacob and Desiree Hanchar purchased Klavon’s in June 2013 after Ray Klavon, the grandson of the original owners, died. They put it up for sale last year for $2.1 million. Desiree Hanchar was concerned about being able to successfully run the business while also caring for her children. Her husband owns Digital Dream Labs, a technology robotics company based in East Liberty. That business is growing and requires most of his time.
Desiree Hanchar said the couple changed their minds on the sale after finding out that potential buyers had different visions for the place, some of which included making a total change. They decided they want to preserve the character of the original establishment and its founders.
They hired a new manager who wants to experiment with new flavors and dip cones, Desiree Hanchar said, while keeping the flavors for which the shop is know. Klavon’s offers more than 20 flavors of hard ice cream — made in-house — from butter pecan to death by chocolate, as well as various ice cream floats, ice cream sodas and 24 sundae selections. The menu changes throughout the year.
The shop doesn’t just serve locals — it’s a destination because of its original marble countertops, stainless steel fountain equipment, and revolving stools that were originally fashioned to look like Coca-Cola bottle caps, according to the store’s website.
There is a mark above the phone booths that shows how high the floodwaters reached on St. Patrick’s Day of 1936.
The business survived through that — and the more recent pandemic.
Like most businesses, it suffered during the pandemic, cutting the store’s revenue in half, Jacob Hanchar told the Tribune-Review in a previous story.
In March 2021, Klavon’s raised workers’ pay, garnering national attention.
The plan for 2023 is to celebrate the Klavon family legacy — including a special shout-out to Ray Klavon, who reopened the shop in 1999 with his siblings. Their grandparents, James and Mary Klavon, opened Klavon’s in 1923 as a neighborhood apothecary and ice cream shop, closing it in 1979. After the space sat empty for 20 years, Ray Klavon and his siblings decided to bring back the tradition – a storied one that the Hanchar family wants to continue.
“We have learned so much about Ray (Klavon),” Desiree Hanchar said. “Customers loved him, so we want to create a special treat that he liked to honor him.
“Ray did so much for this business. We want to recognize his positive energy. We all could use some positive energy with everything we have gone through the past few years. Our goal is to find out what ice cream was his favorite and create something based on that.”
To learn about making the sweet treats, Jacob Hanchar took the Penn State ice cream course (Penn State is known for its on-campus creamery).
Desiree Hanchar said the favorites remain the tried-and-true flavors — vanilla, chocolate and strawberry.
“People love the traditional flavors,” she said. “But they also love fun sundaes and ice cream sodas and floats, so we provide a variety of options. But it’s important to add seasonal selections. We always took our kids to the shop, and they always loved it, and they still love it. Ice cream makes people happy. And with so many flavors to choose from, you can find one you like.”
Desiree Hanchar’s favorite? The turtle sundae, which has chocolate and vanilla ice cream, caramel and fudge sauce, and buttery pecans.
Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 1 to 8 p.m. on Sunday.
Klavon’s Ice Cream Parlor is located at 2801 Penn Ave. in the Strip District.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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