The Original Rainbow Cone, a Chicago tradition for over 97 years, will open a new franchise location at 126 Duvall St. in Key West, Florida in March 2024. The new franchise location will feature Rainbow Cone’s signature ice cream treat, along with sundaes, shakes, and cakes. This marks the second Rainbow Cone location in Florida, joining the Bradenton location which opened September 2023. The company has additional locations on deck in 2024 for the metro areas of Tampa Bay, West Palm Beach and Orlando.
Rainbow Cone was founded in 1926 by “Grandpa Joe” Sapp, who was never satisfied with just one ice cream flavor and instead stacked five delicious options on a single cone. The original shop’s pink building on Western Avenue in Chicago has been a staple in the city since it first opened its doors nearly a century ago, with hundreds of thousands of dedicated customers from around the world. The brand has since expanded to kiosks and trucks throughout the Chicago area and launched its new franchise partner program in 2022 with franchise agreements in Florida, Nashville, Texas and California.
“We are excited about the growth of our franchise program in Florida,” said Lynn Sapp, third generation owner of The Original Rainbow Cone. “The responses we have received from the Florida communities have been incredible, and we are confident that Key West will be no exception.”
