Local Scoop: Oberweis ice cream is open in Winnetka — and more to come to North Shore

Two years after the iconic Illinois ice cream brand declared bankruptcy, Oberweis Dairy has set up a new shop in Winnetka. 

The Oberweis Dairy & Ice Cream store opened its doors on Wednesday at 510 Winnetka Ave., across the street from the Indian Hill Metra Station and walking distance from New Trier High School’s Winnetka campus.

Opening day was the same day students returned to class from summer break. 

The shop is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Winnetka storefront is the first Oberweis to open under the Hoffmann Family of Companies, the largest owner of commercial properties in Winnetka, since it acquired Oberweis Dairy in 2024 when the company filed for bankruptcy protections. 

The store is one of three new Oberweis Dairy and Ice Cream locations the new parent indicated it wants to open in the North Shore, The Record previously reported, and more than 12 total locations Hoffmann seeks to open over the next two years in Illinois, Missouri and Florida. 

“We chose Winnetka for our first new opening in five years because it’s a family-centered community, and ice cream simply tastes better when shared with family,” said Adam Kraber, CEO of Hoffmann Oberweis Dairy, in a press release. 

The Winnetka Oberweis, located in the site of a former carpet store, features a “nostalgic nod to classic ice cream parlors” with a full-service ice cream counter where customers can see their orders scooped, as well as chess boards and the brand’s signature red and white colors.

Inside the shop on Thursday afternoon, Aug. 21, parents and groups of young children sat at tables eating ice cream from cones and bowls while a district manager handed out free samples. 

“We’ve been driving by and we’re so excited that it’s finally open,” said Shannon Ford, a Kenilworth mother while eating a scoop of cookies and cream ice cream alongside her two daughters. “We get their deliveries, so now we’re excited that they have an ice cream parlor to visit in person.”

“They’re going to get a lot of traffic here after games and stuff from the high school, and just like people in general because downtown Winnetka has been doing a lot of renovations,” said Andriana Geroulis, a Winnetka local finishing a scoop of birthday cake and espresso caramel chip.

“You really just taste the freshness of the dairy; it’s like straight from the source, straight from the cow,” she added. 

Taylor Dusik, the store’s training coordinator, said the line of customers was nearly out the door when the location opened for its “soft launch” on Wednesday.

The shop boasts a staff of 25 people, she said, and will hold an official ribbon cutting on Wednesday, Aug. 27. 

“We’re just looking forward to the kids having a place in the community where they can come and have fun and it’s been a nice turnout so far, it’s been relatively busy,” Dusik said.

The Oberweis shop now joins other established ice cream businesses on Green Bay Road, such as Graeter’s Ice Cream in Hubbard Woods and Homer’s Restaurant & Ice Cream, which has been in Wilmette since 1935. 

Peter Oberweis first began selling milk, including in its trademark glass jars, from a horse-drawn carriage in Aurora in 1915, according to the company’s website. Oberweis Dairy now operates 49 ice cream and dairy stores and distributes its products to grocery stores. 

In April 2024, the company filed for Chapter 11 protections through the Northern District of Illinois in order to “seek debt relief” and position the company for a sale, according to a company statement.

Hoffmann Family of Companies acquired Oberweis Dairy in May 2024 and Hoffmann Commercial Real Estate, a subsidiary of the Winnetka-based private equity firm, purchased the neighboring buildings located at 510 Winnetka Avenue and 530 Winnetka Avenue earlier this year, The Record reported. 

Hoffmann now owns more than 30 properties from Wilmette to Lake Forest, with 20-plus in Winnetka alone. Shabahang Royal Carpet, which inhabited the first floor of the three-story multi-use building at 510 Winnetka Avenue, closed sometime in 2024.

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