Isaly’s will return to Pittsburgh’s Strip District this summer. New signage at the shop’s 3,500-square-foot space reads “coming soon” and “Summer 2026,” with photos of Isaly’s signature skyscraper ice cream cone and chipped ham sandwich.
“Something very sweet is coming to 2111 Penn Ave,” the shop wrote on its Isaly’s Nation social media pages on Friday.
Isaly’s first announced it would open a vintage-inspired store last year. The “retro store,” as its called on the Isaly’s website, will feature dining space with a deli counter and ice cream parlor. The shop plans to serve all-day breakfast and lunch with classic menu items, including its super-premium ice cream and a version of the Klondike bar, invented at Isaly’s.
The new shop would mark the first Isaly’s store in Pittsburgh in decades.
Isaly’s was founded by William Isaly, son of a Swiss cheesemaker, who expanded the family business to dairy farming and distribution. The first iteration of an Isaly’s store opened in Marion, Ohio, in 1914 — selling milk and ice cream while offering lunch counter service — and the business grew to 25 retail stores by 1924.
Isaly’s first came to Pittsburgh around 1930, at one time operating more than 100 locations in the region. Though Isaly’s dairies and delis spanned Ohio, West Virginia, and Western Pennsylvania, many Pittsburghers nostalgically claim it as a Pittsburgh original.
In 2015, Isaly’s LLC was purchased by Jim and Leslee Conroy, who operate Conroy Foods headquartered in O’Hara, and recall visiting a former Isaly’s store there. Jim Conroy told TribLive last March he considers himself to be a steward of the iconic Isaly’s brand.
Conroy was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday.
