♪ >> Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor has been a Columbus landmark for more than 100 years.

And much of its turn-of-the-century charm remains.

In fact, walking through the front doors feels almost like stepping back in time.

>> Some people come here and they really hope that it's just gonna be fast and everything.

And it's, like, sometimes that's not always the case.

And it's not necessarily a bad thing.

It's just for us, it's -- it's about the experience.

>> This iconic establishment was founded in 1900 by James, Lewis and Pete Zaharako.

The brothers, who had immigrated from Greece, had a knack for the sweets business.

The pioneering trio stood out by introducing modern innovations, such as the liquid carbonic soda fountain and the ice cream cone.

Their business savvy helped the Zaharakos thrive through three generations.

>> Zaharakos was kind of an icon to Columbus, you know, as time went on.

And everybody knew the Greeks and all, what have you.

So we very much became an integral part of the community.

>> But by the turn of the 21st century, the fabled confectionery was failing.

>> Economics played a big part.

The other situation was health.

My sister and my one cousin had serious health problems, and so in a sense we saved the business by selling it.

>> In 2006, the Zaharakos family sold the beloved establishment to Columbus entrepreneur Tony Moravec.

With a profound appreciation for its history, he set out to restore the shop's timeless charm.

>> He saw the potential here, obviously.

It was a matter of just renovating it and carrying it on, you know, because of the tradition.

That's what Zaharakos is about, tradition.

>> Sadly, Tony passed away in 2022.

But thanks to his extraordinary efforts, Zaharakos is still churning out timeless treats, one scoop at a time.

>> Well, it's a secret recipe, but I can let you know a little bit of it.

We use an ice cream mix, but it's not the soft serve.

It's more of, like, an actual ice cream because there is a very big difference between soft serve and what we serve here.

But ice cream base.

All of our flavors have a little bit of vanilla in them.

That's kind of, like, our little secret thing, and it's made here every day.

>> Here at Zaharakos, our most popular sundae is the hot fudge sundae, which consists of hot fudge, topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and then a cherry on top.

>> Another standout feature of Zaharakos is their old-fashioned sodas, made using the restaurant's original marble soda fountains.

>> We are using Seltzer water.

You are adding syrup into it, and then we are hand, like, mixing in your carbonation.

So that way it's real rather than like your auto carbonation to syrup ratio that you would get out of fountain machine.

That's kind of what makes it special and authentic.

>> Our number one soda is definitely the Green River.

>> It's probably close to -- it's a lemon lime, Sprite, Mountain Dew type of a drink.

It's kind of a combination.

So it's pretty good.

>> Yep.

>> In addition to their classic culinary offerings, Zaharakos also offers some one-of-a-kind entertainment.

Over 100 years old, this Welte self-playing organ is one of the last of its kind that still functions.

♪ >> So how the Welte works, it's kind of like the windup piano players that are, like, handheld.

There's sugar scrolls.

They are very delicate.

We wear gloves when we get 'em out.

We have over 132 of them.

We have a lot of "The Entertainer."

That was Tony's favorite.

And so we have six scrolls that are just "The Entertainer," and we play that one probably the most.

>> While the Welte's melodies may enchant you, there are even more treasures to discover.

Upstairs, visitors can step into the Zaharako family's former living space.

>> The apartment was used by the Zaharako family at one point in time.

They did move out of the upstairs.

It's been completely remolded from whenever the Zaharako family was up here.

One room was turned into a bedroom, another was turned into a kitchenette.

There are a lot of details at Zaharakos, the 100 year floor, the soda fountains, the soda bar that we have, and how it's over 100 years old.

I mean, everything is -- it's authentically antique.

>> Whether you are eager to experience the soda fountain era or you're just looking for a tasty treat, Zaharakos is sure to delight.

>> It's an actual working museum of a time that's gone by.

I venture to say, you will not find another ice cream parlor like this in the world probably.

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