The return of Snelgrove Ice Cream to the Wasatch Front marks a sweet revival for Utahns, with the opening of the area’s first Snelgrove shop in more than a decade. The new location, situated at 330 W. Parrish Lane in Centerville, will celebrate its grand opening this Friday and Saturday, with the shop welcoming visitors from 11 a.m. to midnight on both days.
This Centerville shop is the first of four new Snelgrove locations planned for the coming months. The company, which was founded in 1929 by Charles R. Snelgrove in Salt Lake City, is set to open additional outlets in Lehi on March 14, in Sandy on March 28, and in South Jordan later this summer.
Lyndsay Snelgrove, the great-granddaughter of the company’s founder and its current CEO, shared with The Salt Lake Tribune in December that the iconic cones at the original Salt Lake City shop were priced at just a nickel during the Great Depression. “You can’t go on vacation necessarily anymore, but you can always go get an ice cream cone. You can always take your family. That’s a little break you can get,” Lyndsay explained, reflecting on her great-grandfather’s vision.
The Snelgrove legacy includes the famous double-cone signs that have become a beloved symbol of Utah. The first of these signs was erected in 1962 at the company’s plant on 2100 South in Salt Lake City’s Sugar House neighborhood. It was created by the Salt Lake City-based YESCO sign company and was the first 3D sign of its kind. While the original plant is no longer in operation, the iconic sign still stands, though the area is now being redeveloped into condominiums. Another double-cone sign still remains at 400 South and 600 East, albeit painted black after the space was converted into a Jimmy John’s sandwich shop.
The double-scoop cone became a Utah icon, especially leading up to the 2002 Winter Olympics, when it was featured on a limited-edition trading pin.
Snelgrove Ice Cream’s story took a turn in 1990 when a national ice cream company acquired the brand and eventually discontinued it in 2008. However, Lyndsay Snelgrove has led the charge for a family comeback, reopening the first new Snelgrove shop in St. George in 2021. She recalls heartwarming stories from customers who have visited the St. George location. “I’ve had people come in, just in tears, because their mom passed away, and she used to bring them to Snelgrove,” she said. “Or a ton of first dates. They’re married now, but it was their first date. Just all sorts of stuff like that.”
With the opening of the Centerville store, Snelgrove Ice Cream continues to serve up more than just a treat — it’s dishing out decades of cherished memories for generations of Utahns.
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