Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor

Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor in Columbus, Indiana, began in 1900 when brothers James, Lewis, and Pete Zaharako, candymakers from Sparta, opened a confectionary and soon expanded into ice cream. By the early 1910s it had acquired signature features such as soda fountains, a mahogany backbar, and a 1908 Welte orchestrion, while later adapting to changing tastes. After closing in 2006, it was bought and extensively restored by Tony Moravec, who recovered the orchestrion and reopened the business in 2009 with an adjoining museum of soda fountains and mechanical musical instruments. Zaharakos remains a working restaurant and preservation effort, recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.

Columbus, Indiana · United States