Carvel, the iconic Northeast-based chain credited with popularizing soft-serve ice cream nearly a century ago, has arrived in the Sarasota area with its first location just a short drive from Siesta Key.

Transplants from New York and New Jersey who grew up with Carvel are finding a familiar taste at the new shop in Pelican Plaza, home to Sprouts Farmers Market and Total Wine & More, on South Tamiami Trail. The menu features longtime favorites, including soft-serve cones and cups, sundaes, Flying Saucer ice cream sandwiches, and the famous Fudgie the Whale and Cookie Puss ice cream cakes.

The shop also is attracting a new generation of customers. Weekend evening lines have stretched out the door as first-time visitors discover the brand.

Franchise owner Bobby Enrico opened the store in May under an agreement to develop four Sarasota-area locations over the next several years. Encouraged by the strong response, he said he is already planning to add two more.

The business is truly a family operation. Enrico’s son, Bryce, manages the store, daughter Elysia creates the specialty cakes and frozen desserts, and wife Natalie serves as chief financial officer.

Fresh-made soft serve is the main attraction, but the shop also offers hand-scooped ice cream and a wide selection of take-home treats.

The most popular flavor is classic vanilla, followed by chocolate and the signature vanilla-chocolate twist. Other soft-serve flavors include pistachio, mint, Oreo and Nutella Reese’s. Customers also can choose from about 25 hard ice cream flavors and an assortment of toppings, including chocolate shell, cherry bonnet and traditional sundae favorites.

The soft serve is made using Carvel’s original recipe, Enrico said.

“There’s probably a secret ingredient,” he said with a laugh, “but they won’t tell me.”

Among the take-home offerings, Flying Saucer sandwiches remain the top seller. Freezer cases are stocked with Carvel’s signature ice cream cakes, including Cookie Puss, Fudgie the Whale, Spider-Man and other customizable creations.

Enrico grew up enjoying Carvel in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. After retiring from a career in automobile sales, he began exploring franchise opportunities in Southwest Florida.

He saw two reasons Carvel would succeed in Sarasota: a growing population of former Northeast residents and a 2019 survey identifying Carvel as one of the top franchise brands local residents wanted to see open in Sarasota County.

“We thought it was a win-win,” Enrico said.

He estimates that roughly three-quarters of the store’s early customers have been from New York or New Jersey.

Carvel traces its origins to Memorial Day weekend 1934, when founder Tom Carvel’s ice cream truck suffered a flat tire in Hartsdale, New York. Rather than discard the melting ice cream, Carvel continued selling it. Customers loved the softer texture, inspiring him to develop what became the company’s signature soft-serve recipe and eventually open his first store.

The chain eventually grew to more than 800 locations nationwide and became a pop culture icon, even earning parody commercials on Saturday Night Live. Tom Carvel sold the company in 1989, and while its famous ice cream cakes continued to be sold in supermarkets nationwide, the number of retail stores gradually declined.

Today, Carvel is owned by GoTo Foods, the parent company of Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon, Jamba and several other national brands.

“They reorganized the brand,” Enrico said. “The brand is on an upward swing.”

His next Sarasota-area locations are likely to be in the University Town Center area and Lakewood Ranch.

The South Tamiami Trail shop already ranks in the top 25% in sales among Carvel’s approximately 40 Florida locations, Enrico said. Before its opening, the closest Carvel was in Fort Myers. Nationwide, the company now operates about 400 locations, most of them in the Northeast.

Carvel is the second business with New York roots to open locally this year. Earlier this year, Bungalow Bagels opened on Siesta Key, serving bagels made with ingredients shipped from New York’s famed Utopia Bagels.

One final bit of Carvel trivia: the company’s famous Fudgie the Whale cake is transformed into its Santa Claus cake during the holiday season simply by turning the cake on its side.

Carvel is located at 8382 S. Tamiami Trail and is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.