ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – There’s no reason to put your celebration on ice when you’ve been selling flavored ice for 100 years!
Zammuto’s in Rockford has hit a major milestone.
Opening in 1925, the business has served granita in the stateline for 100 years, becoming one of the oldest Italian ice stands in the United States.
Rockford granita stand hits 100 years in business(WIFR)
Zammutos opened alongside a grocery store. It then evolved into a drive-in theater in the 70s to focus on the popularity of the granita. To this day, the business uses its original 1925 recipe from Sicily, leading the business to become a staple for Italian ice in the stateline.
“My brothers started this and I was kind of the… ‘What do you think, Frank? What do you think?’ They would ask me questions,” said Frank Zammuto Jr., the youngest and last surviving Zammuto brother.
While Frank Zammuto Jr. never worked in the business (besides occasionally filling in), he lived above the business for more than 30 years, where he watched it grow.
“My dad came from Sicily, from Aragona, and that’s where he started this granita and got the recipes,” Frank explains.
When Zammuto’s father became ill, his brothers picked up the shavings, even adding a drive-thru to the business.
“I don’t think they had a clue of what they were getting into,” Frank laughingly says.
But once they got into it, so did the entire family.
Zammuto says it was a great experience growing up through the business, watching the granita become popular beyond the stateline.
“We’ve had people from literally all over the world,” Zina Horton, Zamutto’s current owner, says. “We have had people from Norway, we have people from Canada.”
Zina and Alida Horton took over the family business in 2007, but that did not take the family out of the business.
“When Joe was with us, Joe said ‘You just make sure you tell everybody you’re family,’ and so we did, and I feel like we’re a part of the family,” Zina says.
And now, the business is one of the oldest Italian ice stands in America.
Rockford granita stand hits 100 years in business(WIFR)
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate being able to carry on our family tradition,” explained Zina.
The popular treat is now sold year-round in local stores like Woodman’s in Rockford and Beloit. It can also be found at Chiquita Food Market and Valli Produce in Rockford.
Saturday, June 14, Zammuto’s will host its 100th year celebratory block party with food, live music, games and giveaways to mark a century in business.
Copyright 2025 WIFR. All rights reserved.