Gina's Italian Ice

1977. It was a hot year in Chicago, and people needed a delicious way to cool down. Gina purchased a store front on Roosevelt Road in Berwyn that was going to be a pizza place, but was never completed. Using a recipe she learned back in Italy, she starts making Italian Ice Lemonade by hand and selling scoops in small paper "squeeze" cups for 15 cents each. As word of Gina's cool and refreshing ice spread around the neighborhood, more flavors were added to the menu; lime, watermelon, banana, cherry, cantaloupe, strawberry, coconut, raspberry, and even chocolate.

Gina’s is owned and operated by Gina Tremonte and her son, Patrick. Born of a desire to offer the Berwyn market a refreshing treat on hot summer days, Gina’s has developed a wide-spread, solid fan base throughout Berwyn and the western suburbs. Gina has served generations of families. Many of the children she served 40 years ago, are coming in with their children or grandchildren.

Today, each of the flavors at the summertime institution is still being made with the original recipe, by hand daily, with fresh fruits bought from local markets.