Mount Airy’s Beloved Zsa’s Ice Cream Saved From Closure By Local Pastry Chef
Mount Airy residents can officially cancel their farewell plans for Zsa’s Ice Cream, as the popular neighborhood shop will remain open under new ownership. Despite a previous announcement that the business would permanently shutter in December 2025, founder Danielle Jowdy has sold the establishment to local pastry chef Liz Yee, ensuring the scoops will keep coming without interruption.
The reversal comes as a relief to a community that had been preparing for a “long goodbye.” In late 2024, Jowdy announced her intention to close the shop at the end of 2025, citing the immense personal and financial strain required to scale the business further. At the time, Jowdy expressed that expanding operations to meet demand would exceed her “financial, mental, and emotional boundaries,” a common “founder’s dilemma” where the pressure to grow conflicts with the desire to maintain quality and personal well-being.
However, the narrative shifted this week when it was revealed that Liz Yee would take the reins. Yee, who brings her own culinary background to the table as a pastry chef, is set to reopen the shop immediately, with service resuming as early as this weekend. This transition allows the business to bypass the looming closure date entirely, preserving a local fixture that has garnered a loyal following for its “seriously from scratch” approach and unique flavors.
While the shop is saved, the transition acknowledges the significant challenges independent food businesses face in the current economic climate. Jowdy’s initial decision to close highlighted the often-overlooked difficulties of running a small, labor-intensive operation, including equipment failures—such as a major freezer breakdown that previously required a community “SOS” sale to fix—and the relentless demand for growth. By passing the torch to Yee, the business avoids the total cessation of operations that Jowdy felt was the only alternative to an unsustainable expansion.
Patrons can expect the shop to continue serving its signature small-batch ice cream at its Germantown Avenue location, now under Yee’s leadership, effectively turning a year of mourning into a new chapter for the Mount Airy staple.
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