Dave and Andy’s reopening with new owners, same recipes

Beloved local ice cream purveyor Dave & Andy’s closed with much fanfare in April, after 40 years in Oakland.

Now the Atwood Street store is poised to reopen under the ownership of a Pitt student and her parents. A grand opening is planned for Sept. 7.

On Aug. 26, a mysterious message appeared on the Dave & Andy’s Facebook page: “The rumors are true … See you soon Oakland!”

It was followed on Sept. 4 with an official announcement about the Sept. 7 reopening.

Sarah Kasten, a junior professional communications major, and her parents, Jason and Laura Kasten, are taking over the business.

Sarah Kasten said Andy and Joe Hardie, who previously owned the store, are family friends and her dad’s uncle worked at Dave & Andy’s several years ago. She told the Pitt News that her parents had their first date at the shop. 

Dave & Andy’s Homemade Ice was started in 1983 by Andy Hardie and Dave Tuttle. Tuttle sold his stake to Hardie in 1990. In April 2024, Hardie decided to retire.

“We’re very fortunate that Andy chose us to carry on his legacy,” Sarah Kasten said.

Laura Kasten will manage the store, and Sarah will be working there too.

“We were really careful about keeping a lot of things the same, the way people know and love it,” Sarah Kasten told the Pitt News. “We have all the same recipes and all the same flavors. The only thing different is that there’s a new coat of paint on the wall.”

After the grand opening tomorrow, hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to midnight on the weekends.

— Susan Jones

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