Josh and John’s Ice Cream to open its first drive-thru in Colorado Springs
One of Colorado Springs’ favorite ice cream shops is growing again – with a twist.
Josh and John’s announced on Wednesday night on social media that the company will open its first drive-thru.
The concept has been one that owner and co-founder John Krakauer has long wanted to explore, he said Friday. Initially, he’d been looking for a suitable drive-thru area on the east end of the city. But they were few and far between, he said.
But one day, as he drove into Josh and John’s headquarters, located on Elkton Drive just north of Garden of the Gods Road, he saw an open spot. It was an old Dutch Bros. Coffee kiosk located at 870 Garden of the Gods Road, which the coffee company had vacated because it moved to an abandoned Sonic just up the road.
“I actually called and was told that the owner was not interested at this point in leasing it out. He had other plans for the area,” Krakauer said. “The issue is that Dutch Bros. is still there … and most of these kiosks would be built for coffee shops.”
But since Josh and John’s doesn’t focus on coffee, Krakauer said the property owner was convinced to change his mind.
The new location will be small: About 200 square feet. But that shouldn’t be too big a deal for the ice cream company, since it is roughly equal to the spaces behind the counters of existing ice cream parlors, he said. The new location won’t have indoor seating, but there will be a walk-up window with outdoor seating, Krakauer said.
“There are lots of logistic challenges that we’re dealing with,” he said. “A drive-thru is not something we’ve ever done, so we’re trying to figure out ways to make sure that things go quickly and smoothly.”
While the drive-thru will be a full-service Josh and John’s, offering all the normal menu items one may expect at their full-sized locations, it will focus on milkshakes, Krakauer said. He kept the flavors of the new milkshakes under wraps, but said they’d have “fun names.”
The company is targeting a mid-April opening, barring any delays with construction or regulatory approvals.
Josh and John’s has four locations throughout the Springs and two in Larimer County. Krakauer and Josh Paris started the company in 1986. Last year, it was voted as Colorado Springs’ best ice cream shop in The Gazette’s Best of the Springs awards.