The award-winning brand run by husband-and-wife team Andia and George Xouris is now open at Raleigh Iron Works — take a peek!
By Rachel Simon
When it comes to dessert, Raleigh has never had a shortage of options. But now, longtime favorites like Two Roosters and FRESH have a new competitor: Andia’s, the popular Cary ice cream spot that just opened the doors on its first Raleigh location.
In the six years since Andia’s first brick-and-mortar shop launched in 2017, the shop — run by husband-and-wife team Andia and George Xouris–has developed a passionate following for its wide assortment of unique flavors, viral social media presence and family-owned spirit. Both of its Cary locations regularly see lines down the block, which began long before USA Today named Andia’s the #4 best ice cream shop in America earlier this year.
The company’s expansion into the Raleigh market is no surprise, given its fast-growing fanbase. And the founders picked as buzzy a spot as possible to put down their roots: Raleigh Iron Works, the highly-anticipated 26-acre mixed-use development near the city’s Midtown area. Andia’s is the second shop to open in Iron Works, following the recent launch of Eastcut Sandwich Bar across the street; many more locally-owned restaurants, bars, and other businesses are expected to follow shortly.
At a media event to celebrate Andia’s grand opening on August 10, dozens of guests excitedly crammed into the store for champagne sorbet cups, take-home pints, and heaping scoops of flavors like Double Dark Chocolate and Oreo Latte. As of August 14, the shop will be open until 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. on weekends.
Andia Xouris says that she and her husband had been looking to expand into Raleigh for a long time, but were wary of expanding too fast, too soon. Yet Iron Works, with its predicted substantial foot traffic, homegrown focus and booming Midtown location felt like “the perfect fit.”
“We came out and looked at it, and we fell in love with it right away,” Xouris told Walter, adding that Andia’s was “one of the first businesses to sign” a lease with the development.
Originally, the Xourises planned to open the shop in March of this year, but due to building and material delays, they ended up having to push the date back several months. While they would’ve liked to take full advantage of the summer ice cream season, Xouris says they’re thrilled by the support they’ve received from their eager community despite the delay. “We have a very loyal following in Raleigh,” she says.
Those followers will be happy to find Andia’s new location quite familiar. Xouris says that the menu at Iron Works will be the same as in the Cary shops, featuring nearly 20 signature and changing flavors, as well as milkshakes (including the brand’s famously enormous mason jar-held “Monster” shakes), specialties like ice cream brulee, and sampler flights. The goal, says Xouris, is to offer customers “the same Andia’s experience” no matter which shop they visit.
“Even as we grow, that’s important to me, to have the exact same products,” she explains. “I want them to walk into one of our shops and say, Okay, this is an Andia’s.”
It may not be long before fans have even more shop options to choose from; Xouris says that she and her husband are “hoping to be in many other places in the future.” They’ve already expanded online, having recently launched nation-wide shipping via Goldbelly.
The future of Andia’s certainly looks bright — but for right now, its founders are simply focused on getting the Raleigh location off the ground.
“It’s just been a dream come true,” says Xouris. “I’m so excited to get this place up and running.”
This article was originally published on August 25, 2023 on waltermagazine.com
