Gus And YiaYia's Ice Ball Cart opens for milestone 90th year
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Saturday was a milestone day for one local small business and a sign that summer is here in Pittsburgh.
Gus & YiaYia's Ice Ball Cart opened for its 90th season.
The Pittsburgh staple first opened in 1934 and is now run by the original owner's son serves up sweet treats for the community all from the comfort of a cart at Allegheny Commons Park.
The iconic stand has passed out shaved ice in a variety of flavors, along with popcorn and peanuts, to generation after generation of Pittsburghers.
It's become such a staple of Pittsburgh culture that in 2021, a miniature version of the cart was added to the Carnegie Science Center's Miniature Railroad and Village.
In 2022, they did raise prices, but not by much.
"We went up a quarter on a few things. But for eight years we never raised the price, and people always said, 'why don't you raise the price?' I said, 'well, because it's a family thing.' I mean, you go to the Dairy Queen or ice cream places, you're looking at three, four people going, it's $25," Gus Kalaris said.
It's open daily from noon until 6 p.m. once they are back into their normal routine.