By Tom Spoth, tspoth@lowellsun.com
Gary Frascarelli, shown fixing a vanilla ice cream cone, will close his downtown Lowell eatery at 127 Merrimack St. on Saturday and concentrate his energies on opening a new ice cream stand at the former site of Burbeck's on Pawtucket Boulevard. A Haverhill man has acquired Gary's downtown business and will open a pizza and roast-beef sandwich shop by next month. SUN FILE PHOTO
LOWELL -- The downtown location of Gary's Ice Cream will close by the end of this week and will soon be replaced by a sandwich shop.
Gary's owner Gary Frascarelli is opening a new location in April, in the former Burbeck's Ice Cream stand on Pawtucket Street. He had hoped to keep both stores open, in addition to the Gary's on Gorham Street in Chelmsford, but ultimately decided to close the Lowell shop.
Haverhill resident Tony Hantzopoulos said he bought the downtown business, situated at 127 Merrimack St., from Frascarelli and will open a restaurant called J.D.'s Roast Beef and Pizza. Hantzopolous, 36, and his wife, Nicole, own and operate Londi's Famous Roast Beef and Pizza in Burlington. They formerly owned Giovanni's Roast Beef and Pizza in Salem.
J.D.'s is named after Hantzopolous' two sons, John and Drew. The restaurant will specialize in pizza and roast-beef sandwiches, and will also serve subs, wraps and salads, Hantzopolous said.
"It's going to be a nice little twist for people to have something different," Hantzopolous said. "We're pretty excited to be part of the community."
Frascarelli, 54, will leave downtown after nearly five years. He opened a small store at 262 Merrimack St. in 2002, then moved in September 2005 to the larger location, where he started serving food in addition to his trademark ice cream.
In retrospect, he said, trying to run a restaurant was a mistake. Frascarelli had trouble finding reliable employees, and couldn't drum up enough demand for his hamburgers and hot dogs.
"Downtown has too many eateries," he said. "There's only so many food dollars down there."
Frascarelli considered converting the store into an ice cream and candy shop, but scrapped those plans when the Burbeck's deal came along. Frascarelli said he had relatives who lived near the ice-cream stand and he spent a lot of time there as a child.
"I have a certain affinity for this location," he said. "I don't want to see someone come in here and turn it into a jewelry store, a sub shop, or a pizza joint."
The Burbeck's land was sold to developers in 2005, but plans to build condominiums on the site fell through. Frascarelli signed a five-year lease in January. He hasn't settled on a name for the store, but said he may combine the Burbeck's and Gary's brands in some way.
The Gary's on Merrimack Street will require few renovations, Hantzopolous said. He plans to open later this month or in early April. Roast-beef sandwiches will sell for $3.50 to $5.50, subs will cost $4.50-$6, and pizzas will be sold for $9-$14, he said. J.D.'s will probably stay open until 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. on weekends.
Hantzopolous said he signed a three-year lease with an option for three more years. In addition to his wife, he also has a "silent partner" in the deal -- Middeton selectman Joseph Pascucci.
This story appeared in the Lowell Sun on Wednesday, March 14, 2007