Dari de Lite undergoing renovations, opening soon following car crash
Ice cream lovers won't have to wait much longer for Dari de Lite on Howard Avenue to reopen. Construction is underway and should be complete by the end of June.
"I think that will be great because I really like Dari de Lite and I really like their ice cream," said ice cream fan Inessa Rea.
The family-run business has been in operation for more than 50 years in Windsor, but the back of the building was heavily damaged when a car went out of control on Halloween last year and crashed into it.
It was torn down and is has been reconstructed and is undergoing the finishing touches.
"Every time I drove by seeing it broken like that it was kinda sad," said area resident Chase McKane.
Family spokesperson J.P. Malette said the family almost decided not to reopen, but in the end they decided to rebuild and improve the building.
"We wanted to set the building right for the next 50 years," said Malette.
He says they began construction about a month ago and are sticking with the same footprint so they don't have to submit a new site plan, and they are leaving the front area alone for now.
"We've added an additional service window. We raised the height of the building. We're going to redo all the electrical," said Malette. "We are working to add air conditioning, we'll insulate the building. We'll have it fully winterized."
Malette said family and the community has been giving them support and contractors have been eager to work on the project.
"It's been a journey. We made decisions that we really weren't planning on making but we're getting there," he said.
Malette says their insurance company is covering costs and getting reimbursed by the insurer of the man who crashed the car is still being "determined."
They will be using a trailer to serve up ice cream — including chocolate covered ice cream puffs — at Art in the Park at Willistead Park this weekend.
