A vintage Isaly's shop to open in Pittsburgh's Strip District

Skyscrapers — tall, pointed ice cream cones — chipped ham and nostalgia come to mind when Pittsburghers hear the name Isaly’s.

Jim Conroy, who has co-owned Isaly’s LLC since 2015 with his wife, Leslee, said he hopes people who remember the iconic brand will enjoy it when he opens a vintage-­inspired Isaly’s dining space, ice cream parlor and deli next year.

“People in Pittsburgh cherish the Isaly’s brand, and we want to keep the brand alive,” said Conroy, who grew up in Blawnox and visited the Isaly’s in O’Hara.

It has been a few years in the making, but he found the perfect spot on Penn Avenue in the heart of Pittsburgh’s Strip District. The plan is to be open in 2026. Conroy said they are leasing the space.

Isaly’s is known for being from Ohio, but the company established deep roots in Pittsburgh, Conroy said. He knew the former Isaly’s owners, and he says he is committed to being a steward to keep the brand and the tradition alive. The company is headquartered in the same space as Conroy’s other company, Conroy Foods, in O’Hara, but they are separate entities, he said.

Conroy said the buzz about this has been wonderful. He refers to Pittsburgh people who follow Isaly’s as isalysnation on social media.

“This is a long time coming,” Conroy said. “We wanted to find the right spot. The Strip District is great because it is the No. 1 tourist attraction in the city, and there is so much foot traffic as well as a growing area of residential.”

Conroy said they will make all the ice cream and plan to have the famous skyscraper ice cream cones and have a Klondike inspired by the Isaly’s brand. They also plan to serve breakfast and lunch and have a deli and plenty of chipped ham sandwiches.

“We want to stay as close to the original Isaly’s footprint as possible and honor the tradition of the family recipes,” Conroy said. “There are so many memories people have of Isaly’s and we want to create more memories.”

Isaly’s super-premium ice cream is available at most Kuhn’s and Giant Eagles and select Shop ’n Save locations. Flavors include the popular whitehouse cherry, vanilla ice cream with plump maraschino cherries and mint chocolate chip.

Conroy’s family has been in the food business since 1986, building Beano’s Original Deli Condiments from a restaurant in Blawnox.

The Isaly’s story began in 1833 when Swiss cheesemaker Christian Isaly and his family emigrated from the hills of Switzerland to the hills of Monroe County, Ohio, to continue the family legacy of cheesemaking, then expanding to dairy farming.

In the company’s prime, there were more than 100 Isaly’s locations in the region.