Toscanini's facts for kids
Toscanini's Ice Cream Company, often called Toscanini's or Tosci's, is a popular ice cream parlor and café in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It first opened its doors in 1981. Many people love their ice cream, and it has won the "Best of Boston" award from Boston magazine multiple times, including in 1997, 2009, and 2010. Famous magazines like Gourmet and newspapers like The New York Times have also praised Toscanini's delicious treats.
History
Toscanini's first shop is located at 899 Main Street in Central Square. In January 2018, a new location opened near Kendall Square at 159 First Street. This happened while the Main Street store was being updated. The original Main Street shop reopened in January 2022.
Over the years, Toscanini's has had other locations too. These included the Someday Café in Somerville, Massachusetts, which closed in 2006. There was also a shop inside the MIT student center and another on Massachusetts Avenue in Harvard Square, which closed in December 2006.
In 2006, the owner, Gus Rancatore, shared his story in a short book called Ice Cream Man: 25 Years at Toscanini's. He wrote it with author Helen Epstein. The book tells how Toscanini's became the beloved ice cream shop it is today.
A Big Challenge and Community Support
On January 17, 2008, Toscanini's faced a difficult situation. The business had some problems with paying taxes to the state government. Because of this, the Massachusetts Department of Revenue had to close the shop for a short time.
However, the community quickly showed amazing support! An ice cream maker named Samuel Mehr created a way for people to donate money online. Many people from the local area and beyond gave what they could. This incredible help provided over $30,000 to help the owners with their tax bill. They also worked out a plan with the state to pay the rest. After being closed for only eight days, Toscanini's Ice Cream and Coffee Shop was able to reopen for business on January 25.
