Rainbow Cone Signs Deal to Bring Another Slice of Chicago to Florida

June 07, 2024, TAMPA, Fla. – Residents of Florida’s Suncoast will soon be introduced to Chicago’s ice cream as the Buona Companies announced today that The Original Rainbow Cone (Rainbow Cone) has signed a deal with native Chicagoans and Sunshine State transplants, Mohammed Abuzir, Bilal Abuzir and Jay Maswadi, to develop the brand’s first location in the Tampa Bay area.

The Abuzirs and Maswadi hold fond memories of visiting their local Rainbow Cone and sharing sweet treats in the back of their family’s minivan, a tradition that has since been passed down to their many nieces and nephews. After 30 years of business ownership in the grocery segment, they were inspired to branch out with the 98-year-old brand after seeing the brand expand over the last three years.

“Our family has created so many memories at Rainbow Cone over the years, but it’s thrilling to think that we will now be able to add to those with new experiences as owners of our own location soon,” said Mohammed Abuzir. “Our sister relocated to Tampa more than a decade ago, so we’re extremely familiar with the area. Tampa is undergoing quite a redevelopment, and it’s great that we’ll be able to get our foot in the door early with a concept as unique as this one.”

“As a family-run business ourselves, we are delighted to partner with Jay, Bilal and Mohammed to introduce the people of Tampa to our iconic flavors,” said Joe Buonavolanto III, Executive Vice President of The Buona Companies. “Family values play a pivotal role in our decision-making process when deciding who to entrust with growing this historic brand. The trio’s background managing teams is a solid foundation that they’ll be able to build upon with our proven systems and processes, delivering the same great Rainbow Cone experience that they grew up with in Chicago.”

Rainbow Cone is a part of The Buona Companies alongside another Chicagoland staple, Buona, the largest family-owned Italian Beef restaurant group and Italian beef producer in the country. The 98-year-old ice cream brand is home to the sliced ice cream cone comprised of stacked slices of chocolate, strawberry, Palmer House (vanilla with cherries and walnuts), pistachio, and orange sherbet. The Tampa shop will also feature a variety of additional ice cream flavors, sundaes, ice cream cakes, mini donuts and more.

SOURCE The Original Rainbow Cone