Icy treats at Lemon Ice King of Corona Serving the public since 1944 by Kristen Guglielmo
“I had been working for him around 10 years at that point,” he said. “I was his No. 1 man.” Reflecting on how he keeps business afloat At the end of the opening sequence to the 1998 sitcom “The King of Queens,” Kevin year-round among the competitors, Zampino said, “First and foremost, it’s about quality. James can be seen comically dropping a And being nice to our customers so they come scoop of Italian ice. The storefront is The Lemon Ice King of back.” And they do come back: Zampino said Corona, founded by Nicola Benfaremo in 1944. generations of people frequent the establishAnd if you look closely, you’ll see Michael ment, often bringing their children, saying they Zampino, the shop’s current owner, scooping used to come when they were kids themselves. Even at 11 a.m. on a chilly weekday, the the treat in the background. “I was just a neighborhood kid that got a shop saw regular customers popping up at the window to order and greet job,” Zampino said. “[BenfareZampino and staff. mo’s] son, Pete, was in the service FROZEN The Italian ices are available in in World War II and when he dozens flavors, of which — of came back, he took the business DELIGHTS course —of lemon is the most poputo the next level. And I worked lar. The menu touts traditional for him as a kid.” offerings, like cherry and coconut, The Lemon Ice King of Corobut also has more unusual options, na, located at 52-02 108 St., is like licorice, rum raisin and coffee. known as an institution of the “The hidden gem is the peanut butter,” area. Queens residents show up even in the Zampino said. “People make faces when cold for a scoop of Italian ice. Asked how he became owner, Zampino said they hear peanut butter, but they end up realPete hand-picked him once he decided to sell ly liking it.” Notably, the treats manage to somehow be the business after his wife got sick. Associate Editor
Michael Zampino, owner of The Lemon Ice King of Corona, has been part of the business for decades, initially working for the original owners, the Benfaremo family. PHOTO BY KRISTEN GUGLIELMO creamy while being dairy-free and still having a classically icy consistency. “I don’t want to call it a secret, but that’s our secret,” Zampino said. “It’s the consistency.” The shop also gets a lot of German tourists, Zampino said, due to “The King of Queens”
being widely syndicated in the country. Asked what he hopes for the future, Zampino said it’s that business picks up. “Mother Nature is the silent partner here,” he said. “When it starts getting cold, business slows Q down. So let’s hope she works with us.”
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For the latest news visitEDITION qchron.com 45TH ANNIVERSARY • 2023
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