ROCHESTER, N.Y. — ​Rochester takes a lot of pride in being able to claim the start of Abbott’s Frozen Custard as the business is taking its frozen dessert to new communities across country.

But even Abbott’s never forgets its roots in Rochester.

Abbott’s has gone from one shop almost 100 years ago to growing down the east coast and the company is careful to pick owners who are passionate in their own communities.

"You talk to people who you can just tell they want this,” Brendan Drew, vice president of business development, said. “They want something for themselves, they want something for their families. They want to grow it for themselves. A lot of them say, ‘I want to employ my neighbors kids, I want to employ my kids, I want to touch the community, I want to work with the children's hospital.’ They're all very passionate about something deep inside their core and Abbott's can be that vehicle to allow them to really build their own business." 

Drew says owners range from people he used to go to school with to people who have experienced Abbott’s Frozen Custard when visiting and want to take it with them.

There will be 36 total Abbott’s across the country by the summer and they plan to continue to grow. There are locations in Massachusetts, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida and Brenda says soon there will locations in Texas and, maybe even one day, Hawaii.

But they are intentional to opening locations that are similar to the original Abbott’s in Charlotte. They even have owners spend at least a week here learning, because to Abbott’s, it’s all about the environment and feeling you get when licking frozen custard outside in the sun on a warm day with friends and family.