“Tomorrow we can eat broccoli, but today is for ice cream.”

Logan Square (Chicago), Illinois
1,493 sf / Renovation & Addition
Completed 2025

Via Chicago is working with a popular local restaurant group to renovate, restore, and preserve a beloved Logan Square ice cream shop. Long-known for both its delicious soft-serve and impossibly small building, "The Freeze" will soon see the addition of customer restrooms (!) and an expanded kitchen allowing for daily food service throughout the full year. The spacious outdoor patio will be screened from traffic by a row of planters, with a variety of low seating options to entertain the young neighbors who are some of The Freeze's most loyal customers.

A non-original aluminum storefront will be removed to reveal the original character of this former Tastee-Freez - highlighted by the original roofline extending into a wide cantilever over three sides of the building. The service window will rotate toward the patio (rather than the street), streamlining the flow of customers and acknowledging the new “c’mon and stay a while!” mindset of this neighborhood gathering spot. Making any sort of change to a seemingly-timeless gem like The Freeze is a delicate feat - but our Armitage studio embraced the challenge with unmatched enthusiasm. We’re proud to deliver reborn landmark that our meticulous client and our Logan Square community can both celebrate.

Client: Hogsalt (+ Small Cheval)
Architect & Interiors: Via Chicago
Structural Engineer: TYLin (formerly Silman)
Mechanical / Plumbing Engineer: WCW Engineers, Inc.
Electrical Engineer: Dickerson Engineering, Inc.
Food Service Consultant: TriMark Marlinn