Kaiser's Ice Cream Parlour - Oklahoma City, OK - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

Kaiser's Ice Cream Parlour is an icon in the Oklahoma City area. Anthony J. Kaiser came here from Switzerland in 1909, with 50 cents in his pocket, a 3-qt. ice cream freezer, and a head full of family recipes - or so the story goes. After opening a confectionery shop elsewhere, he moved his business to this location in 1919.

This is a one-story painted brick building with large display windows on the north and east. The building faces N.W. 10th and Walker. Recently, a decorative traffic circle has been constructed at this intersection. Above the windows on the east side of the building, wonderful stained glass windows made in Italy can be seen. There are two entrances, at the corner on the east side, and the center of the north side. Beneath the windows on the outside, black tile is laid, with the words Kaiser Ice Cream in white tile.

Inside, you step back into history as you enjoy the pressed iron ceiling, and the mahogany fountain and back-bar area, with its engraved mirrors and stained glass cabinet doors. The fountain counter is decorated with tiles, and the seating is true early-American vintage.

The Kaiser family operated here with its homemade, hand-packed ice cream until 1977, at which time it was purchased by another ice cream worshiper who kept the operation going untouched until 1990. After sitting vacant, it was reopened as the Grateful Bean in 1994. That business is gone now, and it is now operated as the Kaiser American Bistro, carrying on the ice cream parlour history, with the addition to sandwiches, soup and salads.

The building was placed on the National Register in 1978 (#78002246).

Street address: 1039 N. Walker Avenue Oklahoma City, OK US 73102 County / Borough / Parish: Oklahoma County Year listed: 1978 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Person Periods of significance: 1900-1924 Historic function: Restaurant Current function: Restaurant Privately owned?: yes Hours of operation: From: 10:30 AM To: 10:00 PM Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   04/09/2016 wildernessmama visited it