Savannah, Georgia · Founded 1919
A Savannah ice-cream family business founded in 1919, revived by Stratton and Mary Leopold in 2004 with historic fixtures and film memorabilia.
Greek immigrant brothers George, Peter, and Basil Leopold opened Leopold’s Ice Cream at Gwinnett and Habersham Streets in Savannah in 1919. The original parlor closed in 1966 after the founders’ deaths. Peter’s son Stratton and his wife Mary revived the family business in 2004 at 212 E. Broughton Street, reusing important fixtures from the earlier shop.
Greek immigrant brothers George, Peter, and Basil Leopold open Leopold's Ice Cream at the intersection of Gwinnett and Habersham Streets in Savannah.
Source: Leopold's Ice Cream official history; Peter Greenberg, "Daily Scoop: Leopold's Ice Cream in Savannah, GA"
Savannah songwriter Johnny Mercer is associated with Leopold's Tutti Frutti; outside accounts say he had worked at the shop as a child and admired the flavor.
Source: Leopold's Ice Cream official history; McMillan Inn, "Leopold's Ice Cream - Serving Savannah for Over 100 Years"
The original Leopold's parlor closes after the deaths of the founding brothers.
Source: Leopold's Ice Cream official history; McMillan Inn, "Leopold's Ice Cream - Serving Savannah for Over 100 Years"
Stratton Leopold and Mary Leopold open a revived Leopold's Ice Cream flagship at 212 E. Broughton Street.
Source: Leopold's Ice Cream official history; Leonard Maltin, "Movie-Infused Ice Cream"
The Broughton Street shop incorporates original-store fixtures including the black marble soda fountain, wooden back bar, and telephone booth.
Source: Leopold's Ice Cream official history; Visit Savannah-area reporting
A history of the family business, Leopold's Ice Cream: A Century of Tasty Memories, 1919–2019, is published.
Source: WJCL, "New book gives the scoop on the history of Leopold's Ice Cream"
Leopold's lists operating locations at Broughton Street, Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, and Whitemarsh Island.
Source: Leopold's Ice Cream official locations page
Every claim gets rated. A business's own website can never earn "documented."
Leopold's has long treated Tutti Frutti as a signature flavor associated with its early Savannah parlor and Peter Leopold. This review did not locate primary records proving invention, and outside accounts identify competing origin claims, including a Kentucky claimant. The flavor is a genuine Leopold's tradition, but exclusive invention is not established.
The current Broughton Street parlor displays film posters, props, and production items connected to Stratton Leopold's work. Official materials cite items from films including The Big Chill and They Live; independent writer Leonard Maltin also observed Mission: Impossible III props, movie slates, a Moviola, and a Panavision camera.
The original Leopold's parlor closed in 1966. Stratton and Mary Leopold reopened a revived family business at a new Broughton Street location in 2004, creating a 38-year interruption in public operation.
The original shop stood at Gwinnett and Habersham Streets and closed in 1966. The current Broughton Street flagship opened in 2004, using salvaged original fixtures to create continuity with the earlier parlor.
Leopold's was founded by George, Ephraim, and Peter Leopold.
Leopold's was founded in 1919 by George, Peter, and Basil Leopold.
Source: Leopold's Ice Cream official history; Peter Greenberg, "Daily Scoop: Leopold's Ice Cream in Savannah, GA"
Leopold's original parlor closed in 1969.
Company and Savannah sources place the original parlor's closure in 1966, after the founding brothers' deaths.
Source: Leopold's Ice Cream official history; McMillan Inn, "Leopold's Ice Cream - Serving Savannah for Over 100 Years"
Leopold's has operated continuously at Broughton Street since 1919.
The original shop stood at Gwinnett and Habersham Streets, closed in 1966, and was revived at Broughton Street in 2004.
Source: Leopold's Ice Cream official history; Leonard Maltin, "Movie-Infused Ice Cream"
Leopold's is proven to be the birthplace of Tutti Frutti ice cream.
Tutti Frutti is a historic Leopold's specialty, but this review found no primary proof of exclusive invention and identified competing origin claims.
Source: Leopold's Ice Cream official history; Changes in Longitude, "Local flavor: Leopold's ice cream in Savannah"
Leopold’s survives because Stratton and Mary Leopold revived a family name with enough physical artifacts and local memory to make the 2004 Broughton Street parlor feel connected to the original. The business does not represent uninterrupted operation from 1919: it reopened after a 38-year gap. Its continued appeal combines Savannah family tradition, a historic soda-fountain mood, and Stratton Leopold’s film-industry memorabilia.
Leopold's Ice Cream began in Savannah, Georgia, in 1919 when Greek immigrant brothers George, Peter, and Basil Leopold opened a parlor at Gwinnett and Habersham Streets. The original shop closed in 1966. Peter Leopold's son Stratton and his wife Mary revived the family business at 212 E. Broughton Street on August 18, 2004.
No verified evidence establishes Leopold's as Georgia's oldest continuously operating ice-cream parlor. Its original shop closed in 1966 and the current Broughton Street parlor opened in 2004. Leopold's is better described as a revived Savannah family ice-cream business with roots in 1919.
Leopold's has a long-standing Tutti Frutti tradition and identifies the flavor as one of its hallmarks, but this review did not find evidence proving exclusive invention. Other origin claims exist, so the most accurate description is that Tutti Frutti is a historic Leopold's specialty rather than a proven Savannah invention.
212 E Broughton St, Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 234-4442
The flagship is on Broughton Street; check current official hours, queues, dining options, and seasonal offerings before visiting.