A slice of Chicago ice cream history has landed at 14475 S. Dixie Highway in Palmetto Bay, where The Original Rainbow Cone has opened its doors serving the same five-flavor combination it has stacked since 1926. The shop is owned by Sara and Jason DePalma, who moved from Chicago to South Florida twenty years ago and have now brought a taste of home to their adopted community.
The brand's own website says it has been serving up what it calls ice cream magic since 1926, and the signature offering has never changed: chocolate, strawberry, Palmer House, pistachio and orange sherbet, sliced rather than scooped into a cone or cup, according to rainbowcone.com. That slicing technique is part of what sets Rainbow Cone apart from a typical ice cream counter — instead of scooping each flavor individually, the shop layers all five into a block and slices off a cross-section for every order, according to the Miami Herald.
For Sara DePalma, the opening carries personal weight. She said Rainbow Cone was part of their story from their first dates in Chicago, and bringing it to their current home means the world to them, per the same Miami Herald report. She added that she hoped to build something that belongs to Palmetto Bay as much as it belongs to the DePalmas.
What's on the Menu at the New Shop
Beyond the famous five-flavor cone, the Palmetto Bay location offers regular scoops, milkshakes, sundaes and ice cream cakes, the Miami Herald reports. Customers can also order sliced creations combining just two or three flavors rather than the full five, and the menu includes made-to-order mini donuts as a newer addition to the lineup.
The company's cakes follow the same formula that built its reputation, layering its legendary five-flavor combination on top of a cake, according to rainbowcone.com. Online ordering is also available for in-store pickup or delivery, per the same source, giving South Florida fans a way to get their fix without a trip to the counter.
A Truck Built to Travel the Miami Area
The Palmetto Bay location has also introduced an ice cream truck, which the Miami Herald reports will travel around Miami to schools, youth programs, community events, catered events and private parties. Rainbow Cone's national site notes more broadly that the brand offers truck bookings for events, a service now extending to its newest South Florida outpost.
The Chicago original traces its roots back a century, having been founded by Joe “Grandpa Joe” Sapp and Katherine Sapp in 1926, according to the Miami Herald. The Palmetto Bay shop is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily and can be reached at 305-507-4017, per the same report, giving Miami-Dade dessert lovers plenty of hours to sample the century-old combination for themselves.
