A former Georgia state legislator brings a new Ohio-based custard franchise to Columbus
John Pezold is a Columbus native and former Georgia state legislature who has spent most of his career in the food industry owning and operating McDonald’s locations.
He was excited to share the creative flavors offered at Whit’s Custard after the shop opened in Highside Market last week.
He’d enjoyed the vegan peanut butter and jelly flavor the shop made on Tuesday, and went looking for volunteers to sample the custard. The new Whit’s Custard franchisee found a burly plumber who he was convinced had never put anything vegan in his body before.
“Hey, come here,” Pezold called to the plumber. “I want you to try something.”
The plumber took a bite of the peanut butter and jelly custard.
“That’s amazing,” the plumber said.
“It’s vegan,” Pezold said..
The smile on the plumber’s face is an example of the reaction Pezold hopes other visitors to Whit’s Custard will have as they explore Highside Market.
Highside Market a good fit
Whit’s Custard opened Oct. 6 in Highside Market as businesses at the development on 13th Street began opening on a rolling basis.
“We’ve got a great staff here,” Pezold said. “(I love) interacting with customers because, let’s be honest, when you come out to get frozen custard or a treat, you’re happy. You’re in a good mood.”
Chuck and Lisa Whitman founded the frozen treat franchise in Granville, OH, in 2003. Chuck worked in food service for 21 years throughout the Midwest and found a passion for frozen custard that he shared with his wife.
The Columbus shop will be the brand’s 76th location in the country, Pezold told the Ledger-Enquirer, with most of the shops in Florida and Ohio. While many Whit’s Custard locations are in vacation destinations, he said, the Highside Market concept made Columbus a good fit for the cold treat.
“We’re going to have events running here at Highside Market throughout the year,” Pezold said. “So, it mitigates that seasonality aspect of our business.”
The businessman anticipates Columbus customers will continue coming back to Whit’s Custard even during the cold, winter months. Highside Market will have live music and outdoor entertainment, Pezold said.
He gives credit to the local firm The Cotton Companies, which developed Highside Market, for repurposing the historic buildings to create the new retail and office space.
“Yes, brand new shiny buildings are beautiful,” Pezold said. “But there’s a lot to be said for preserving the historic buildings that we’ve got in this city. And I think this is a textbook example of what this should be.”
Highside Market is an example of what the future of mixed-use retail space will look like, he said. The development is a “Columbus-sized” version of Ponce City Market in Atlanta, Pezold said.
“I think you’re going to see concepts like this growing across the country,” he said.
‘Best frozen treat’
Whit’s Custard has almost 500 flavors that people can choose from, Pezold said. Customers can create a sundae with chocolate or vanilla custard. There’s also a “Whitser” in which the toppings can be mixed in with the custard, and people can also order shakes or specialty flavors.
The shop also offers pre-packaged items that include custard cakes, custard sandwiches and other treats. Along with vegan options, Whit’s Custard also offers sugar-free custard.
Pezold was drawn to Whit’s Custard because he saw that Columbus didn’t have a fresh, frozen-treat option in the city. While there are good ice cream shops in the city, he said, they are typically not made-fresh on-site.
“This (product) I can tell you we made that day,” Pezold said. “We’re running chocolate, vanilla and s’mores right now.”
He encourages people to try the custard out and is confident that once they try it, people will keep coming back.
“It’s the best frozen treat you’re going to ever have,” Pezold said.
This story was originally published October 13, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
