Discovery Ice Cream is looking for a franchisee for its store in downtown Kingsport.
Allan Jones, founder and CEO of Discovery Ice Cream and its parent company Puffin Innovations, said he is moving the company’s headquarters from Kingsport to Charleston, S.C., and is hoping the Kingsport store can be reopened through a franchise agreement. The Broad Street store was closed late last year for the winter season.
“We’re going to be interviewing and evaluating potential franchisees, so if people are interested they can contact us,†Jones said.
He said the store will remain closed until a franchisee is selected.
Discovery Ice Cream opened in July 2007 at 231 Broad St. following a major renovation of the building. The shop featured an ice cream ordering counter and an area where patrons could see hard ice cream being made daily.
The centerpiece of the shop was a robotic machine that made ice cream to order at the touch of some buttons. Customers could choose either vanilla or the flavor of the day, combined with various candy toppings, to construct their very own three-layer ice cream creation.
