How sweet it is!
Gifford's is still churning out ice cream and candy
by Allison Baker
Hanging on the back of Neal Lieberman's office door is a big piece of scrap paper and written in purple marker is his daughter's ice cream order of the day — strawberry, green mint and chocolate chocolate chip. Lieberman is the co-owner of Gifford's Ice Cream and Candy Co. 
"I'm a very popular dad," Lieberman, said. "I always have mom beat."
Gifford's has been a Washington icon for almost 70 years — first established in 1938 by John Nash Gifford in Silver Spring, MD. The original Gifford's not only offered ice cream but homemade candies, waitress service and individual hot fudge pitchers for sundaes. The success of the business allowed Gifford to open stores in Bethesda, Arlington, Bailey's Crossroads, Gaithersburg, and Burke. From Regardie's magazine, a local magazine that is no longer published, reported that President Dwight D. Eisenhower, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and Takoma Park native Goldie Hawn were all loyal fans of the ice cream shop.
After a booming 45 years, Gifford's landed in the hands of the next generation who, unfortunately, spread themselves too thin too quickly in their efforts to modernize and had to sell the company to the Hunt family. The Hunts ran the company for 12 years but when their son wasn't interested in taking over the reins Marcelo Ramagem, the store manager in Bethesda stepped up in 1999 and bought the company with his family's support. Ramagem had been working for the company since he was 18. He started out as a scooper and eventually moving up to store manager.
 | | Neal Lieberman and Marcelo Ramagem are creating traditional confections in Silver Spring—and they are looking for the right spot to bring a Gifford's storefront back to Silver Spring. |
At the same time Lieberman was working for the Discovery Channel but had been brainstorming a concept for his own organic ice cream. He had everything except the knowledge of how to actually make it and was shopping around for a manufacturer when he met Ramagem. In their first meeting, Ramagem told Lieberman "I can make anything you want--but would you rather go into business with me?" And the rest is history.
Today Ramagem and Lieberman are trying to stick to the Gifford's tradition of good old-fashioned ice cream, but they also want to provide a quality product that appeals to the more "today's" customers.
"We want to keep the old customers and bring in new ones," Marcelo Ramagem, 29, said.
One way they have been trying to do this is re-create the 38 Gifford's ice cream flavors into all-natural products. Lieberman admitted it isn't easy. For instance, the traditional peppermint stick flavor had a signature pink color from the bits of crushed peppermint mixed into the cream but that red color wasn't natural. After switching to all natural peppermint, which is clear, they lost the pink color. Now they have found a supplier who colors the peppermint with natural beet juice - problem solved. With obstacles like these, Lieberman said they aren't at 100 percent yet but that is the ultimate goal. But don't worry, Gifford's has not traded flavor for fat-content. Gifford's ice cream still has 17 percent butter fat like the original recipes. 
"Everyone has their niche," Lieberman said. "Ours is good old-fashioned, creamy, all-natural ice cream. It might cost a little more but we only offer the best."
Ramagem and Lieberman are also working to grow Gifford's back into a Washington institution. You can now find Gifford's in Bethesda, Downtown D.C. and Chevy Chase. Their newest location will open some time this month in Rockville, MD. Lieberman said they are working to bring Gifford's back to its original city of Silver Spring but they want to find the right location.
"A lot of folks want us back and we want to be back," Lieberman said. Last August they moved their corporate headquarters and factory back to Silver Spring. Everything in the company comes through this meticulously organized 8200 square-foot space. There is storage and office space, a giant freezer kept between -15 and -20 degrees Fahrenheit and a giant refrigerator that connects to the candy kitchen and ice cream room.
"We're hoping that in a few years we'll have to expand again," Lieberman said. In that event, he expects to move the office space into a nearby building and use the extra space to expand. If you wanted to check out the factory, Gifford's offers tours and parties. 
For a taste of Gifford's at home, you can find Gifford's pints in places such as Harris Teeter, some mom-and-pops shops like Snyders, the Silver Spring Food Co-op and hopefully coming soon to the Takoma Park Food Co-op. The pints feature Butter Pecan, Peppermint Stick, Coffee Chip, Vanilla Bean, Swiss Chocolate Chip and Gifford's newest 72 percent Chocolate Chocolate Chip which has bits of cocao beans for an added crunch.
For an office party or any other celebration, Gifford's also offers ice cream socials where you can order any flavors you want. And Gifford's will provide a refrigerated push-cart which you can either man yourself or have a Gifford's employee serve for you. But if you want a little taste of the old Gifford's stores, stop in and get your own pitcher of hot fudge like in the old days. 
"We get a lot of people coming in saying they remember Gifford's from when they were young," said Mandie Shifflett, 27, the manager of the Chevy Chase Gifford's. "And now I'm spoiled--I can't eat ice cream anywhere else."
With all of their improvements and careful business decisions, Ramagem and Lieberman hope to bring back the glory days of the original Gifford's that everyone remembers.
"I'd like Gifford's to be like Ghirardelli in San Francisco," Lieberman said. "I want everyone that comes to D.C. to have heard about Gifford's and to want to find it. We want Gifford's to be the local gourmet ice cream and candy shop."
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