There are some places in Columbus that just feel like summer. For a lot of West Siders, Dairy Twist was one of them.
For a while, it looked like the end of an era.
Update, August 2026: Dairy Twist is back. The stand reopened on July 26 under new ownership, serving 30 soft serve flavors alongside fries, hot dogs, and burgers. And for the first time, the window takes cards.
The Hilltop ice cream stand had shared on Facebook that it wouldn’t be reopening, following the death of longtime owner Larry Cordial. After a few uncertain seasons and a brief return in 2024, it seemed the shop had served its last cone.
For decades, Dairy Twist was the kind of spot that didn’t need much explaining. You pulled up, you ordered at the window, and within minutes you were holding a swirl of soft serve or, if you knew what you were doing, a banana cup.
The stand itself dates back generations, and while ownership changed over the years, it always held onto that neighborhood feel.
Cordial, who purchased the business after retiring from the Norwich Township Fire Department, became a familiar face behind the counter and a steady presence in the community.
In recent years, things had gotten a little unpredictable. The shop didn’t open in 2022 or 2023, which left a lot of people wondering if it was gone for good. So when it came back in 2024, even briefly, it felt like a small win. A reminder of what summers used to look like on Sullivant Avenue.
For nearly two years, the future of the space was uncertain.
The small building at 2860 Sullivant Ave was listed for sale, marketed as a turnkey opportunity for someone looking to open a quick-service concept. It still has the bones of what made Dairy Twist work so well, including walk-up windows, a drive-up option, and a location right by a busy intersection and ball fields that brought in steady traffic.
In the end, the answer turned out to be Dairy Twist itself. The stand reopened for summer service on July 26 under new owners, and while the menu is missing a few of the original classics, the walk-up window on Sullivant Avenue is scooping again.
