MORGANTOWN — A once-forgotten building tucked beside Jack Roberts Park has been transformed into one of Morgantown’s newest summer gathering places.
The Eisgarten, a German-inspired seasonal ice cream shop in the city’s First Ward neighborhood, officially opened its doors this past weekend, welcoming crowds of families, neighbors and curious visitors looking to try something not commonly found in West Virginia — Spaghetti Eis.
Owned by Adelheid Schaupp and operated alongside her family, Eisgarten blends childhood memories, European inspiration and community-focused design into a neighborhood destination centered around gathering outdoors.
For Schaupp, the idea traces back decades.
“I guess it started from the Dairy Queen that used to be on High Street,” she said. “It was a huge part of my childhood, and we would go downtown with my parents all the time and enjoy ice cream as a family.”
When that longtime downtown stop closed, she said something disappeared with it.
“These small mom-and-pop shops just kind of closed up, and there wasn’t really anything to replace that,” Schaupp said. “I just wanted to bring back that sort of feel into more of a neighborhood setting.”
Finding the right place proved difficult.
Schaupp originally hoped to create something similar in Greenmont, but suitable locations never materialized. Then the First Ward property became available.
Located directly across from Jack Roberts Park, the site offered exactly what she had envisioned — a walkable neighborhood setting where people could gather without needing to drive across town.
“When that location came up in First Ward and being right across from the park, we just jumped on it,” she said.
The transformation itself was substantial.
Before becoming Eisgarten, the building had reportedly sat largely unused for years.
“It was probably abandoned for at least 20 years,” Schaupp said. “It was completely overgrown.”
The structure had previously served as a hair salon and later briefly as an apartment before the roof collapsed, eventually leaving the property vacant.
Today, the space looks entirely different.
Red-and-white mushroom tables, oversized garden décor, shaded seating and an open courtyard create a setting that feels more like a European neighborhood stop than a traditional ice cream stand.
Schaupp said that influence came directly from family traditions and summers spent overseas.
“My father was from Germany, and we would travel there every year,” she said. “Every time we’d go, we’d visit these little ice cream shops where they would sell the spaghetti eis.”
Spaghetti eis — a popular German dessert designed to resemble a plate of spaghetti using pressed ice cream and toppings — became the centerpiece of the concept.
“I never understood why we didn’t have it in the United States,” she said. “I thought if I ever had the opportunity to open one of these, I am going to have spaghetti eis and bring it to Morgantown.”
Beyond the menu, she wanted to recreate the atmosphere.
“I wanted to create more of that European-type feel with a courtyard and a place for children to play,” she said. “Everyone would have a place to sit and your kids could be entertained while you enjoy your ice cream.”
Her son, Konrad Schaupp, said the response from younger residents has already been overwhelmingly positive.
“I feel like this is a dream job,” Konrad said. “I have a lot of friends that want to work here because it’s fun for high-schoolers.”
He added that the shop has quickly become a place where neighborhood kids gather throughout the day.
“A bunch of young kids come here all the time,” he said.
Even before opening day, community support surprised the family.
“When we went before the Board, we had people come out that we’d never met before that spoke in favor of having that ice cream shop put there,” Adelheid said. “It seems like people are really in favor of seeing these kinds of small businesses come back into their neighborhoods.”
Now open for its first summer season, Eisgarten hopes to become part of that neighborhood routine — a place where families can walk over after dinner, children can play and longtime residents can make new memories.
Eisgarten is open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. and is closed Mondays during the summer season.
For updates and information, visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589208262279#
Eisgarten is located in downtown Morgantown’s First Ward neighborhood beside Jack Roberts Park and is home to what the owners describe as West Virginia’s only Spaghetti Eis and largest garden gnome.
