Ice Cream Sandwich

Two Best Friends and Business Partners Follow a Dream!
Meet Jo-Ann Branzetti and Raymond Upton

Jo-Ann, a resident of Sandwich for over 20 years, grew up in Rye, N.Y. and spent summers in Wolfeboro, N.H. on Lake Winnipesaukee. She met her husband, Eric, when they were 13 years old and his family bought a summer home near hers. They began dating when they were 16 and dated long-distance until they married in 1987 and moved to the Cape. She has 3 children- Kristen, Matt and Danny and 2 dogs, Kessel, a Bernese Mountain dog, and Otis, a Newfoundland. Jo-Ann spent her children’s early years as a stay-at home Mom, and later entered the field of special needs, working with families who have children with autism for the past 8 years. Looking for a change, she was ready for a new adventure.

Ray also grew up in Rye, N.Y. He studied restaurant/hotel management in college and spent his career self-employed in the home design field. As he has always loved Cape Cod, he decided to move to the cape with Kevin, his partner of the last 15 years and their dog Yorkie, Max.

Ray and Jo-Ann met as children in Rye, NY over 40 years ago. They were neighbors and spent many a summer playing together as children, went on to high school and worked along side each other at the local deli. Over the years they spent family vacations and holidays together and remained close even after Jo-Ann moved to Cape Cod when she married. They have been best of friends through good times and bad.

In 2001 Ray and his family were affected personally by the tragedy of 9/11. Ray’s brother, Allen Upton, First Vice President of Cantor-Fitzgerald, lost his life while he was working when the first tower was hit. Life changed for Ray and his family that day, as it did for the rest of the world. Ray discovered that life is very precious, and we should follow our dreams and hearts. Always dreaming of being in the food service business, he approached Jo-Ann about a business venture, knowing she too was ready for a change. One day Jo-Ann asked Ray what he always dreamed of doing, and he replied “I want to open an ice cream store because people are always happy there….” Being such close friends he did not want to follow his dream without her. They set out to find an ice cream store, and spent 3 years looking all over the cape. As fate would have it the shop they wound up with was right in Jo-Ann’s home town. Ray saw a business for sale that sounded perfect… little did he know it was ” Ice Cream Sandwich.” After 30 years in the business Bob Hannon was ready to retire and wanted to find the right buyer for his ice cream shop. They consider themselves honored that they were chosen by him to continue the tradition of Ice Cream Sandwich as the only ice cream shop in Sandwich that makes their homemade ice cream on the premises and still whips their cream fresh every day. They look forward to Bob remaining a part of the shop and making new friends as well as seeing some old ones.

Make your day happy with a visit to Ice Cream Sandwich and introduce yourself to the new owners. Jo-Ann and Ray would love to meet you and you will always find something new and different, many smiles and laughter!