Then & Now: Carvel, 633 Park Ave., Worcester
Harry Magarian, a vice president at a sportswear company living in New Jersey with his young family in the 1970s, was a regular at the Carvel ice cream store in North Brunswick.
He became friends with the store's owner, who urged Magarian to consider opening a Carvel of his own.
Magarian followed through on the suggestion: He moved his family back to Worcester and dug into the paperwork needed to become a Carvel franchisee.
He eventually signed a lease for a building at Park Avenue and Mill Street. The property was owned by a friend, Eddy Salloom, who ran the longtime clothing store Eddy's of Park Avenue nearby.
In spring 1978, a Carvel store opened at 633 Park Ave. The preparation of the store came amid the cleanup from the Blizzard of '78.
Harry Magarian and his wife, Shirley, aided by their young sons, Jay and Jamie, gave a family-business feel to the chain-store operation. Soon, the store became a go-to stop for individual ice cream treats and, of course, specialty cakes.
Another Carvel store was in Caldor Plaza on Lincoln Street. That old ice cream shop has since been replaced by a Dunkin'. There were other stores in Leominster and Southbridge.
The Magarians ran the store for 15 years. By the time the lease was up, Harry and Shirley were ready to retire. The store closed in 1993. Shirley Magarian made headlines in 1989 when she won a $2 million Megabucks jackpot.
Harry Magarian also co-owned and operated Al & Harry's Restaurant near Clark University for a time.
The old Carvel site at Park Avenue and Mill Street later became home to Zoots dry cleaning and, most recently, a branch of Rockland Trust.
The busy spot is formally known as Lamb Square. A plaque at the corner notes that is named in memory of Cpl. Henry L. Lamb, killed in battle at Ville-Devant-Chaumont, France, on Nov. 10, 1918.
Last week Then & Now: LBJ motorcade, Chandler at Main Street, Worcester
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Then & Now: Carvel, 633 Park Ave., Worcester
