Courtesy Fountain on Locust
Left to right: Joy Grdnic, Danni and Marcus Eickenhorst
After 13 years of running The Fountain on Locust, Joy Grdnic has announced her plans to step away. Proprietorship of the popular restaurant and ice cream bar in Midtown will be transferred to Danni and Marcus Eickenhorst.
Grdnic had thought about retiring beginning in 2019, but the pandemic put those plans on hold. "I was planning my exit, looking forward to retirement and to taking on new projects,” she said in a statement on The Fountain’s website. "COVID changed everything for us—and it gave me the time and perspective to find the right people to step into my place as I step away.”
The Eickenhorsts have a background in business consultation and accounting, respectively. They currently co-own the recently relocated Steve’s Hot Dogs on South Grand. In a joint statement, they reflected on the considerations that were put into the decision to run the business.
“When Joy reached out to us and asked us to consider this opportunity, we immediately paused and took in the gravity of this opportunity. The Fountain has long been a special place for us—our cocktail before a show at the Fox or our date-night dinner. We only wanted to say yes if we could be sure that we could carry on the magic of what Joy created."
And that atmosphere is magic, indeed. It was Grdnic who spent weeks atop scaffolding while painting The Fountain's whimsical 360-degree Art Deco mural. It was her idea to create the world's smallest hot fudge sundae and ice cream cone. It was her idea to market the place with such events as Burlesque Bingo. It was her idea to create dill pickle soup, which became a signature item—in an ice cream shop, no less. And it was her idea to push all of the necessary buttons when she learned that The Fountain had been nominated for “The Best Bathroom in America” award, which it ultimately won, garnering national exposure from The Wall Street Journal and USA Today.
Courtesy Fountain on Locust
And the winner is...
With new ownership comes a new upstairs private event space for parties and adult-only events starting in 2022. Grdnic built and designed the Stardust Room, her parting gift as ownership changes hands this fall.
"We are deeply grateful for this opportunity—and are excited to see all that the future holds for The Fountain in this next chapter,” the Eickenhorsts said.
An event is planned for October 17 from 1–3 p.m. to say goodbye to Grdnic, meet the new owners, and preview the Stardust Room. For more information, visit The Fountain's website.
