Owner of Iconic Gus & Yia Yia’s Ice Ball Stand Has Died at Age 92
The North Side institution has been in operation since 1934.
PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD
It’s sad news for the North Side — and all of Pittsburgh — as Gus Kalaris, owner of Gus & Yia Yia’s Ice Ball Stand, has died.
The city of Pittsburgh announced Saturday in a social media post that Kalaris had passed away at age 92. The ice ball stand has been in his family since 1934; Kalaris took it over when his father died in 1951.
“Without a doubt, Gus touched the hearts and lives of Pittsburghers and tourists who flocked to the cart each year,” Mayor Ed Gainey said in a statement.
There’s no word yet on whether or not the ice ball stand, which stood on West Ohio Street in Allegheny Commons Park and welcomed visitors with its multi-colored umbrella and sweet treats, will continue to operate.
PHOTO COURTESY CARNEGIE SCIENCE CENTER
In 2012, Pittsburgh City Council honored Kalaris by declaring April 25 Gus and Yia Yia Day in Pittsburgh. In 2021, the Carnegie Science Center added a miniature version of the stand to its Miniature Railroad & Village exhibit.
Kalaris’ wife, Stella, the “Yia Yia” in the stand’s name, died in 2016. Kalaris set up a scholarship fund in her honor through the Pittsburgh North Side Leadership Conference.
