Albom's new Water Ice Factory makes treats for charity

Mitch Albom — the Free Press columnist and book author who started a charity to help boost Detroit — is combining a sweet, cool treat from his own childhood with inspiration from actor Paul Newman to open a new, downtown business that will benefit the city and residents who need help.

The Detroit Water Ice Factory is set to open at 11 a.m. today in the former Compuware building.

The shop, which set up to look like an old-fashioned ice cream parlor, will sell water ice, a colorful new dessert for Michiganders.

“Water ice is sort of like Italian ice, but it’s a little bit different,” Albom said, reminiscing about how it was one of his favorite childhood desserts. “The consistency is different, the flavors are much different — and the only place you can really get it in this country is in Philadelphia and South Jersey. For whatever reason they don’t make it anywhere else.”

The proceeds from the business, he said, will go back into the enterprise and support his charity, S.A.Y. Detroit.

Albom started S.A.Y. (Super All Year) Detroit in 2006 — the year the city hosted the Super Bowl — after making a public plea to help the homeless all year. He said he got the idea for the water ice shop from Newman’s Own, the late actor’s line of food products that includes salad dressing, pasta sauce, lemonade, popcorn and salsa that benefits charity.

Albom said he convinced Jon and Adriana Adams, the owners of Primo’s in Westmont, N.J., not far from where Albom grew up, to share their secret recipes.

And he got Bedrock to set him up with a 1,000-square-foot shop, where Ben & Jerry’s was located.

To make the water ice, the shop invested in special machines and came up with fun, Motown-themed names and flavors: Vanilla Temptations, Stafford’s Strawberry Lemonade, Corvette Cherry, Yooper Orange Cream, Woodward Watermelon, the Zetterberry (Swedish Fish!), Bo’s Black Cherry Bordeaux — and Mr. Mitch’s Chocolate Peanut Butter.

Four people — called D-Icers — have been hired through Goodwill Industries to scoop the water ice, and Albom said this afternoon he will be serving it himself.

Customers also will be able to record their thoughts about the treat on a video that will be played at the shop.

To entice folks to try water ice, the first 300 customers today will get a cup for free.

In addition to Albom, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and other dignitaries are expected to be on hand for the opening. Kim Owens, an R&B singer raised in Detroit and professionally known as Kem, also is expected to be at the opening.

Albom said he didn’t have any revenue expectations for the shop, but hoped metro Detroiters would support it.

“I’m thrilled I can bring it to Detroit,” Albom said. “My hope is that it catches on and people come to love it.”

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com

Detroit Water Ice Factory

Address: One Campus Martius, 1014 Woodward Ave., Detroit

Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; noon-6 p.m. Sun.

Cost: $3.25-$4.75 a cup

Supports: S.A.Y. Detroit