Folsom Leatherby's eyes opening early in the new year

This time of year, many are counting down the days until Christmas. Beyond that in Folsom, many are counting down the days until a beloved Sacramento area family brings their homemade ice cream and American fare to the city. The secret is out and the anticipation is rising for Leatherby's Family Creamery to open its doors at its newest location, 2455 Iron Point Road. The eatery is expected to complete renovations to what was previously Islands Restaurant and open its doors by New Year's, 2023. Known for their variety of homemade ice cream, sundaes and American-style dishes, including their famous crab sandwiches, Dave and Sally Leatherby opened the first Leatherby's on Arden Way in Sacramento back in 1982. Today, the family tradition continues with four locations in the region. "When we opened Leatherby's 40 years ago, my father wanted to do something that would directly contribute to the betterment of the community," said co-owner and partner Dave Leatherby Jr. "Since then, we have made it our mission to make a place where every person is welcome."According to Leatherby, opening a fifth location in Folsom made sense for their business model as they learned that so many of their customers travel from Folsom and the surrounding areas, including as far as Placerville, all the way to one of the current locations downtown. "We have wanted to open an ice cream parlor along Highway 50 for a very long time," he said. "Folsom is such a wonderful community and presents a lot of opportunities for growth."One of the many key elements for Leatherby's through the years has been supporting and giving back to the communities in which their establishments are located. They look forward to bringing that business model to the Folsom community and joining with local charities, service clubs, youth sports and more."We have a policy that we never say no to anyone who asks to partner with us," Leatherby said. "We feel that we're a member of the community as our purpose is to make it better and offer people a great place to come."Leatherby said they look forward to partnering with the various schools, businesses, churches, clubs and sports programs in the Folsom community.Once operating, the local creamery will employ approximately 100 staff. Leatherby's is currently in the recruiting process through the www.leatherbys.net website to find the perfect employees to join the team."When we look for people to hire, we look for those who have a generous heart, are happy, are giving and are selfless because that's the kind of business we want to run," Leatherby said.Prior to the news that Leatherby's was coming to Folsom, the family opened its fourth location in Lincoln earlier this year.