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    Original Rainbow Cone, Chicago’s sliced ice cream, to open second OC location
    • April 29, 2026

    A long-running Midwestern ice cream name — known for its sliced, not scooped, ice cream — is opening its second Orange County location.

    The Original Rainbow Cone is heading to Laguna Beach, just in time for summer. It’s slated to open mid-May (tentatively May 11), taking over a Coast Highway storefront directly across from Main Beach.

    The nearly 100-year-old ice cream brand, which started life on Chicago’s South Side, built a loyal following on a cone that eschews traditional spherical scoops. Instead, five flavors are sliced into slabs and stacked into a single, striped serving.

    Menu highlights at Rainbow Cone include its signature eight-ounce cone featuring five slices of chocolate, strawberry, Palmer House (vanilla with cherries and walnuts), pistachio and orange sherbet; Minty City Sliced Creation (chocolate and mint), Chocolate Obsession (chocolate, peanut butter swirl, cookies and cream, and big muddy ice cream); and Cosmic Birthday Cake, a kaleidoscopic cone with slices of Superman and birthday cake ice cream.

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    The Laguna Beach location will be operated by Ann Hsiung, a Chicago native, who also runs the brand’s Cypress outpost that opened in February 2025. “Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, Rainbow Cone was a summer tradition, something we always looked forward to,” said Hsiung, in a written release. “Being able to bring that to Laguna Beach feels like a natural fit. It’s a place that draws people from all over the world, but still has a really strong local community, and this is the kind of concept that resonates with both.”

    Opening day plans will include a giveaway for early-bird customers with free cones going to the first 100 people in line. Beyond the signature sliced cones, the shop will offer shakes, sundaes, cakes and mini doughnuts.

    At just under 100 square feet, the space is designed for grab-and-go beach foot traffic, with a commissioned mural by local artist Beau Stanton anchoring the interior.

    Not only is the upcoming Original Rainbow Cone Orange County’s second location, it’s also California’s second. The first Original Rainbow Cone opened in 1926, founded by Joseph “Grandpa Joe” Sapp and his wife, Katherine, in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood.

    Hours are slated to be Monday through Thursday from noon to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

    Find it: 244 Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, 949-516-2088

    ​ Orange County Register 

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