Mad Maggie's Downtown, Main Street, Andover Village should be ready to open sometime in March, according to owner Steve Reppucci. Originally scheduled to open this past October, delays in constuction and repairs to utilities and sewer lines have stalled the progress.

"It's an old building," he explained. Despite the setbacks, Reppucci praised Christopher Arruda, managing principal of Lincoln Street Capital. "He has been super to us," he said.

Andover residents Reppucci and his wife Maggie had always dreamed of opening an ice cream parlor in town, and at the time, there weren't any places to eat ice cream and socialize, he said.

It became a journey, and on the way to realizing their dream, the couple opened Mad Maggie's in 2003, as a seasonal stand on Route 28 in North Reading for 5 years. Mad is an acronym for their three children, Mike, Amanda and Dave, he explained.

Looking to do more, the Reppuccis, in 2007, were able to obtain a year round lease in a new building at 1025 Osgood Street, North Andover, allowing them to expand their ice cream business to "everything ice cream" including cakes.  

"We make all our own ice cream," he explained. His son Mike has since joined the family business and makes most of it, he said.

When Olde Andover Village was sold, he said the new owners contacted him about opening up in town. The Reppuccis couldn't say no to their longtime dream to be in Andover.  

While, he admitted that operating the two locations at the same time will be a challenge, he said he will be able to depend on his employees, many of them college students to help out.

Reppucci explained that all the ice cream will still be made in North Andover, because the Andover space is a lot smaller than the Osgood Street location.

When asked what is their most popular flavor of ice cream they make, he replied, "Surprisingly, it is vanilla." 

Mad Maggie's has a website with a complete list of ice cream flavors, and a Facebook page. The phone number for North Andover is 978-685-2814.