A scoop of history: Zaharakos stands in for Amsterdam ice cream shop during downtown Columbus film shoot

The late Tony Moravec had to be smiling as a tender scene played out Wednesday afternoon at his beloved Zaharakos that he restored years ago in downtown Columbus.

“I want ice cream,” a little girl named Anneke Van’t exclaimed to Ernst Cahn standing near the celebrated marble and onyx bar.

“You always want ice cream,” Cahn responded, bending down and holding his arms spread wide toward her.

“Because ice cream is the most important thing on earth,” the child exuberantly said.

“You are very wise,” said a grinning Cahn, sweetly scooping her into his arms.

“And cut!” yelled director and writer Robert Moniot nearby.

The conversation unfolded between actors Noah Emmerich and Imogen Hall during a day of shooting the short film “The Ice Cream Man” at the 1900 restaurant reimagined as Cahn’s Koco Ice Cream Parlor in 1941 Amsterdam. Moniot looked all over Europe, New York and Los Angeles last year for a period place with a design and decor that could pass for an authentic 1940s business before using Google to search for “1900s ice cream parlor.”

Zaharakos was the first mention to pop up. He eventually reached Moravec, who agreed to close the restaurant for a week of shooting and even put up $50,000 toward the movie budget.

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