A “fog bowl” at Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream, which makes its frozen desserts with liquid nitrogen. (Photo: Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream)

Dessert lovers who got excited about a Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream shop coming to Cambridgeport can finally look forward to a grand opening March 21, including a raffle with a chance to win free treats for a year.

It’s been a long haul – Mark and Rita McCabe brought their plan to the Board of Zoning Appeal in April 2021. That whetted appetites for their ice cream made before the eater’s eyes from a flavored base of goop with a customer’s choice of mix-ins, all gelled into a recognizable ice cream or custard in a blast of liquid nitrogen.

“Yes, the store took some time to get built out and open between the building being rehabbed, construction and scaffolding equipment in the way, limited parking, etc.,” said Naomi Hancock, one of the founders of the chain founded in Nashua, New Hampshire, in 2004. “The owners of the store were also in the process of opening two other locations in the New England area last year.”

The Cambridgeport shop has actually been open about a year now, but “with all that going on, never got a chance to have a true grand opening event,” Hancock said.

The Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream shop in Cambridgeport. (Photo: Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream)

With gratitude to the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce and other local businesses and residents who helped get the shop open, Sub Zero’s owners said they are going back to have a formal opening with free samples, buy-one-get-one-half-off on single-serve ice creams and the raffle, as as holding science experiments. “We enjoy hosting science demonstrations for the schools and youth groups,” said Rita McCabe, owner and chief executive of Sub Zero. “One of our favorite parts of the business is teaching kids about the science of liquid nitrogen.”

In addition to the flash-frozen ice creams, Sub Zero sells shakes, smoothies, Italian ices, yogurt, acai bowls, bubble tea and frozen bananas.

“It was a long haul to get to this point, but we made it,” said McCabe of the grand opening.

• The Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream grand opening is 4 to 6 p.m. March 21 at 808 Memorial Drive, Cambridgeport.