Photo by: Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette Former Illini coach Bruce Weber passes out custard March 9, 2012, while taking everyone in his party to Jarling's Custard Cup for its opening day after his press conference.

CHAMPAIGN — Breathe easy, Snickerette Snowstorm fans: The usual assortment of cold custard treats will be served this spring and summer at 309 West Kirby Ave., after all.

Jarling’s Custard Cup could open as soon as five days from now, it was an­­nounced Sunday. It will go by the same name and use the same recipes but, for the first time since its 1983 Champaign opening, it will be run by different owners.

Our Bob Asmussen caught up with Ron Turner. Ask him what the former Illini football coach had to say about Jarling's.

The Jarlings — Doug and Christy and son Dylan — will stay for a short time to assist with the transition to an ownership group filled with familiar names.

Tom Siegel, a 1980s Illini basketball and baseball walk-on, and Champaign’s Sholem family have put together a group of investors that goes by Alpha Custard Cup.

It includes former University of Illinois basketball coach Bruce Weber, who famously made a pit stop at Custard Cup on March 9, 2012, right after a news conference to an­­nounce his firing.

Also on the new team: former Illini football coach Ron Turner (“The WORLD’S BEST frozen desserts!” he tweeted Sunday) and two of his biggest stars — quarterback Kurt Kittner and offensive lineman Tony Pashos.

“I’m super excited,” Siegel, now of Belleville, said after Sunday’s news broke. “All of us have a passion for the product, and all of us have ties to the community.”

Siegel said the new Custard Cup will be “hiring aggressively” in the coming days. Jarling’s will have three or four managers, plus up to 22 hourly employees.

Hours will be noon to 10 p.m. every day, added Siegel, who’s shooting for an opening of Saturday.

The future of Custard Cup has been one of C-U’s biggest mysteries since last spring, when the Jarlings said in mid-March that they planned to sell the business after one final season, then changed course and closed at month’s end. Less than two weeks later, they reopened with limited hours. They finished the season and have been mum ever since.

In a statement Sunday, Doug Jarling said: “We have poured our heart and soul into the company, and I think we found an investor group that the community will embrace.”

Siegel said the new ownership will maintain more than 150 menu items, including the snowstorm, cold fudge, waffle baskets, cups, cones, sundaes, shakes, sodas and floats.

The Jarling’s in Danville will continue to operate under separate ownership.