Mike McLaughlin, owner of The Crow’s Nest (7336 Manchester Road) and Kerry Soraci, owner of I Scream Cakes (on Cherokee Street), have thought of opening an ice cream shop since at least May 2014. Now they’re determined to open a store in Maplewood by spring 2016.
They just don’t know where.
“I want to find the perfect spot,” McLaughlin said. “There’s some things opening up, but there’s a lot of competition, so we’re hoping for a deal to come to us, too.”
Soraci makes ice cream and ice cream cakes at her current location, and plans to continue that when a Maplewood shop opens.
See also: Ice cream shop “definitely” in the works
Depending on the space, they plan to offer around 16 flavors. “We’ll have the traditional ice creams, and a lot of artisan stuff – it’s all artisan made,” McLaughlin said. “It’s going to have something for everyone.”
Soraci describes her business as a micro-creamery. “We use organic dairy, sugar and eggs. The nice thing about doing it completely from scratch, we can control all the ingredients. I don’t have be dictated by what has been given to me from a pre-packaged bag of stuff,” she said, which means she can make ice cream tailored to any dietary need.
She uses local ingredients when feasible. That currently includes candied cherries from Larder & Cupboard for a dairy-free spumoni; chocolate, burnt caramel and marshmallow fluff syrup from Kakao Chocolate for sundae toppings; oils for certain flavors from Cheryl’s Herbs; and Schlafly Pumpkin Ale in her Goat Figure ice cream.
Soraci has been at the Schlafly Farmers Market for the past three years, so she already has a presence in Maplewood. They’d like to end up in the middle of downtown. “Got the business plan, got the product, got the people, just need to figure out a space,” McLaughlin said.
Photos from I Scream Cakes Facebook:
When I was a child, growing up in Maplewood in the 50’s, there was a family-owned ice cream shop on Sutton, SE of the bus loop (now city park.) It was named The Priscilla Shop, and it was such a treat to go in there for a cone or a homemade popsicle. (You might consider making popsicles!) I can still remember the warm vanilla fragrance heavy in the air as I walked in the door. Heaven. I look forward to the addition of a new ice cream shop to our little community!
Yes, please. We need an ice cream option in the downtown area. If you could be open late at night, that would be helpful, too.