Get ready for Cherry Garcia, Chunky Monkey and Phish Food to come to Milwaukee.
Wisconsin's only Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop is opening in Milwaukee's Third Ward on Sunday, the day before the city is set to host the Republican National Convention nearby. (Don't worry, the shop is expected to remain open).
The Scoop Shop, at 203 N. Broadway, will offer many of the Vermont-based ice cream giant's iconic and unique flavors . It will also serve non-dairy frozen desserts, sorbet, sundaes, shakes and cookie dough chunks. Root beer floats and hot chocolate will be on the menu as well. See the full menu here .
Plus, it'll offer catering. The shop will have a capacity to cater large-scale events such as weddings, corporate functions and birthday parties. There are plans for a food truck as well.
The shop, which originally planned to open in April, will "soft open" on July 14 at 5 p.m. before hosting a larger grand opening event at the end of August.
Illinois couple Tricia and Fred Rasmussen are co-owners. The self-described Ben & Jerry's fans began the process of becoming franchise owners about 18 months ago and will move to Milwaukee soon.
"We are just ecstatic to be a part of the community and have our doors open," Fred Rasmussen said.
They vow to use local products as much as possible, even down to the root beer in their floats.
"We plan on reaching out and contacting Sprecher, so that it's a local product," he said.
Currently, the closest Scoop Shop to Wisconsin is in Gurnee, Ill. , at the Great Wolf Lodge. There are three other shops in the Chicago area, including one at Navy Pier .
The couple's daughter recently graduated from the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and they have been coming up to Milwaukee for years. Although they initially looked into different areas in Milwaukee, the Rasmussens ultimately settled on the Third Ward. To them, the place was "special."
"We fell in love with the Third Ward when we'd come down here for dinner. ... Lots of energy, and the people are so kind," said Tricia.
Fred said the couple selected the Third Ward because they'd "never seen a better community fit for a Ben & Jerry's."
"The community has been extremely welcoming to us. It has super high foot traffic. ... We've heard that the Public Market is one of the most visited places in Wisconsin, and we're right down the street, with Summerfest and the Journeyman right across the street."
Fred, a school administrator, and Tricia, a retired kindergarten teacher, are also avid supporters of Ben & Jerry's progressive, social justice-centered mission and desire to get involved in the Milwaukee community.
"That concept of paying it forward is something that is engrained in us," Fred said. "We would love to work with charities. We would love to work with Milwaukee Public Schools. We would love to engage in fundraising opportunities for social causes."
Ben & Jerry's started in Vermont nearly 50 years ago
Ben & Jerry's started in 1978, when Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield opened their first ice cream shop in Burlington, Vt., after taking a $5 course in ice cream making at Penn State, according to the official Ben & Jerry's website . The business started in a renovated gas station.
The brand has become known for its support of progressive causes , including protesting drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in 2005, joining the Fair Trade Commitment in 2010 and creating a "Change is Brewing" ice cream flavor to advance work around racial injustice.
Stay updated on Milwaukee's Scoop Shop on its Facebook page and its website .
Jessica Rodriguez contributed to this report.
More: What Milwaukeeans need to know about the RNC, including road closures, parking, venues and more
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin's only Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop is opening in Milwaukee on Sunday
Most Popular
Comments / 0