Local Business Blog: Village Ice Cream

In our second Local Business blog, we focus on the always-cool community hub that is Village Ice Cream.

You’d think it can’t get much better than locally-crafted, artisanal ice cream. And yet, at Village, it does.

Not only do they make fantastic frozen treats in-house, but they truly promote the village spirit - from providing a fun and friendly place to gather, to engaging in sustainability initiatives and local partnerships that give back to the community.

We chatted with Jessica Hua, Marketing Coordinator and Garrison Woods Store Manager to get the scoop.

What makes a visit to Village Ice Cream so special?

We make everything in-house with fresh ingredients, sourced locally whenever possible - you can literally smell the scent of fresh waffle cones baking from down the street. But it’s also the inclusivity. Our tagline, “we are all villagers” rings true, and the customers and staff are a huge part of that.

We hear you take sustainability seriously. What are some sustainability initiatives you’ve got underway?

We teamed up with Hop Compost to compost all of our kitchen scraps and we’ve switched to compostable cups. Our next steps are to source other compostable goods like spoons and napkins. Finally, we follow a sustainability scorecard that we use to measure our progress in terms of sourcing locally and many other criteria.

Village’s biggest claim to fame - after the ice cream, of course - is its ability to engage with the community on so many levels. What sort of community partnerships are you part of?

We work with Leftovers YYC, who deliver our leftover food to the Calgary Drop-In Centre and Inn From the Cold, and we routinely donate products to community events. Whenever possible, we rely on local businesses to source our delicious ingredients from as close to home as possible. Regular suppliers include Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters, Pretty Sweet (bakery), and Chinook Honey Company.

What’s on the horizon for Village?

We’re opening a new store in Garrison Woods this Friday! (The third location for Village Ice Cream - after the East Village and Britannia Plaza shops).

What’s exciting about the new location?

Our locations are not arbitrary, we look for certain criteria. Marda Loop/Garrison Woods was chosen because it’s an up-and-coming neighbourhood. The new space will have large sidewalks and extensions, encouraging people to get outside, and providing a pedestrian vibe.

What’s your favourite flavour?

Currently, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. And Cardamom is always a classic.

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We sure hope the weather’s good for their opening tomorrow!

Now go find out which flavour is your favourite, and connect with your fellow Villagers on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.