A to Z Creamery difficult to access

New ice cream shop falls short

Sign+for+A+to+Z+Creamery+on+Excelsior+Blvd.%2C+taken+May+3.+The+ice+cream+shop+opened+March%2C+2020.

Maren Wilsey

Sign for A to Z Creamery on Excelsior Blvd., taken May 3. The ice cream shop opened March, 2020.

Maren Wilsey

Marketed as a novelty ice cream shop, A to Z Creamery had all the components to form an exemplary establishment — but its inaccessibility was ultimately its downfall.

Initially, I was really excited about this concept. Based in St. Louis Park and locally owned, A to Z Creamery seemed to be a good addition to the plethora of dessert shops in the city. But the ice cream shop stuck out to me more so than other stores as it has a strong social media presence and frequently interacts with customers.

The website, linked on their official Instagram page, opens to a concise, inviting screen, immediately broadcasting their myriad of ice cream listings. Scroll down and you’ll find the mission statement which says their goal is to “push the boundaries and expand on the concept of traditional ice cream.” 

A new flavor is dropped every week, and there’s no schedule to the drops. They tease the new flavor the day before the drop. There’s a very limited supply of everything, so it sells out within minutes. If you’re hoping to actually buy some ice cream, you need to sign up for emails to be notified of when the drop is. Even then, there’s no guarantee you’ll get the ice cream. It’s so hard to get, I tried for three drops with no success. If you have the ice cream in your cart but take too long to put in your payment information, it will sell out before you’re finished. Yes, I’m speaking from experience here. 

Now let’s assume you do manage to buy some. The ice cream is homemade and this is reflected in the price — each pint costs eleven to thirteen dollars: there are around three options for a fifteen minute pickup window. If you can’t make the window, your ice cream is thrown out, no refunds. 

I do have a few positive things to say about this establishment. The customer service is very good. They were very prompt in responding and were polite and helpful. I really like the idea they were going for, I just wish it was more accessible. There is a wide range of creative flavors with names including “Don’t go Breaking My Poptart,” “This Pint is on Fireeeeee” and “Donut Eat My Ice Cream.” Some flavors definitely push the boundaries for what can be put in ice cream, with ingredients like corn, blue cheese and Hot Cheetos. Speaking as a very picky eater, I don’t think I’d want to try some of them myself, but I love the creativity and imagination that goes into the flavors. I can tell a lot of time and care goes into making them and in my opinion that is the most important part of the business. 

All this being said, don’t let this deter you from this business. I wasn’t able to try the ice cream myself, but I’ve heard very good things from people who have. If you’re willing to put a little work in, there is certainly potential for rewarding results. 

 

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