Home of the Izzy Scoop! ^® officially opens its second sweet spot in the Twin Cities

MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 28, 2013) – The Nov. 9 official grand opening of Izzy’s Ice Cream Cafe and Kitchen in Minneapolis may not alter the habits of neighborhood ice cream aficionados. Customers have been swooping in on the handmade ice cream café since its soft opening in late July, even before the kitchen side was up and running.

But now Izzy’s is ready to produce its artisan ice cream onsite in its eye-catching new digs. Izzy’s has become a Twin Cities favorite by using only the highest quality and natural ingredients – many locally-sourced –  to produce inspired ice cream flavors in small batches.

The public is invited to celebrate Izzy’s Minneapolis grand opening on Nov. 9 with kids’ games and prizes, as well as tastings, history and architectural tours. The new facility doubles Izzy’s retail space and triples its production capacity in the Twin Cities.

“We got such a warm welcome from the people in this neighborhood,” said Jeff Sommers, who co-owns two Izzy’s Ice Cream stores with spouse Lara Hammel. “Now we want to thank everyone for their enthusiasm and help by throwing open our doors, and giving people an inside look.”

Sommers and Hammel opened their first Izzy’s store on St. Paul’s Marshall Avenue in 2000. The St. Paul store will remain open and its kitchen will continue to serve ice cream and produce ice- cream novelties such as Izzy Pop^® frozen treats.

On Saturday, Nov. 9, free activities at Izzy’s in Minneapolis include:

• Noon to 2 p.m. – Kids’ activities including face painting, caramel apples, cider and prizes.
• 4 to 7 p.m. – Kitchen viewing and ingredient tasting. Participants will get an inside glimpse of the ice cream kitchen and have the opportunity to taste locally sourced ingredients before and after they are made into ice cream. Local ingredients include cardamom toast from Woullet Bakery, milk from family-run dairy Sassy Cow Creamery and key lime pie from Birchwood Café. Tastes of Jeff’s signature cold-press iced coffee, made with Peace Coffee Yeti blend and brown-butter sweet cream, also will be served.

In addition, special tours for adults, including ice cream tastings, will be offered with the purchase of a $20 ticket. A limited number of tickets are available at www.izzysicecream.com. Tours include:

• 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. – Architectural tour of the building with its designer, Minnesota award-winning architect David Salmela and Izzy’s co-owner Jeff Sommers.
• Tasting tour with ice cream making demonstrations led by Sommers and kitchen manager Shannon Leach. Additionally, Sommers will provide his favorite food and ice cream pairing tastes.
• 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. – Sommers will conduct tours of the kitchen and share the couple’s entrepreneurial journey and quest to make the best quality, hand-made ice cream.

The distinctive, 5,100-square-foot structure hugs the corner of 2^nd St. S. and 11^th Ave. in Minneapolis’ historic Mill District area. It recently won the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal’s Best in Real Estate/Retail Development award.

Located across from Gold Medal Park and a block from the Guthrie Theater, the modernist design is both guileless and playful, capturing the simple joys of ice cream, and reflecting the energy and outlook of the culturally attuned urban neighborhood. Its riveting red tower suggests a boxy cherry on top of the café and is reminiscent of the company’s signature Izzy Scoop^®, the extra dollop of ice cream offered with all single or double cones, or cups.

The unique touches continue inside Izzy’s new building, with café tables placed by window views, and bright red, drop-down stairways that lead up to treetop vistas and amiable sitting areas. Down below, roomy working spaces and a purpose-built kitchen are flooded with natural light from oversized windows and towering skylights. Strategically placed windows around the building’s exterior allow passersby to peek in on the ice cream-making process. There’s even a specially equipped chocolate room designed to maintain temperatures at an ideal range of 65° to 68°F.

With an emphasis on sustainable operations, Izzy’s owners follow minimal chemical cleaning practices and use mostly compostable cups, spoons and packaging.

Says Sommers, “We want to be good neighbors, and engage the imaginations of our customers and partners. Most of all, we want to give great ice cream to this community and build something that lasts for generations to come.”

In their 13-plus years of operation, Izzy’s has created about 150 different flavors of ice cream, including an homage to the local Mini Donut Batter Crunch and Pearson Candy Company’s Nut Goodie, featured in Heavy Table’s “Terrific Ten” of 2013 Minnesota State Fair foods. Local ingredients have also included Summit Oatmeal Stout and Wild Country maple syrup from Lutsen, Minn. Izzy’s ice cream has been recognized by both local and national media, and was most recently named one of the best ice cream spots in the U.S. by Food & Wine.

Izzy’s Minneapolis location is open from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from noon to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The St. Paul store is open from noon to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

In Minneapolis/St. Paul, customers can purchase Izzy’s ice cream at Kowalski’s Markets, Whole Foods and many local co-ops. It’s also served at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and about 30 local restaurants.

In addition to ice cream cones, Izzy’s offers frozen desserts and treats, ice cream cakes and pies. Customers can get email notifications when their favorite flavor is available by using Izzy’s innovative Flavor Up! app at http://flavorup.izzysicecream.com/notify/signup.

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Editor’s Note:  On Nov. 9, Izzy’s Minneapolis’ dipping cases will feature some of the year’s most popular flavors, many made with ingredients supplied locally. A partial listing is included below:

Norwegian Chai (TeaSource)

Maple Nut (Lutsen, Minn.)

Birchwood Key Lime Pie (Birchwood Café)

Summit Oatmeal Stout (Summit Brewing)

Apple Cider Sorbet (Nesbitt’s Orchards, Prescott, Wis.)

Honey (Ames Honey)

Mini Donut Batter Crunch (debuted at 2013 Minnesota State Fair)

Church Elderberry (Hamline Church Dining Hall, Minnesota State Fair)

Hound Dog (Best of Show, 2013 People’s Flavor Awards Contest)

Nut Goodie (Pearson’s)