(May 4, 2017) The best ice cream parlor in the country, according to Trip Advisor, now has a location in downtown Berlin.
The Chincoteague, Virginia-based Island Creamery, known for its unique flavors and local and natural ingredients, was also recently recognized by Food & Wine magazine and Buzzfeed as one of the top ice cream shops in the U.S.
The announcement was made that Island Creamery would open in Berlin late last year in the former Cupcakes in Bloom slot on 120 North Main Street. After extensive renovations, both inside and out, the shop was open as of last Tuesday.
“We wanted to bring elements and colors from Chincoteague, but we wanted to have more of a vibe that fit in with some of the places in Berlin,” owner Kelly Conklin said. “So we gave our creative people free rein and we got what we got, and we’re pretty happy with it.”
The interior could be described as “cozy,” with a bright and colorful menu stretching across the long wall on the left hand side as you enter the building, and coolers filled with homemade ice cream extending down the length of the room.
Outside, a makeover of the alleyway transformed the space between the Island Creamery and the adjacent office building into an alluring outdoor seating area, complete with a cobblestone walkway with eight benches separated by newly installed lampposts.
“It really came together. We’re really happy with it,” Conklin said.
On opening day, the shop debuted opened with little fanfare – just as Conklin had planned.
“It was very rainy and it wasn’t a very nice day, but we wanted to get a nice, quiet soft opening just to work out the kinks – and there have been plenty, obviously. I just didn’t want to be overwhelmed by people expecting us to be perfect from the get-go and that not happening,” he said.
More renovations – both inside and out – are taking place, and Conklin said his staff had to deal with a brand-new freezer breaking down on the night before opening.
“There’s been issues, but that’s to be expected. That’s why we wanted to open unannounced,” Conklin said.
Still, he said plenty of people in Berlin came out to welcome the new business – and to sample the goods. Despite a few hiccups, early returns have been overwhelmingly positive, Conklin said.
“There’s not been one bit of friction with the town or the health department or anyone. Everyone was been so cooperative and personable and helpful,” he said. “The hold-up [for opening] had been getting concrete poured, fighting bad weather and just getting everything in place. The people in Berlin have been wonderful.”
Island Creamery brought many of the favorite flavors from Chincoteague to the new location, including Bourbon Caramel Crunch, Wallops Rocket Fuel and Cake Batter. Conklin said several new flavors also were introduced, and more would come as fresh ingredients became available later this spring and summer.
Almost three-dozen different flavors were available as of the opening, the scores of toppings make the possibilities nearly endless.
“We’ve got the same number of flavors [as Chincoteague],” Conklin said. “We don’t have soft serve and we don’t have coffee because we don’t have room for it. So, there are a few things we’re not doing here that we do on the island, but for the most part, the flavors that we have there and the sundaes that we have there – we have here.
“In a couple weeks, when fresh strawberries come up, we’ll have fresh strawberry sorbet here and fresh strawberry ice cream, and then later it’ll be fresh blueberry and peach and cantaloupe and watermelon sorbet – all of the seasonal things,” he continued. “The fact that we’re able to respond to whatever the season is really sets us apart, and if we think of a new flavor or hear of a flavor or somebody tells us about a flavor that’s intriguing, we can go ahead and make it here and we can control what goes in it.”
While he didn’t rule out the possibility of opening a third store at in the future, Conklin said he’s focusing on making the Berlin location the best it can be.
“All we want to do in Berlin is be good neighbors and make friends, serve the public and make people happy,” Conklin said. “If you can’t leave an ice cream parlor happy, something’s wrong with you.”
The Chincoteague, Virginia-based Island Creamery, known for its unique flavors and local and natural ingredients, was also recently recognized by Food & Wine magazine and Buzzfeed as one of the top ice cream shops in the U.S.
The announcement was made that Island Creamery would open in Berlin late last year in the former Cupcakes in Bloom slot on 120 North Main Street. After extensive renovations, both inside and out, the shop was open as of last Tuesday.
“We wanted to bring elements and colors from Chincoteague, but we wanted to have more of a vibe that fit in with some of the places in Berlin,” owner Kelly Conklin said. “So we gave our creative people free rein and we got what we got, and we’re pretty happy with it.”
The interior could be described as “cozy,” with a bright and colorful menu stretching across the long wall on the left hand side as you enter the building, and coolers filled with homemade ice cream extending down the length of the room.
Outside, a makeover of the alleyway transformed the space between the Island Creamery and the adjacent office building into an alluring outdoor seating area, complete with a cobblestone walkway with eight benches separated by newly installed lampposts.
“It really came together. We’re really happy with it,” Conklin said.
On opening day, the shop debuted opened with little fanfare – just as Conklin had planned.
“It was very rainy and it wasn’t a very nice day, but we wanted to get a nice, quiet soft opening just to work out the kinks – and there have been plenty, obviously. I just didn’t want to be overwhelmed by people expecting us to be perfect from the get-go and that not happening,” he said.
More renovations – both inside and out – are taking place, and Conklin said his staff had to deal with a brand-new freezer breaking down on the night before opening.
“There’s been issues, but that’s to be expected. That’s why we wanted to open unannounced,” Conklin said.
Still, he said plenty of people in Berlin came out to welcome the new business – and to sample the goods. Despite a few hiccups, early returns have been overwhelmingly positive, Conklin said.
“There’s not been one bit of friction with the town or the health department or anyone. Everyone was been so cooperative and personable and helpful,” he said. “The hold-up [for opening] had been getting concrete poured, fighting bad weather and just getting everything in place. The people in Berlin have been wonderful.”
Island Creamery brought many of the favorite flavors from Chincoteague to the new location, including Bourbon Caramel Crunch, Wallops Rocket Fuel and Cake Batter. Conklin said several new flavors also were introduced, and more would come as fresh ingredients became available later this spring and summer.
Almost three-dozen different flavors were available as of the opening, the scores of toppings make the possibilities nearly endless.
“We’ve got the same number of flavors [as Chincoteague],” Conklin said. “We don’t have soft serve and we don’t have coffee because we don’t have room for it. So, there are a few things we’re not doing here that we do on the island, but for the most part, the flavors that we have there and the sundaes that we have there – we have here.
“In a couple weeks, when fresh strawberries come up, we’ll have fresh strawberry sorbet here and fresh strawberry ice cream, and then later it’ll be fresh blueberry and peach and cantaloupe and watermelon sorbet – all of the seasonal things,” he continued. “The fact that we’re able to respond to whatever the season is really sets us apart, and if we think of a new flavor or hear of a flavor or somebody tells us about a flavor that’s intriguing, we can go ahead and make it here and we can control what goes in it.”
While he didn’t rule out the possibility of opening a third store at in the future, Conklin said he’s focusing on making the Berlin location the best it can be.
“All we want to do in Berlin is be good neighbors and make friends, serve the public and make people happy,” Conklin said. “If you can’t leave an ice cream parlor happy, something’s wrong with you.”