A luxe ice cream brand will hold its grand opening of its first shop in Virginia Thursday night when it doles out free ice cream at its new shop in Alexandria.
If you love ice cream, you'll want to make plans to attend the grand opening of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams in Old Town Alexandria at 102 S. Patrick St. The new ice cream shop will scoop free ice cream to all customers Thursday from 7-11 p.m. The first 50 in line will also receive free promotional items.
Founder Jeni Britton Bauer will be on hand and was also in attendance Wednesday night from the company headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, at a sneak peek of the store before the grand opening Thursday.
Bauer called choosing Alexandria for its first shop in Virginia as a "team effort" between her company and Asana, the building's owner.
She sees ice cream as something that brings friends and family together, similar to coffee and craft beer.
"I don't speak 'business speak' ever. I think this community is amazing and I think it will be a great ice cream community," she said.
There are about 22 flavors and about half of them rotate in and out, she said. Best-sellers, she noted, are Brown Butter Almond Brittle and Brambleberry Crisp. The longest running flavor is Salty Caramel.
Bauer was in art school at Ohio State University in the mid-90s and also working at a French pastry company, when she was inspired to start her company.
"I was absolutely in love with this job and this place," she said of the French pastry shop. The artistry of the work at the pastry company inspired her to approach ice cream in the same way.
She said that starting a business was about making people happy. "I just think, how can I make someone happy? Just make one person happy, then you make the next person happy. We don't talk about demographics."
There are 39 shops across the country today, with more to come.
"I am very proud, not just of me, but our team," Bauer said.
