A Finny’s Ice Cream employee serves up a Grasshopper sundae, one of the shop’s many signature treats.
MILTON — On a sunny afternoon in Milton, customers lined up at a small walk-up window on River Street, grinning as they held cones towering with swirls of creemee and sundaes draped in hot fudge.
Some paused to snap photos of their treats — ice cream cones nearly larger than their heads — while friends and families gathered on the patch of lawn nearby, soaking up the simple joy of a warm day.
The cheerful ice cream stand is named after two-year-old Finley, affectionately known as “Finny,” the granddaughter of owners Kevin and Jody Brouillette.
“It’s built around our granddaughter,” Kevin said. “That’s where ‘Finny’s’ comes from.”
The business opened for its first season in April and has quickly become a warm-weather staple in Milton. Sandwiched between Northern Vermont Pet Grooming and Barsalow Insurance at 160 River Street, the stand serves creemees, sundaes, shakes and flurries, with a focus on quality ingredients and simple pleasures.
A family business
For the Brouillette’s, Finny’s is more than a business — it’s a retirement plan wrapped in sprinkles and smiles.
“We started this as a fun way to save up for and ease ourselves into retirement,” Kevin said.
The operation is proudly family-run, with 14 employees, some of whom are relatives or close friends. Kevin and Jody handle day-to-day operations, and when little Finny isn’t chasing bubbles in the yard, she’s become something of a mascot.
“It’s people taking pictures of their ice cream, pictures of my granddaughter on the ground with her friends and our family, and it’s the feedback my wife gets on social media,” Kevin said. “That’s the most rewarding part.”
A sign marks the spot of Finny’s Ice Cream on River Street in Milton, a family-run stand named after owners Kevin and Jody Brouillette’s granddaughter, Finley.
Scooping with standards
Finny’s might have a playful vibe, but Kevin takes the business of ice cream seriously.
“Number one, above all, put out good ice cream. I don’t care how long it takes,” he said. “Number two, smile at your customers. And number three, make sure you care.”
The shop sources its ice cream from Hood and Hershey, but when it comes to maple, Finny’s keeps it local. The maple sprinkles and toppings come from Vermont-based Green Mountain Goodness LLC.
“I take the maple very seriously,” Kevin said. “My family’s all from Franklin County. We come from dairy farming, so butterfat and maple syrup is a big deal to us.”
The menu at Finny’s covers everything from classic vanilla creemees to inventive sundaes. Creemee flavors include vanilla, chocolate, maple and black raspberry, with customers able to twist flavors or try a flight of three.
There’s also the option for a “Flavor Burst,” a tasting flight of three creemee flavors from a rotating selection of eight. For hard ice cream fans, Finny’s offers 13 flavors, non-dairy oat-based options, and even acai bowls.
Among the most popular items is the Road Runner, a decadent sundae Kevin describes as “unbelievable.” It features a brownie base, white chocolate and raspberry swirl ice cream, hot fudge, black raspberry topping and whipped cream.
Other favorites include the Peanut Butter Cup Explosion, a classic banana split, and the nostalgic Worm Dirt Sundae — ice cream topped with hot fudge, crushed cookies and gummy worms.
Even the ice cream sandwiches are personal: they’re called “Meme’s,” named after Kevin’s grandmother, an homage to her beloved chocolate chip cookies.
Prices range from $3.25 for a baby cone to $6.75 for one of Finny’s Favorite sundaes.
A community connection
Before it was Finny’s, the little ice cream stand was known as Duke’s Creemees, a Milton staple for years. Now, Kevin and Jody hope Finny’s will earn a place in the hearts of locals the same way.
“This community has always supported this place in a way that is inspiring,” Kevin said.
The stand’s simple setup — a single window, a small patch of grass, a few picnic tables — invites neighbors to linger, catch up and, of course, grab some ice cream.
“We just hope they like what we’re doing, and we thank them for supporting us,” Kevin said.
With long, warm evenings ahead, he is looking forward to Finny’s first summer in Milton.
“It’s worth all the hard work of running a business to see our customers smile,” he said. “And knowing that they are enjoying some good ice cream. That’s it.”
