Unless it was a Dane County Farmers’ Market Saturday, getting a scoop of Stellie’s Ice Cream — then named Dairy Godmother — meant chasing down owner Stella Buckley and her pedal-powered food truck to the various markets or fairs at which she was a vendor. But starting June 1, ice cream aficionados can simply stop by the new Stellie’s storefront at 1815 East Washington Ave. whenever they get a hankering for the all-natural, scratch-made ice cream.
In addition to providing consistent service to Madisonians, the new storefront means an updated and expanded menu to entice new and returning customers alike. Stellie’s will serve eight flavors at a time. A core five — honey vanilla bean, dark chocolate, strawberry with strawberry swirl, peanut butter with cookie dough pieces, and salted caramel and butter pecan swirl — will be available all year, and an additional three flavors will rotate each season. This summer, Buckley plans to serve cherry pie à la mode, peanut butter and strawberry jelly, and white mocha espresso flavors. The menu will also feature a seasonal sorbet. Customers can order their ice cream in a dish, in a waffle cone baked onsite, as a milkshake or in a float.
Much like the flavors in the ice cream case, the storefront takes classic ice cream iconography and elevates it. Accented with pink, red, silver and pops of blue, Buckley hopes the retro-inspired ice cream shop will become a “social hub”: perfect for a first date, showing off Madison haunts to out-of-town friends, or simply to kick back and relax with friends and neighbors.
Buckley designed the space to bring the community together — including the team behind the ice cream. The wall dividing patrons from the kitchens will be glass, meaning customers get a peek into the ice cream-making process. For dessert lovers who want a taste of the action, Stellie’s will also offer classes on making, flavoring and pairing ice cream.
The storefront, which is located next to Lone Girl Brewing Co. and across the street from Mint Mark, will be open from noon to 10 p.m., making it easy for customers to drop by post-dinner. But for those nostalgic to buy ice cream from the cart, Stellie’s will still be at the Dane County Farmers’ Market every Saturday and the monthly Madison Night Markets. Soon, customers will find pints of Stellie’s on supermarket shelves, too: Buckley is working with an independent distributor to create pints ready to sell in shops across the city.
Gabby Shell is an editorial intern at Madison Magazine.
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