In the heart of Tacoma, WA, a vibrant ice cream shop is making waves with its unique flavors, welcoming atmosphere, and community-focused approach. Dreamer Ice Cream, owned by Timothy and Ileyana Coleman, is more than just a sweet treat destination – it’s a space for joy and creativity. Since taking over the shop in early 2024, this dynamic duo has infused Dreamer with their passion for innovative ice cream flavors and a deep commitment to building a safe, family-friendly space that celebrates the beauty of their community.
As Tacoma’s first Black-owned ice cream shop, Timothy and Ileyana are making a meaningful impact, one scoop at a time. Join us as we sit down with these inspiring young entrepreneurs to learn about their journey, their vision, and the delicious flavors that are making Dreamer Ice Cream a beloved gathering place for people of all ages.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Tell us a little bit about Dreamer Ice Cream:
Timothy: We bought Dreamer in the beginning of 2024 and we definitely had a vision when it came to how we wanted to approach the community and how we wanted to present ourselves as young black owners. So we bought the place, painted the walls to include friendly colors that will invite you in. We wanted to really focus on creating a safe space for both kids and adults. It’s a friendly environment – you have that smell of waffle cones, nice music playing, and you get sweet treats that always makes people happy.
We typically house 20 flavors at a time and we always change the number of flavors consistently. We make flavors that you can’t find anywhere else, such as our Strawberry Dream Cake, which tastes like a strawberry shortcake crumble bar. We have our very own Tacoma Cream Pie, which is very similar to Boston Cream Pie. Our cinnamon ice cream is called French Sweet Roll. It tastes exactly like you’re eating a cinnamon roll with icing. We’re always changing it up.
What has been the response of the community since you took over the shop?
Ileyana: The response of the community is just straight excitement. We love it. We have a ton of people come in, and we love it. We try to be on a name-to-name basis with customers – or name-to-order basis.
We always invite you to create your own stuff. Add as many toppings as you want, get creative. We’re not going to judge you on what kind of ice cream you choose. We really do love your suggestions – you never know, we might put it on the menu.
What are your favorite things to order?
Timothy: My favorite thing is truly the banana pudding milkshake. I mean, you can’t get it anywhere else. I’m from the south, so I love banana pudding, so why not make it into a shake?
I also really like the nacho bowls, mainly because you can put any kind of topping on it and make it your own from our in-house made chocolate, which many people love. And yeah.
I also have a place special in my part for the strawberry blondie. I had my kiddo here and he helped create that strawberry blondie – it has strawberry ice cream, vanilla and graham crackers. It’s so delicious.
If you’re a first time customer, what should you expect when you come in?
Ileyana: You should expect lots of smiles and great customer service. We want to have you come in and feel like you’re a part of the family, the Dreamer family. We are going to let you try all the samples if you want. We’re not going to rush you in anything. We want you to take your time and get something that you enjoy.
What made you want to open a business? How did you become business owners?
Timothy: We thought about taking the first step forward, and doing something for yourself – but more for others. Ice cream is a great way to include others. We thought ice cream would be the perfect gateway. There are no black-owned ice cream shops around Tacoma. We wanted to get into business and to bring a different viewpoint on ice cream.
We wanted a safe and fun place for people to come, hang out, and have fun. Who doesn’t love ice cream? Everybody loves ice cream. I think it’s one of the best desserts ever created. You can have fun with it, you can make it your own and you never run out of flavors or options.
Where did you both grow up?
Timothy: I’m from North Carolina, a city called Lexington, also known as the barbecue capital of the world. We love our banana pudding. That’s one of the things that we really love, and that’s what also inspired the banana pudding shake. And just, we just love food in general.
Ileyana: I was born in Nashville, Tennessee, but I was raised in the Central District of Seattle. I love Washington, of course, so it has a special place in my heart.
Looking ahead to the future, what would you like to see?
Ileyana: We are 22 and 23 years old, and we honestly love ice cream and we love the way the community is supporting and noticing us now. We really want to take this and run with it. We want to open up more locations, creating safe spaces across Washington, and eventually even move into a different state.
We’re family oriented. We have a two-year-old of our own, super sweet. So we understand all the babies coming in and wanting to try all the flavors.
We’re just super happy to be here!