July offers a sweet excuse to treat yourself as you #SpendLikeItMatters. In honor of National Ice Cream Month, get to know 10 of our favorite PoC-owned ice cream shops in the Greater Seattle area. And, be sure to explore all 40+ ice cream shops on Intentionalist.
Creamy Cone Cafe
#BlackOwned #WomanOwned
In 2021 Ashanti Mayfield and her family opened the ice cream, espresso, and specialty eats shop Creamy Cone Cafe. Ashanti owns Creamy Cone, but three generations of women in her family are working to make the cafe incredible. Creamy Cone has 12 rotating flavors of locally-sourced ice cream, including vegan options, and their waffle cones are made daily (with a special surprise at the bottom). In addition to ice cream, they have espresso beverages and quick cafe eats.
Pro-tip: Try the Affogato, which is your choice of two mini scoops of ice cream topped with a double shot of espresso, whipped cream, and cocoa nibs.
Fainting Goat Gelato
#FamilyOwned #MinorityOwned #WomanOwned
After moving from Izmir, Turkey to Seattle in 1997, Sevim and Yalcin Ataman dreamed of owning their own gelato shop. This dream came to fruition in 2009 when they opened Fainting Goat Gelato, where they use locally-sourced, organic ingredients to create outstanding gelato every day.
Bonus: Sevim and Yalcin also have a location in Fremont.
Indigo Cow
#AsianOwned
When Keisuke Kobayashi first came to Seattle, he searched the city for Hokkaido soft serve and its distinctive rich, creamy, and naturally sweet qualities. When he couldn’t find it, he opened the United States’ first known Hokkaido-style soft serve shop, Indigo Cow, in 2021. The soft serve shop sources their milk from a farm in Hokkaido, Japan that’s been owned by the same family for more than 100 years. Indigo Cow focuses on the flavor of the Hokkaido milk — you won’t find chocolate or strawberry ice cream — but the creaminess and fresh taste of the soft serve makes Indigo Cow’s cones more than capable of satisfying any ice cream craving.
Bonus: Dress up your soft serve with toppings like mochi, a dusting of matcha powder, and house made fruit sauce!
Laina’s Ice Cream
#AsianOwned #FamilyOwned #WomanOwned
Is there anything better than sitting outside on a Seattle summer day eating ube ice cream and looking at Lake Washington? Experience it for yourself! Laina’s Ice Cream is a handmade, family-owned ice cream shop that produces delicious dairy and non-dairy ice cream in small batches. Owner LeeAnn Subelbia and her family also own the adjacent Stonehouse Cafe. The family loves to meet their neighbors, and is always finding new ways to give back to the community. A portion of the monthly proceeds from Laina’s Ice Cream goes to a community-based organization!
Matcha Man Ice Cream & Taiyaki
#AsianOwned
Donald Gacilo has been doing Matcha Man Ice Cream & Taiyaki pop-ups since 2017 and opened a brick and mortar in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood in 2021. Matcha Man serves up soft-serve ice cream in taiyaki cones. Taiyaki is a popular Japanese waffle that’s shaped like a fish, and Donald’s cones at Matcha Man are similar to regular taiyaki, but the fish have gaping mouths that serve as containers for the soft-serve. Donald makes the taiyaki cones in a special griddle behind the counter and makes the ice cream flavors in house, including the namesake, matcha.
Nutty Squirrel Gelato
#FamilyOwned #MinorityOwned #WomanOwned
One could say that gelato runs in the family for Alev Seymen, whose parents own the famed Fainting Goat Gelato. Now, she and her husband, Tolga, are making their own mark on Seattle’s gelato scene with Nutty Squirrel Gelato.
Visit Alev and Tolga’s ice cream shop all year round for exquisitely crafted flavors that rotate seasonally. The name, Nutty Squirrel, is a tribute to traditional nut flavors and the beautiful, forested landscapes of the Pacific Northwest.
Bonus: Alev and Tolga also have locations in Phinney Ridge and Woodinville.
Sapling Gelato
#LatinoOwned
In 2021, Manu Alfau opened an ice cream place and a wood-fire pizza restaurant, Sapling Gelato and Evergreen Pizza, next door to each other in Bremerton. Manu has partnered with Nutty Squirrel Gelato to bring customers the yummiest frozen treats possible. The fun interior and friendly atmosphere make Sapling Gelato the perfect place to grab a frozen treat.
Fun-fact: Manuel named his gelato shop Sapling because he sees it as Evergreen’s little sister business.
Scoop Du Jour Ice Creamery
#BlackOwned
The smell of fresh waffle cones being made and the sight of colorful, creamy ice cream will have your mouth watering instantaneously. This neighborhood ice cream shop has been serving up smiles since it opened in 1984, one of two ice cream spots in Seattle at that time. Owner Edward Washington grew up in the neighborhood and got his degree in sociology at the University of Washington before realizing that his community needed the joy of a locally owned ice cream shop!
Bonus: In addition to their delicious Olympic Mountain Creamery ice cream, you can enjoy a house-made burger, sandwich, or hot dog!
Spice Waala
#AsianOwned #WomanOwned
Transport yourself to the streets of New Delhi, and enjoy the savory flavors of some of the most popular street foods and treats. In 2018, Spice Walaa was born at the South Lake Union Saturday Market, but opened first brick-and-mortar home in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in 2019. Owners Aakanksha Sinha and Uttam Mukherjee serve up kathi rolls, mango lassi, chai and chaat every day to hungry customers. Together, the two are committed to working with the community to achieve food justice, and they’re always giving back to the community. Be sure to check out their second location in Ballard!
Bonus: Don’t forget to grab a refreshing bowl of their soft serve ice cream! There offer unique new flavors like rose cardamom every month.
Sweet Alchemy
#AsianOwned #WomanOwned
After graduating from UW with an Art degree, Lois Ko began pursuing her dream of creating the best ice cream in the Pacific Northwest. In 2016, she opened Sweet Alchemy where she prioritizes sustainability and strives to only use local, organic ingredients. Her Ballard shop opened in 2019, co-located with Mighty-O doughnuts.
Visit Sweet Alchemy at any of their three Seattle locations: Ballard, University District and Capitol Hill.