Ruby Jewel Brings New Ice Cream Shop to Slabtown Neighborhood in May 2019
Founder and Flavor Creator Lisa Herlinger to Celebrate 4th Location on NW 23rd with Local Collaborations throughout May
PORTLAND, Ore. – March 31, 2019 – Ruby Jewel Ice Cream will open its fourth location, now in every quadrant of Portland, in May 2019. The new, 1,600-square-foot ice cream shop will be at 1650 NW 23rd Avenue. This pioneering ice cream company was co-founded by Lisa Herlinger and her sister Becky Burnett, in 2004 at the Portland Farmers’ Market, and is best known for its ice cream sandwiches with creative flavor pairings and ingredients thoughtfully sourced from local farmers and food producers. Opening week will include special collaboration events, many of which will benefit local community partners.
“I’m excited to open a shop in Northwest Portland, surrounded by other vibrant independent businesses with strong community roots,” says Herlinger. “The Slabtown neighborhood is having an exciting development boom and the design of our new shop will welcome everyone with a playful vibe, more like an “ice cream wonderland” than a typical scoop shop.”
Herlinger collaborated with Portland-based Design Department, the firm behind the recent Keys Lounge and Bamboo Sushi restaurant designs. Together, they have re-imagined four whimsical “rooms” created to mimic the main sections of a home, but side-by-side and separated not by walls, but by unique furnishings and rug designs hand painted onto polished concrete. The room designs will be unveiled when the shop opens in May. “I love the idea of separate seating areas within the larger shop,” says Herlinger. “The design challenge was transforming a contemporary space into one that is cozy and vintage, and we’ve had fun choosing furniture and accessories and designing custom wallpaper. I want the new store to surprise and delight customers of all ages.”
Ruby Jewel’s signature ice cream sandwiches will be the main focus of the new shop. From the first steps through the door, customers will be greeted by a glass-fronted case stacked with freshly baked cookies to pair with seasonal or classic ice cream flavors. “The new shop will have more counter space to showcase all our cookies and toppings so customers can pick from dozens of flavor combinations,” says Herlinger. “It really is the first dedicated ice cream sandwich shop in the city.”
Pre-packaged ice cream sandwiches will be available “to go” in a freezer by the front door in popular flavor combinations, including Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie and Butterscotch Ice Cream, Double Chocolate Cookie and Peanut Butter Ice Cream, Brown Sugar Cookie and Oregon Strawberry Ice Cream, Chocolate Cookie and Salted Caramel Ice Cream, Lemon Cookie and Honey Lavender Ice Cream and Dark Chocolate Cookie with Fresh Mint Ice Cream.
The new flagship store will also include a test kitchen for Herlinger to create unique, small-batch ice cream flavors with local chefs and food and beverage partners, train staff and teach community-wide classes. Customers can pull up a stool to the test kitchen “island” to view the ice-cream-making process up close and perhaps sample a taste of an experimental flavor.
About Ruby Jewel Ice Cream
Ruby Jewel was founded in 2004 at the Portland Farmers’ Market by sisters Lisa Herlinger and Becky Burnett and has grown to include four Portland ice cream shops. The shops feature ice cream sandwiches made to order; ice cream cones and sundaes with rotating seasonal ice cream flavors; and classic ice cream flavors, including Oregon Strawberry, Cookies & Cream, Caramel with Salted Dark Chocolate, Oregon Mint Flake and Double Chocolate. Ruby Jewel ice cream is proudly made using local and thoughtfully sourced ingredients and supports community and educational organizations, local farmers and makers, and creates a work environment that is fair and equitable. Ruby Jewel ice cream sandwiches are available at grocers and attractions throughout the Pacific Northwest, including New Seasons Market, Whole Foods, PCC Markets, Food Front, Fred Meyer, Safeway, and seasonally at the MODA Center, Century Link Field (Seattle), OMSI and the Oregon Zoo.
More details on the menu, opening date and events will be announced in the upcoming months. For more information and store locations, visit Ruby Jewel online at www.rubyjewel.com, or follow us on Instagram and Facebook: @RubyJewelIceCream.