North Carolina Ice Cream Shops Are Keeping Customers Cool

North Carolina ice cream shops and creameries are scooping up delicious ice cream offerings that keep customers coming back while creating a family-friendly environment where memories are made.

Sunni Sky’s Homemade Ice Cream

For Ben Sturgess, ice cream is a way to bring families and communities together. As the majority owner of Sunni Sky’s Homemade Ice Cream, Sturgess strives to bring the past back to life at his shop in Angier.

“We want to bring the atmosphere of the more traditional kind of ice cream and soda shops of the past,” Sturgess says. “We are definitely the rural America, small-town ice cream shop.”

Sunni Sky’s has become a staple not just for the Angier community but for travelers along Interstate 40 and Triangle-area residents. Started in 2003 by Scott and Stacey Wilson, this family-oriented shop was named for the Wilsons’ two children – Sunni and Sky. More than 130 different flavors of homemade ice cream are available, some of which have gained national acclaim.

Working in partnership with a local creamery, Sunni Sky’s develops all its flavors in-house, from classic favorites to unique creations like crumb cake, peach cobbler, and blueberry or strawberry cheesecake. The Exit Wound and Cold Sweat flavors, their super-spicy creations, have even drawn tasters from other states. With so many flavors to choose from, there’s sure to be something for everyone on the menu.

We All Scream For Ice Cream

“There’s definitely a lot of work that goes into the flavors and the quality of the ice cream, but I think the secret is we have been blessed with amazing employees that make it kind of a home away from home,” Sturgess says.

The success of Sunni Sky’s arose solely through word of mouth as the business doesn’t advertise. The business is known for its easygoing atmosphere and hardworking team of local college and high school students. On summer evenings, the shop becomes a gathering spot for everyone from retired community members to local teenagers. Sturgess strives to ensure that Sunni Sky’s continues to be a spot where conversation can flourish over a cone or cup of ice cream.

“We get to experience the best of everybody in the community because everybody’s excited and having fun,” Sturgess says. “It’s hard to have a bad day when you’re having ice cream.”

Homeland Creamery

Located on farmland that has been in the Bowman family for eight generations, Homeland Creamery invites visitors to partake in what makes their business so special – homemade ice cream. In the small community of Julian, the Homeland Creamery farm store has become a source of local milk and other dairy products, as well as produce from surrounding farms.

“The creamery is kind of a staple for our little town,” says Paige Garland, part of the fourth generation of dairy farmers in the Bowman family.

While Homeland Creamery has since sold its dairy herd, the creamery now partners with local dairy farmers to produce a range of milks, creams and ice creams produced using a “low and slow” vat pasteurization process, which Garland says helps preserve the flavor and nutrients in the milk.

Homeland Creamery draws visitors in for its unique ice cream flavors, which can be found in the farm shop and grocery stores across Central North Carolina. From banana pudding to chocolate cherry and “Cow Pie” (brownie chunks in chocolate ice cream) flavors, Homeland Creamery offers about 20 different ice cream varieties. Seasonal offerings like pumpkin pie in the fall, peppermint in winter and chocolate cherry for Valentine’s Day mean customers can find something new to enjoy with each season.

Keep Cool at North Carolina Ice Cream Shops

Homeland Creamery mixes up the classics with its specialty, “Moo Brew,” an affogato-like beverage with a kid-sized dollop of ice cream in a cup of local coffee.

Garland personally loves mixing coffee ice cream with the creamery’s chocolate milk in a rich milkshake, which customers can request in-store or whip up for themselves at home. After picking up some ice cream from the farm store, visitors can relax at one of the many picnic tables beneath the 100-year-old willow oak tree on the property.

The creamery also uses its business to help educate the community about the workings of the dairy industry. Visitors can attend farm tours from April through October. Garland has welcomed schoolchildren, senior citizen groups, agriculture classes and more.

“I want to allow other people to enjoy the simple things that we take for granted,” Garland says. “We want not just to give them a fun time but to actually teach them.”