Parlour Ice Cream House nears opening as Washington Square gains more interest

April 18, 2018

With about two weeks before opening day, here’s a look at how far Parlour Ice Cream House has come with its downtown location.

“I love it here. I literally love being here,” co-owner Chris Hanmer said. “It’s exactly the feel we wanted. We’re really creating an experience for our city, which is something we just love.”

Chris and Caryn Hanmer also own CH Patisserie nearby. At Parlour, he has been perfecting flavors of ice cream, gelato and sorbet. There will be 18 rotating options as well as the Parlour Journey, a flight of flavors curated to take diners on a culinary journey.

The space looks out toward the Washington Pavilion. Hanmer has been happy with hiring but could use four to five more employees.

“We’re still looking for employees. We have about half our staff hired, but we’re looking for people to work earlier, like 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. shifts,” he said. Those interested can email [email protected].

When it opens May 3, Parlour is the first shop to do business on the first floor of Washington Square.

“It’s phenomenal,” building co-owner Chris Houwman said. “For Sioux Falls to have probably one of the nicest ice cream shops in the country is just incredible.”

He predicts Hanmer will be asked to open locations in other upscale retail centers nationwide.

The rest of Washington Square also is filling up. The building has six condominiums available and nine under construction. Owners have moved into five residences.

The first floor is starting to attract serious interest from restaurants, Houwman said.

“We have multiple potential tenants in and out of state looking at the space,” he said.

A small bar also is considering part of the first floor.

“We’re looking for something that would complement the other tenants and the Pavilion and the rest of downtown,” Houwman said.

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Parlour Ice Cream House nears opening as Washington Square gains more interest

Parlour Ice Cream House is getting ready to open as Washington Square keeps gaining momentum.

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