April 29, 2021

Downtown’s only dedicated ice cream shop reopens Saturday with new treats and old favorites.

Now, every order of ice cream at Parlour Ice Cream House will come with a “Crispy Mac,” the shell of a macaron from sister shop CH Patisserie.

“It’s our take on the classic wafer cookie for ice cream,” said Chris Hanmer, who owns the shops with his wife, Caryn.

The popular macaron ice cream sandwiches are back, and flavors will rotate.

Root beer floats are new and will be available all the time, he said. Other featured drinks will appear throughout the summer.

The shop is downsizing its dipping case to nine flavors of ice cream, gelato and sorbet, which will change throughout the season. A gluten-free option will always be available.

“We’re going to try new stuff but not necessarily every day or every week,” Hanmer said. Fewer offerings will make it possible for customers to find something new to try more often.

“People become overwhelmed with too many choices,” he said, adding that people think that if five flavors are great, 25 must be better, but research shows customers are less likely to venture beyond their usual order if there are too many options.

Collaborations with other local businesses will provide creative options to try throughout the summer. Kicking off the opening is a limited-edition offering with Salty Pop Popcorn. It’s one of Parlour’s original flavors with a twist: popcorn ice cream with caramel jam and chocolate-covered peanuts topped with Salty Pop’s caramel popcorn.

First Friday in May will feature live music and a “poet for hire” from 6 to 8 p.m. The poet takes a suggested theme and writes a poem on the spot on a typewriter, Hanmer said. People pay whatever they think the poem is worth.

“It’s a cool way to support the arts, and that’s something that we are passionate about,” he said.

The shop, which is in Washington Square on Main Avenue across from the Washington Pavilion, will open at noon daily and close at 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday.

Parlour operated through the winter other years, but because of the pandemic, the Hanmers closed it at the end of summer. Now, it’s like opening a new business, he said. They’re still hiring staff and have been busy getting the shop ready.

“We want people to come out and just enjoy the weather and being alive and enjoy ice cream.”