Millie’s has a very simple mission:
To make ice cream the right way — from
scratch, in small batches, without stabilizers
or artificial additives.
Just all-natural ice cream and sorbet,
handcrafted from local dairy and the finest
seasonal ingredients.
That’s our promise.
Lynn Way in North Point Breeze. The chef
began to sell his wholesale product to local
markets and food shops; Millie’s can now be
found at numerous locations throughout the
city, including the East End Food Co-op, the
Food Shoppe in Squirrel Hill, Vanilla Pastry
Studio in Regent Square, the Feast on Brilliant
in Aspinwall and the Uncommon Market in
Bethel Park.
In March, Millie’s opened its first public
scoop shop on South Highland Avenue in
Shadyside, taking over—and completely
remodeling—the space from a previous
Townsend’s nieces
Ellianna and Vivian
McKibben enjoy their
favorite flavors at
their uncle’s shop.
PHOTOS BY NICOLE TAFE
ice cream store. The response has been
overwhelming.
“It became extremely popular very quickly,
and as time went on, it just got more and
more popular. People are lined up out the
door every single day, even when it’s 20 or 30
degrees outside and they’re standing in the
snow,” he says with a laugh.
Best sellers have been the lemon, salty
caramel, and Vietnamese coffee ice cream,
which Townsend makes using dark-roasted
Vietnamese coffee beans from a local supplier.
The coconut lime sorbet has also been a
huge hit; Townsend says customers find the
creamy-like consistency, despite containing
no dairy, to be a pleasant deviation from
standard, overly sweet sorbet. Heading into
fall, patrons will likely find unique flavors
crafted with pears, pumpkins and figs on the
menu.
At this point, Townsend says he’s looking
forward to establishing Millie’s in the
community, and doesn’t discount plans for
expansion into a second location.
“We’re so happy to be here in Shadyside,
and it’s totally feasible to think that we could
do another location,” he says. “But right now,
we’re focusing on getting our feet under us
and making the best ice cream we can.”
Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream is located at
232 S. Highland Avenue in Shadyside. For more
information, visit millieshomemade.com. n
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