Imagine you find yourself walking in the Narberth town center one day. You might see little shops and restaurants all around, maybe houses and apartments in the distance. The Greeks, Real Pizza, and many more. But these days, you might see something new– Jeni’s Ice Cream.
A new addition to the Narberth community, Jeni’s just moved in this summer. Already a staple in the ice cream community, favorite flavors include Brambleberry Crisp and Salty Caramel. 35 locations across the country and 2 million pints sold make Jeni’s a fan favorite.
It all started when a 15-year-old Jeni took a part-time job at an ice cream shop. After scooping so much that her arms hurt, she decided that she wanted to open her own. Soon, she started a shop called Scream Ice Cream, selling her first flavors of ice cream.
Unfortunately, financial difficulties caused her to close up. In 2002, she opened a revamped store called Jeni’s, with wacky and scent-filled flavors. It was a hit. In 2005, the first scoop was sold outside of the market. Business grew exponentially. Now, Jenis is one of the most enjoyed ice cream brands.
Now, as you may know, there was once another ice cream store: Village Treats. Being a staple of Narberth for many years, Village Treats was unfortunately closed. People were very sad to not have an ice cream parlor, but that didn’t last long. A pop-up called Scoops soon took up the shop, selling Baskin & Robbins’ simple flavors like Cookies and Cream and Chocolate Fudge. It was actually run by high school students, who paid all the lease and worked at the shop. They kept the spirit of Village Treats going, but they had to go back to school. It was closed down yet again, and after a few months, Jeni’s opened.
Opinions about the shop are mixed. Some say the scoops are too expensive, with a ‘signature’ (3 ‘half scoops’) costing $6 and a pint costing $12. Others say that their superior flavors trump the price tag. But many of their flavors, such as Sweet Potato Marshmallow Praline and even Goat Cheese with Red Cherries are very complicated for no reason. Vanilla can be just as good as a Wildberry Lavender.
My opinion? It’s good, but expensive. My favorite flavors are Brambleberry Crisp and Salted Peanut Butter, but that’s just me. Maybe next time you’re walking through Narberth, you give Jeni’s a try.
Works Cited:
Best Sellers Collection
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/19/meet-the-woman-whos-name-is-on-2-million-pints-of-ice-cream.html
https://abc7ny.com/ice-cream-shops-narberth-scoops-lower-merion-high-school-philadelphia/13490004/
