Jamie Votaw and Ariana Cooper met because their kids play soccer together. Little did they realize their friendship would lead to a red-hot business partnership.
In fact, it was on a soccer trip that they visited an ice cream sandwich shop. ‘‘It was OK…’’ Votaw begins. Cooper finishes, ‘‘But we knew we could do better.’’
Thus was born the idea for Ice Cream Sammies, which opened last Wednesday on Boston Street, about a block-and-a-half west of Arizona Avenue, in downtown Chandler.
Unlike other ice cream sandwich shops in the Valley, Votaw and Cooper (pictured above with Jamie’s husband, Joel) make their own ice creams and cookies – every day – using premium ingredients.
‘‘We make our ice creams with just three ingredients: milk, cream, and sugar,’’ Cooper says. ‘‘No eggs or (chemical) emulsifiers. It’s not like the other stuff you buy.’’
If the first few days are any indication, the women have a hit on their hands. Without any advertising or marketing, Ice Cream Sammies has had lines out the door every day. On Friday alone, it sold out of more than 1,600 cookies.
‘‘We were here until 2 a.m. that night making more ice cream,’’ Votaw says. ‘‘We just never expected that kind of response from the community.’’
‘‘For our opening, I ordered 2,000 spoons,’’ Cooper says. ‘‘I thought, ‘This is easily several weeks’ worth.’ But after four days we’re nearly out of spoons.’’
Ice Cream Sammies, though, hardly was an instant success. Votaw and Cooper spent almost two years on their concept. Few property owners or realtors were eager to take a chance on the two Chandler residents with no business experience.
The pair spent a year looking all over the East Valley for a location, then another eight months on extensive renovations, which included the installation of new electrical and sewer systems.
In the meantime, they went to Penn State to hone their ice cream making skills – the same courses that launched Ben & Jerry’s – and tested numerous cookie recipes.
To start, Votaw and Cooper are offering a dozen flavors of ice cream and a half-dozen types of cookies, the latter served warm. New ice creams will rotate in seasonally, such as pumpkin in the fall and peppermint during the holidays.
For $4.95, you get a signature Ice Cream Sammie built to order with the ice cream and cookies of your choice, as well as an ‘‘edge’’ – a topping that’s rolled onto the edge of the sandwich.
(For the record, Votaw’s favorite “sammie” is the salted caramel ice cream between oatmeal cookies. Cooper goes with coconut ice cream between chocolate chip cookies.)
The menu also has ice cream sundaes ($4.95) and shakes ($4.95). The store has a waffle cone machine, but it’ll be a couple weeks before cones are available.
Ice Cream Sammies is a family affair. Besides Joel Votaw, who’s in construction but helps run the store, the families’ six children also lend a hand.
The 1,200-square-foot, white-walled interior has several tables, including a community high-top table. Beyond a roll-up garage door, a courtyard patio with umbrella-shaded tables (pictured) is shared with the neighboring pottery store.
Ice Cream Sammies opens at 11 a.m. daily. For now, they intend to close at 9 p.m. weekdays and 10:30 or 11 p.m. weekends, although that is still being adjusted.
Votaw and Cooper already are looking for a second location, and they’d eventually like to open four or five. Realtors and property owners suddenly are calling them, instead of the other way around.
‘‘The response has been amazing,’’ Jamie Votaw says. ‘‘The quality of the cookies and ice cream is what’s bringing people in.’’
