Ice cream. Is there any more charming treat? Dress it up with sprinkles, nuts, and candy, or keep it classic with only a cup and spoon. When the flavors are as rich and enticing as Sundae’s, either way is a win. It’s best to just surrender and let your sweet tooth be your guide.
So what’s the story behind the cream? General manager Ashlyn Streetz recently filled us in—and let’s just say that we’re now hankering for a raspberry cone, big time.
RFL: What’s the Sundae story?
Streetz: “We were born a bit over three years ago in Eagle County, with shops in Edwards and Vail. The owner [Kent Beidel] wanted to offer an all-natural product, done well—ice cream that’s amazingly good but without any artificial ingredients. It turned out that our customers wanted the same because soon after opening, it exploded in popularity. Pretty soon we were looking to expand.”
So that’s how Sundae came to the Roaring Fork Valley. Why downtown Glenwood and Snowmass Base Village?
Streetz: “We were looking everywhere, scouting in Denver and the front range. But at the end of the day, we decided that we really love being a mountain town brand. It has been wonderful to be in small towns where having a really great ice cream shop can become an asset to the community. So far, business has been amazing, even considering the conditions we opened under, with Covid going on. Glenwood opened June 1, and Snowmass July 27.”
How has it been to navigate business during the pandemic?
Streetz: “There have been so many challenges that have come with this. Safety precautions, rules enforced with customers, special sanitation guidelines...it’s been a lot. But we decided to push forward with the openings despite these challenges. We had stayed open in Vail and Edwards during the toughest part of lockdown this spring, and what we got was incredible support from the community. Our hope was that we could provide a little happiness and relief from all the chaos of the world in the form of ice cream cones, so we’ve continued to adapt and keep our doors open to be able to do that.”
Now, tell us about all that glorious ice cream. And the cones.
Streetz: “To begin with, we set out with the idea that if we can’t make the best vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream you’ve ever had, then we should just quit. [Laughs.] We focused on the basics first, because we want to appeal to people who love the classics. Building on that, we do have fun with other flavors like our s’mores or salted cookies and cream, which is really popular, and some dairy-free flavors as well. All the ice cream is made in-house, except for our smaller Snowmass shop which is made in Glenwood and brought in. We start with milk, cream, eggs, and sugar, and then build all the flavors naturally from there. All the cones are made in-house at all four locations, every day, and they are guaranteed fresh. We make classic waffle cones and add chocolate and toppings, because why not make something that’s already fun even better? How can a giant sprinkled cone with your favorite ice cream not make your day? We also do grab-and-go ice cream sandwiches and pints, and our ice cream cakes come ready-made or custom if you call ahead.”
What’s your favorite flavor?
Streetz: “That’s the hardest decision. I like to keep it simple for sure. I think my all-time favorite that we make is our raspberry ice cream. I would do a dark chocolate-dipped cone with almond toffee and a scoop of raspberry. But just a single scoop—which would leave room for another one later!”
