Salted caramel, strawberry balsamic: Ice cream shop opening second Johnson County spot
Less than two years after opening, a locally owned ice cream shop in Prairie Village is adding a Leawood location.
Summersalt Ice Cream Co. plans an early April opening in Ranch Mart North, 3808 W. 95th St.
It will have two walk-up windows and seating only outdoors.
The first shop opened in Corinth Square, 4051 Somerset Drive, Prairie Village, in summer 2020. Mely’s Yogurt & Ice Cream had long operated in the space.
Summersalt’s owners, Curtis and Amy Thurston, said the recently remodeled Ranch Mart North approached them about opening a location. They live in Leawood.
Summersalt’s flavors include snickerdoodle, chocolate fudge brownie, salted caramel, lemon blueberry crumble, strawberry balsamic, blackberry chocolate flake, coffee waffle toffee, and local honey lavender. It also has vegan ice cream, and sorbet.
Curtis Thurston attended the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and then worked as a chef in the city before working as a chef for hotels and spas internationally.
He later was a hospitality consultant traveling internationally. He grew up in Overland Park and returned with his family in 2011 for the “built-in day care” his parents could provide during those trips.
He was looking at opening a restaurant but said the hours aren’t great for parents with young children.
An ice cream shop would be.
While negotiating for the Mely’s Yogurt spot, he took an ice cream making course at the University of Wisconsin. He whipped up different flavors in his Leawood kitchen, passing samples out to friends and family for review.
His children go to school close to the Prairie Village location.
“They can hang out in an ice cream shop easier than in a restaurant,” he said. “It’s fun. A lot more fun to make than the stress of working in a restaurant, plate after plate 400 times an night.”
Meat Mitch Barbecue also recently opened on the east end of Ranch Mart North.
This story was originally published February 22, 2022 at 12:42 PM.