Johnson County ice cream shop is closing. A boozy favorite will replace it
After several “incredible” years, Prairie Village ice cream shop Chill in the Village is closing.
The shop announced via social media this week that it would close its storefront at 6966 Mission Road. It will serve all of customers’ favorite frozen treats until May 31.
But have no fear, ice cream lovers: Something else is on the way.
St. Louis favorite Clementine’s Naughty and Nice Ice Cream will open in the space in September. It will serve “nice” ice cream for its under-21 guests, as well as “naughty” spiked ice cream for those of age.
Clementine’s gooey butter cake ice cream made The O List in 2019 and was called “the sexiest ice cream alive” in Oprah Magazine.
There are a few things that make Clementine’s different, CEO Tamara Keefe said.
For one, the micro creamery makes its small-batch ice cream without any artificial ingredients. All the cookies, cakes, and other add-ins are baked by hand and then put into the ice cream.
The brand has a higher butterfat percentage than most ice cream competitors, making it extra rich and creamy. While many ice cream brands have a 50% “overrun,” or air content, Clementine’s delivers a denser product with less than 30% overrun.
Nice flavors include Italian Butter Cookie (cookie pieces flecked into Speculoos ice cream with brown sugar and cinnamon) and Espresso Royale (dark roast coffee flavor with a blend of Ethiopian and Sumatra beans, with hints of vanilla and brown sugar).
As for the naughty? Boozy Banana Rum (roasted banana ice cream blended with brown sugar, cinnamon, and spiced rum) and Maple Bourbon with Candied Pecans (bourbon and maple syrup in vanilla ice cream sprinkled with salted candied Missouri pecans).
Clementine’s also specializes in dairy-free ice cream, including Lemon Poppyseed and Tahini Chocolate Chip flavors.
While Clementine’s has eight locations in the St. Louis area, it’s looking to grow rapidly.
The brand is eyeing eight spots in the Kansas City metro, Keefe said, so more location announcements are on the way.
“We’ve had so much demand from folks in Kansas City when they come to St. Louis,” Keefe said. “We believe that Kansas City deserves to have super-premium, artisanal ice cream.”
Local commercial broker Sheryl Vickers is representing Clementine’s and Keefe, who applauded Keefe, the brand and the aesthetic of the locations.
“I always celebrate women who are elevating the game,” she said. “She’s just a force to be reckoned with … She has lines down the street.”
Vickers of Select Sites LLC is currently seeking more sites for the brand.
Chill got its start in 2018, when Karie and Ed Nelson bought a local TCBY franchise and relocated it to the east side of The Shops of Prairie Village. They decided to separate from the brand in 2020 and reopen Chill as its own concept.
“Your support, laughter and love over the years have meant the world to us - thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” Chill in the Village said in its farewell note on social media.
This story was originally published April 30, 2025 at 1:56 PM.