A new ice cream spot is opening this week in South End. Try not to get brain freeze.
.jpg "Urban Sweets will open an ice cream shop on West Boulevard in South End.")
I scream, you scream, we all scream for Urban Sweets ice cream, which is opening a new store Wednesday, Nov. 30 on West Boulevard in South End.
Owner Kristen Stewart — no relation to “Twilight” leading lady Kristen Stewart — told CharlotteFive that she chose South End because it is growing quickly. “It’s a very diverse community,” she said. “It’s very vibrant.”
“It just seemed like a great add on and just to help us decide where we want it to be in Charlotte for our first concept,” she said.
The menu
The ice cream flavors are called “flavorites,” which rotate once every month. The cart offers about 40 flavors to choose from.
Each flavor is named after things in Charlotte. Some of the core “flavorites” include:
Queen City Cream — a rich vanilla flavor.
Uptown Choco Brown — a mix of three distinct cocoas: “yummy, delicious and tasty” Stewart said.
Dilworth Delight — chocolate cookie wafers with rich vanilla ice cream.
What to expect from the physical location
The cart will be introducing a new secret flavor called “Construction Crunch,” with crunchy elements. “(It’s) a play on all the things that are going on in Charlotte,” Stewart said. “Because I feel like no matter where you go, there’s construction.”
In addition to the ice cream, guests can expect the physical location to offer hand-painted chocolates, ice cream cakes, mini cakes and ice cream sandwiches.
It takes a village
Family and friends have helped Stewart make decisions about her business. “The fun part of this business has been so many of my friends and family have just been so extremely instrumental in helping me chart the course of the business,” Stewart said.
One of her friends suggested the “flavorites” be named after things in Charlotte. Her sorority sisters from her time at North Carolina A&T kicked off a crowdfunding campaign that will finish later this week.
“I’ve had a lot of support with this business,” Stewart said. “And I’m really thankful for that.”
The future of Urban Sweets
The opening of the location was initially delayed due to the pandemic and a shortage of contractors and subcontractors. In the meantime, Stewart’s cart, “Sweetie,” continued doing pop ups around Charlotte.
Stewart’s goal as a small business owner is to become self-sufficient and a good partner to the community. “Small businesses are faced with a lot of challenges, especially minority- and Black-owned businesses and just having our voices amplified just really makes a huge difference,” she said.
Urban Sweets will also offer a monthly pint service that provides four pints per month, plus a “surprise,” for an annual membership of $312, plus shipping. Three, six and nine month options are available, as well.
Urban Sweets
Location: 222 West Blvd #S114, Charlotte, NC 28203
Neighborhood: South End
Hours: 11 a.m. -8 p.m., Wednesday-Sunday
Instagram: @urbansweetsco
This story was originally published July 15, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
