Licked, a vibrant new ice cream shop in Oak Park, is proving to be a key contributor to the neighborhood’s revitalization, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights, according to owner Susan Stewart.
Since opening in May, the shop has brought new energy to Broadway, benefiting not only Stewart’s business but also neighboring stores. “The ice cream store is not only helping my business across the street, it’s helping all the little shops surrounding it,” Stewart explained.
While the shop isn’t yet a big money-maker, covering basic expenses like rent and employee wages, it has successfully drawn a steady stream of customers into Oak Park. “I’ve had so many people tell me they’re stoked to have something within walking distance,” said Stewart. “It’s become a great little hub for our neighborhood.”
The interior of Licked stands out with a fun, bright pink color scheme, featuring ice cream-themed merchandise, disco balls, and a large mint chocolate chip cone. A neon sign near the register humorously reads, “I licked it so it’s mine,” a piece of personal flair that Stewart humorously noted was originally intended for her kitchen but ended up in the shop after a year and a half.
Licked offers a rotating selection of 16 flavors from Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, including unique varieties like Kitty Kitty Bang Bang, a cheesecake ice cream with raspberry, chocolate, and Oreo cookies, and Blue Moon, which has a distinctive flavor reminiscent of Fruit Loops cereal milk. For the end of summer, the shop has introduced two new flavors: ube chai, a blend of purple yam and coconut chai, and blackberry lemon bar.
Stewart hopes the popularity of Licked will encourage Sacramento’s demand to influence Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream to produce even more of these flavors. “I’m hoping that we buy enough of it and that Sacramento is enough of a force that we can get them to make more,” she said.
In addition to single-scoop ice cream, Licked offers indulgent sundaes such as the Sacra-mint-o, combining mint chocolate chip ice cream with brownie bites, hot fudge, and chocolate sprinkles.
Licked is located at 3400 Broadway and is open Sunday through Thursday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
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