Local Girl Makes Good: Celebrating Grand Opening of St. Charles Ice Cream Venture
St. Charles, IL
A year after she graduated from University of Iowa, Batavia native Kimberly Elam will celebrate the grand opening of her new entrepreneurial venture in St. Charles on Saturday, May 21 at 1 pm, when Mayor DeWitte cuts the ribbon on Kimmer’s Ice Cream at 1 West Illinois, across from The Blue Goose. Kimmer, as she is known, fell in love with ice cream as a little girl, and never looked back. After purchasing the former Gramps Frozen Custard, she is inventing new gourmet flavors and making classic favorites fresh and homemade daily. Kimmer’s also continues to offer Gramps Frozen Custard in a variety of flavors.
In addition to the ribbon cutting, Kimmer’s will be sampling mini-cones and taster spoons of a variety of home made flavors throughput the day, and will Buy Once Get One Scoops, and offer drawings, coupons and entertainment. Kids can pick up an ice cream cone coloring page to submit for a chance to win an ice cream cone every month for a year. Grand Opening activities continue from noon- 9 pm.
Elam, 23, worked in a local franchise ice cream shop all through high school and studied business and entrepreneurship in college. Her professors told her “do what you love” and she took them literally, attending Ice Cream University right after her graduation from Iowa. “I love that I get to be creative with surprising flavor combinations that come from other places,”says Elam. “And I love the atmosphere in the shop. People are almost always happy when they are coming in for ice cream..and they’re absolutely happy when they leave.” Elam has created some 21 flavors of Kimmer’s Homemade with Love ice cream flavors, including Parent Trap, (vanilla ice cream with oreos and peanut butter ribbons), Aztec Hot Chocolate, Cinnamon Bun, Red Velvet Cake, Creme Brulee, Brown Cow (chocolate and vanilla swirl), Cotton Candy, Coffee and Donuts, Lemon and Sugar-Free Vanilla. A variety of homemade flavors of ice cream and custard are available every day.
In addition to ice cream, custard, ice cream cakes and pies, Kimmer’s will offer parties and fundraisers, including in-store birthday parties, showers and girls’ nights out as well as fundraising opportunities for schools, clubs, teams and scout troops. Kimmer’s is proud sponsor of the Tri-Cities girls’ soccer team. “They’re undefeated and we celebrate with ice cream!” says Elam.
For more information on events and daily flavor offerings, visit Kimmer’s Ice Cream on the web at www.kimmersicecream.com and on facebook. Kimmer’s is open Monday-Saturday from noon-9 and Sunday noon-8 pm.
