Nothing says ‘summer’ like July, the hottest month of the year — especially in the Southeast, where temperatures can hit triple digits. So it makes sense that July would also be National Ice Cream Month.
First established in 1984 by former President Ronald Reagan, National Ice Cream Month celebrates everything we know and love about ice cream — from its sweet taste to its ability to beat the heat. But it can also be a chance to celebrate local ice cream parlors.
By buying local ice cream, you’re supporting small businesses and often eating higher-quality ice cream. So this July, ditch the chain stores and visit one of these 11 ice cream shops owned and operated by fellow Southeasterners near you.
North Carolina
Sunni Sky’s Homemade Ice Cream — Angier
When you think ‘ice cream,’ you probably don’t think ‘waiver.’ But at Sunni Sky’s Homemade Ice Cream, that’s exactly what you must sign before trying two flavors: Cold Sweat and Exit Wound.
Stuffed with pecan peppers, Thai chilies, habaneros, and more, the twin flavors are hot enough to secure the location’s fame. But that’s not all the Angier-based ice cream shop offers. It’s also home to more than 100 other delicious flavors, like Butterscotch Bliss, Chocolate Éclair, and White Chocolate Caramel Swirl. Visitors can even enjoy sherbert, sorbet, and sugar-free flavors.
The shop is open during the hot summer and cooler autumn months, closing from Dec. 1 to March 1 every year. It accepts cash only, which helps keep the prices down. A single scoop cone is just $3, and a large sundae is $4.75 — tax included!
Angier is 20 miles south of Raleigh, North Carolina’s capital. Raleigh is full of places to visit, including Pullen Park, Juniper Level Botanic Garden, and the Raleigh Market. Sunni Sky’s could provide a sweet treat after an activity-filled day.
Golden Cow Creamery — Charlotte
Golden Cow Creamery started with a two-quart ice cream maker “and a dream.” And seven years later, the shop sticks to its roots by selling high-quality, small-batch ice cream.
Golden Cow Creamery ice cream does not use flavor bases, syrups, or commercial mixes. Instead, it’s made with fresh ingredients and a three-day process: mixing, aging, and freezing. The shops serve 14 flavors at a time, including six standard flavors and eight specialties that rotate in and out — think S’mores, Nerds, and Kit Kat.
Golden Cow Creamery has three locations across Charlotte, making it an accessible go-to site no matter where you are. Whether you’re strolling in Freedom Park, visiting the NASCAR Hall of Fame, or watching a baseball game at Truist Field, you’ll never lack things to do in Charlotte.
South Carolina
Sweet Cream Company — Columbia
Sprinkles, peanuts, and chocolate sauce may abound at other ice cream shops, but not at Sweet Cream Company. It’s one of the few parlors that offer no toppings.The owners of the Columbia-based shop view ice cream as an art that shouldn’t be covered up. So each of the 16 small-batch ice cream flavors speak for themselves — like Rose and Dark Chocolate, Chai with Roasted Pepitas, and Whiskey Pecan. Several flavors are made with unique ingredients like rosemary and cardamom, and the waffle cones are made fresh daily. Each month features a different ice cream cookie sandwich, too.
But what’s especially unique about Sweet Cream Company are its dog treats. The shop sells frozen dog treats made with yogurt, honey, and peanut butter for $1. The owners match each purchase, and all proceeds go to local animal rescue facilities. So far, Sweet Cream Company has donated more than $5,000 to help homeless and abused animals.
Sweet Cream Company is just the tip of the iceberg in Columbia, South Carolina’s capital city. You can also spend a day visiting the Columbia Museum of Art, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, Congaree National Park, and so much more.
Off Track Ice Cream — Charleston
If all-natural, locally-sourced ice cream sounds appealing, look no further than Charleston’s Off Track Ice Cream.
The ice cream starts with no-nonsense ingredients: milk, cream, egg yolk, and cane sugar. Then other natural ingredients are added to create the flavors, which include Cinnamon Toast Crispies, Key Lime Pie, and Salted Pretzel Toffee. Many of the shop’s ingredients, from sea salt to peaches, come from local distributors in or near Charleston. And the shop offers a wide array of vegan options, too, made from raw cashews, organic coconut cream, and sunflower oil.
Charleston is full of Lowcountry charm and historical significance, boasting attractions like the Charleston City Market, Joe Riley Waterfront Park, and Folly Beach. Enjoy walking the rustic port city with an Off Track Ice Cream cone or specialty sundae.
Florida
Springfield Scoops — Jacksonville
Jacksonville’s Springfield Historic District is a hotspot for old homes and bustling businesses. But it would lack an ice cream shop until 2020, when Springfield Scoops opened.
Owned by a family who has made ice cream for 37 years, Springfield Scoops provides a space for the community to convene and socialize, its owners said. The shop keeps 24 flavors on display, but it swaps them out frequently, building up to more than 150 flavors in total. You can find classics like chocolate and strawberry alongside newer flavors like Butterscotch Bomb and the ever-popular Garbage Can, which is vanilla mixed with seven different candy bars. The waffle cones and bowls are freshly-made, too.
Springfield is full of local breweries, shopping areas, and walking tours for you to enjoy. And Jacksonville, Florida’s capital, also offers several getaways — from the Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary to Big Talbot Island State Park.
Mr. Cool Ice Cream & Boba Tea — Orlando
You’ve had ice cream stacked in a cone or squashed between two cookies. But have you had it rolled?
Orlando’s Mr. Cool Ice Cream & Boba Tea serves just that: rolled ice cream, which started in Thailand 14 years ago. Visitors watch employees spread the ice cream in a thin layer and then roll it into little tubes using a spatula-like tool. The “Ice Mania” treat is then completed with sauce and toppings.
You can choose your own combinations or select one of the shop’s sundaes, like the strawberry and banana Hello Kitty, the chocolate and Oreo Mickey Mouse, or the coffee and condensed milk Morning Latte. And true to its name, the shop also sells Boba Tea, as well as smoothies and milkshakes.
Rolled ice cream is different from your standard fare — so why not try something different in Orlando, too? You can always visit the city’s many theme parks, but you could also watch a soccer game at the Orlando City Stadium or go fishing at Bill Frederick Park.
Cherry Smash — Coral Springs
At Cherry Smash in Coral Springs, you’re not just getting ice cream. You’re going back in time.
The storefront is packed to the brim with antique candy and drink advertisements, cash registers, soda machines, and celebrity cardboard cutouts all scattered about a room with a black-and-white checkered floor and roof. The menu sticks to the theme, with old-fashioned options like ice cream floats, banana splits, and brownie sundaes. But it offers new treats, too — like the Cherry Smash, a namesake sundae made with signature ‘purple haze’ ice cream, hot fudge, and cherry sauce.
Coral Springs may not be a capital city, but it has no shortage of fun attractions. Try the Fern Forest Nature Center or Butterfly World, the world’s largest butterfly park in nearby Coconut Creek.
Georgia
Sweet Stack — Atlanta
You could get just ice cream at Sweet Stack. But you could also opt to order what the Atlanta-based shop is known for: ice cream sandwiches.
Sweet Stack slathers ice cream between cookies and donuts to create a delicious double-decker treat. And the flavors you get to choose from are fun, too. You can keep it original with Basic Bish Vanilla or lean into the new with the Marvel-inspired Black Panther flavor. The ‘OG’ even blends chocolate sandwich cookies into vanilla, if you want a cookie flavor without the crunch.
Sweet Stack is in the heart of Atlanta, just blocks away from the famous Coca-Cola Museum and Georgia Aquarium. Walking down one street alone would uncover a world of places to visit in this historic city and state capital.
Leopold’s Ice Cream — Savannah
There are not many places where you can eat 100-year-old ice cream.
But Leopold’s Ice Cream in Savannah serves several flavors using the same recipes from 1919, when three brothers opened the shop. Today, the Leopold family still owns and operates the parlor. From Rum Bisque and Tutti Frutti to Savannah Socialite, a chocolate flavor with pecans and bourbon-infused caramel, these flavors will transport you back in time. You may even catch a glimpse of Stratton Leopold, a famous Hollywood producer who sometimes comes home to scoop ice cream at his family’s shop.
Leopold’s longevity is a testament to Savannah’s own age. The city’s Historic District has more than twenty cobblestoned squares filled with museums, churches, mansions, and monuments. Walk the famous Forsyth Park, shop at the City Market, and see a show at the Historic Savannah Theatre, the oldest continually operating theater in the country.
Alabama
Nancy’s Italian Ice — Montgomery
Ice cream is great by itself. But it can be leveled up with a scoop of another sweet treat.
That’s why Nancy’s Italian Ice serves the “Fancy Nancy” — soft-serve ice cream piled on top of homemade Italian ice. The Montgomery shop also sells both treats separately, including ice cream flavors like peach and Italian ice flavors like Sweet Tea, Mokacchino, and Skittles. Don’t forget to grab a Ghirardelli hot chocolate or coffee, too!
Montgomery is Alabama’s capital and a historic city in its own right. Only there can you visit Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, where Dr. Martin Luther King ministered, or see the National Memorial for Peace and Justice.
Three Scoops Ice Cream — Huntsville
Like Leopold’s, Three Scoops Ice Cream was also founded by three people — but this time it was two brothers and their father in 2017.
Located ten minutes from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Three Scoops Ice Cream serves an abundance of fun flavors. You can snack on spicy-sweet Mexican Hot Chocolate and classic Birthday Cake alongside shakes and sundaes. But the shop also offers coffee, smoothies, frozen yogurt, and desserts — including signature ice cream cupcakes.
Huntsville is Alabama’s largest city, so there are plenty of things to do. You can admire nature at the Huntsville Botanical Garden, or see space equipment up close at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.
Keep cool this July — and support local businesses!
There’s nothing better than a bite of ice cream in the summer heat, especially when paired with friends and family. Keep an eye out for these local ice cream shops or others like them in your area. And follow them on social media, too — maybe they’ll offer a deal on July 16, National Ice Cream Day!