Austin’s Vegan Ice Cream Parlor

This month, vegan ice cream parlor Sweet Ritual opened for business in Austin, TX, serving a combination of soy- and coconut milk-based frozen treats. Co-owners Amelia Raley and Valerie Ward conceptualized the shop after Raley began serving vegan soft-serve at Toy Joy—a local combination toy store and café—several years ago, and the duo decided to start a business featuring ice cream parlor recipes from the early 1900s. The parlor, which received more than $3,000 in donations through Kickstarter, will include touches like a 1950s milkshake spindle machine, homemade waffle cones, and antique furniture. The pair tells Austin Culture Map that they have been experimenting with ice cream flavors like lemon-poppyseed, bananas foster, and chocolate-lavender.