Ice Cream Chain Adds Vegan Option to 32 Scoop Shops

Midwest ice cream chain Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream announced this month that it would debut its anticipated vegan flavor at its 32 locations. The shop spent five years developing the recipe before settling on a concoction—a combination of coconut cream and fair-trade cocoa—that CEO Jeni Britton Bauer said mimics traditional ice cream. “There are so many people who come into our shops who can’t eat dairy or won’t eat dairy,” Bauer told local media outlet Columbus Live. “It’s been something that I’ve wanted to tackle for a long time, and I love a challenge.” The new flavor is one of several vegan varieties—such as Coconut Chamomile and White Sesame—that are set to debut in coming months. Jeni’s joins a growing number of ice cream shops—including Ben & Jerry’s—to cater to the cruelty-free crowd with innovative flavors that compete with traditional non-vegan flavors.