The line is often out the door — a testament not only to this summer’s blistering heat, but to the seriously sinful taste of premium ice cream offered up at Indulge, Irondequoit’s newest ice cream parlor.
Located at 655 Titus Avenue, the interior of Indulge is infused with whimsy, from the giant mural depicting an idyllic summer scene, to the old time lamp posts and wrought iron tables and chairs that conjure a nostalgic ambience.
“I wanted it to feel like you were sitting outside on a patio on a perfect day,” says Mike Yaniga, an Irondequoit native and graduate of Irondequoit High School who co-owns the shop with longtime friend John Cramer, of Greece.
The two spent over seven months renovating the space, which in recent years has housed everything from a pet shop to a comic book store. The space is owned by The House of Guitars. HOG guru, Bruce Schaubroeck, is a fervent supporter of locally-owned businesses.
“I hate chain stores,” says Schaubroeck. “Mom-and-pop stores have passion and soul.”
As a tribute to their landlord, Indulge offers HOGberry ice cream, a mix of blueberry ice cream with strawberry swirls, created by Cramer, who concocts the extensive menu. A chef who grew up around food, Cramer is always playing with flavor combinations.
“We have a few flavors that I’ve never seen anywhere else like our ‘Cookies ‘n Dough’ which is a combination of cookies and cream ice cream with cookie dough mixed in,” Cramer said.
Another favorite is Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Swirl. “The menu changes weekly,” he said. “We have about 30 flavors in rotation now and by next summer we plan to increase that to 80 flavors.”
Everything is made on the premises. The menu includes extensive toppings and sundae flavors as well as frozen yogurt, sorbet and fat-free offerings. There is even a doggie portion that comes with a scoop of premium ice cream topped with a dog biscuit. A corner of the store is devoted to photographs of canine customers wolfing down their treats.
Feedback from the community has been positive, according to Yaniga, who says he is still tweaking the prices and portion sizes to offer the best possible value.
“We want to give our customers what they want,” says Cramer. “Anytime a customer asks for a flavor we don’t have, I will have it for them within a week.”
The line is often out the door — a testament not only to this summer’s blistering heat, but to the seriously sinful taste of premium ice cream offered up at Indulge, Irondequoit’s newest ice cream parlor.
Located at 655 Titus Avenue, the interior of Indulge is infused with whimsy, from the giant mural depicting an idyllic summer scene, to the old time lamp posts and wrought iron tables and chairs that conjure a nostalgic ambience.
“I wanted it to feel like you were sitting outside on a patio on a perfect day,” says Mike Yaniga, an Irondequoit native and graduate of Irondequoit High School who co-owns the shop with longtime friend John Cramer, of Greece.
The two spent over seven months renovating the space, which in recent years has housed everything from a pet shop to a comic book store. The space is owned by The House of Guitars. HOG guru, Bruce Schaubroeck, is a fervent supporter of locally-owned businesses.
“I hate chain stores,” says Schaubroeck. “Mom-and-pop stores have passion and soul.”
As a tribute to their landlord, Indulge offers HOGberry ice cream, a mix of blueberry ice cream with strawberry swirls, created by Cramer, who concocts the extensive menu. A chef who grew up around food, Cramer is always playing with flavor combinations.
“We have a few flavors that I’ve never seen anywhere else like our ‘Cookies ‘n Dough’ which is a combination of cookies and cream ice cream with cookie dough mixed in,” Cramer said.
Another favorite is Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Swirl. “The menu changes weekly,” he said. “We have about 30 flavors in rotation now and by next summer we plan to increase that to 80 flavors.”
Everything is made on the premises. The menu includes extensive toppings and sundae flavors as well as frozen yogurt, sorbet and fat-free offerings. There is even a doggie portion that comes with a scoop of premium ice cream topped with a dog biscuit. A corner of the store is devoted to photographs of canine customers wolfing down their treats.
Feedback from the community has been positive, according to Yaniga, who says he is still tweaking the prices and portion sizes to offer the best possible value.
“We want to give our customers what they want,” says Cramer. “Anytime a customer asks for a flavor we don’t have, I will have it for them within a week.”
Titus Avenue resident Donna Skelton and her family are frequent customers. Skelton likes the “quaint atmosphere” and says, “Irondequoit needed its own homegrown ice cream store.”
Ice cream may be summer’s ultimate treat, but Yaniga and Cramer have no intention of closing up shop once the weather turns cool. They plan to change the menu as the seasons change, including special, holiday-themed ice cream.
“We are already thinking about the flavors we want to make for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and beyond,” says Yaniga. “Ice cream lovers don’t stop loving ice cream just because it’s cold outside.”
