Ready for ‘Ice Cream Row,’ Boise? California company to open new Boise shop, sheepishly

A new ice cream shop is coming to Boise — and bringing a taste of California with it.

Golden State ewes, to be precise.

Specializing in ice cream made from sheep’s milk, Paso Robles-based Negranti Creamery plans to launch downtown at 777 W. Main St. The new store could be open by mid-August, according to Seth Brink, president of Arete Food Group, which has rights to Negranti Creamery in Idaho.

The small, 687-square-foot space formerly held a Gyro Shack restaurant, which closed last year. Arete Food Group owns the Gyro Shack chain.

“We feel this site is much better served to be a Creamery,” Brink said in an email, “and with all of the competition (within) a block or two that we will be helping to create an ‘Ice Cream Row,’ where people can find all of their ice cream desires.”

Ice cream shop The STIL operates at 786 W. Broad St. Stella’s Ice Cream serves customers at 100 N. 8th St. There’s also a Fanci Freez nearby at 1402 W. State St.

Negranti Creamery operates two scoop shops in Paso Robles. More are planned in Atascadero and San Luis Obispo, according to its website. The Boise store will be its first expansion out of state, although Negranti does sell its product nationwide through online marketplace Goldbelly.

Brink said that Arete Food Group hopes eventually to launch three to five Negranti Creamery locations in the Treasure Valley.

Family owned and operated, Negranti was founded a decade ago around a small sheep dairy. The company says it was the first creamery in the nation to offer sheep’s milk ice cream at both the wholesale and retail levels.

“With the milk from pasture-raised ewes, we produce 100% sheep milk ice cream,” Negranti Creamery says on its website. “In our new scoop shop, we also offer traditional cow’s milk options as well.”

Sheep’s milk has roughly twice as much butterfat as cow’s milk, giving it an added richness. Negranti Creamery sells its ice cream as scoops or in waffle and cake cones. The menu also offers milkshakes, ice cream cakes, build-your-own ice cream sandwiches and more. Want some for later? The shop sells ice cream pints, pies, cakes and sandwiches to take home.

Striving for “clean, simple, luscious ice cream,” Negranti Creamery owner Alexis Negranti creates the recipes herself, resulting in flavors such as Salted Brown Sugar, Strawberry Basil and Black Coffee Chip. “The sweet notes of sheep milk, blended with fresh ingredients, makes Negranti Creamery ice cream the perfect treat,” according to the website.

One of the benefits of sheep’s milk, according to the creamery, is that it’s more easily digested than cow’s milk, allowing some people with lactose intolerance to enjoy it.

Negranti Creamery has been featured in publications ranging from The New York Times to Conde Nast Traveler.

This story was originally published July 6, 2021 at 4:00 AM.