The Ice Cream Bar Unveils Vintage Style in Cole Valley

People in Cole Valley have been ogling The Ice Cream Bar's future site for a little over a year ago. Finally, over the weekend this new retro sign went up outside, and owner Juliet Pries tells Eater she hopes to get up and running by mid-October. A former partner at Kezar Pub, Pries has taken the ice cream shops of the late 1930s as her inspiration here. It all started when she fell in love with a vintage soda fountain, marble counter top and ice cream back bar on eBay and subsequently bought it from Jilbert Dairy—the family-owned Michigan dairy farm who, incidentally, are credited with the original "moose tracks" ice cream flavor. The vintage equipage is so special, Jilbert's owner didn't want to ship it to San Francisco. He had his 17-year-old son drive it out from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with some friends on their spring break. Needless to say, Pries will be staying in touch with the Jilbert family.

Although Pries isn't sure if she'll have moose tracks on her menu, she knows there will be at least 10 to 12 organic, seasonal ice cream flavors, made in house. She's also making her own candies, sodas and syrups, to be featured in egg creams, milk shakes, floats, banana splits, and ice cream cake by the slice. For the vegans, she'll have coconut ice cream. Since there's a full kitchen, there will be "updated old fashioned lunch counter fare" like grilled cheese, soup and organic hot dogs. There's also a beer and wine license in the works, so boozy shakes and floats will be an option, eventually. As if now, Pries hopes to open The Ice Cream Bar around the middle of October.

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