July 6th heralded the opening of yet another whimsical location for an ice cream fix. Only this time, customers can see how the magical confection is made at the Little Man Ice Cream Factory.
The 6,000-square-foot Little Man Ice Cream Factory space is meant to be reminiscent of factories of old – all industrial detailing and curvilinear shapes – with a modern twist that showcases the production kitchen and Flight Deck.
The Flight Deck itself is a theatrical experience, for the servers prepare your ice cream and toppings right in front of you while delicious pastries and bubbling beakers and candy-filled test-tubes tempt you on either side. Make sure you grab a couple napkins; they’re not messing around with those scoops in your waffle cones.
While you’re tucking into your ice cream, pastries, or hand-made chocolates (factory location only!), take a seat and watch the kitchen churn out 200 gallons (per 10-hour shift) of ice cream to be distributed to all Little Man sites.
If the sugar high hits your tykes and the functioning conveyor belt overhead doesn’t distract them enough, head upstairs to see the interactive wall displaying hundreds of industry-related bits and baubles. When they’re all done, they can swoop on down the custom-built slide curving around the staircase.
On your way out, or perhaps while you’re waiting in line, take note of the art display on the wall of the freezer-like entrance. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the sprinkles from the ice cream cone turn into rice leading to the rice-filled bowl. This simple display speaks for the more profound work that makes Little Man Ice Cream such a standout company.
Since Day 1, Little Man has been dedicated to donating five cents per scoop of ice cream to philanthropic missions around the world as a part of their Scoop 4 Scoop promise. The initial donations provided rice and other staples to those in Haiti, Cambodia, and other food-deprived nations in Africa. They have since then expanded their aid in other forms of support, such as funding STEM schools and helping former-incarcerated women re-assimilate to society. With over four million scoops of ice cream served so far, that’s a pretty sweet accomplishment.
While they’re making an impact around the world, Little Man has never lost sight of those in their own community. The Denver-native masterminds heading the company love incorporating their surrounding neighbors in the general machinations of the business, as seen in the Factory’s stage for parties and musicians, as well as each location’s unique design (think Constellation’s airplane wing and Little Man Ice Cream’s giant milk can building).
So next time you’re in the Sloan’s Lake area, I urge you to swing by the Factory and get a taste of what has made Little Man Ice Cream such a resounding success. And, hey, no need to feel guilty. It’s for a good cause.
The Little Man Ice Cream Factory is located at 4411 West Colfax Avenue. It’s open daily, 10am-1am!
— Story and photos by Olivia of InGoodTasteDenver.com
1 Comment
Pingback: RARE, The Denver Steak Championships Discount Code