A to Z Creamery, the small-batch artisan ice cream company from Zach Vraa, is expanding from online-only pints to a soft-serve ice cream shop at 705 Mainstreet in downtown Hopkins. Target opening date is spring 2026.
So, too, is the style of ice cream. Vraa began A to Z with a second-hand ice cream maker and soon built a dedicated following for his inventive flavors that could be anything from Oreo-studded to “basically pizza” flavored.
Soft serve is a new realm, one with both passionate fans and detractors for the lower milk fat necessary to achieve the right texture. But Vraa isn’t worried.
“Hard-pack ice cream is meant to be served straight out of the freezer,” said Vraa. “Soft serve has to still have that creamy, soft mouthfeel, but served at a warmer texture that holds its shape.” To achieve that requires an entirely different base.
“But, we have a very good soft serve recipe,” said Vraa. “I’m pretty confident we can nail it.”
A to Z’s machine will stock two flavors: one will always be vanilla, and the other a wild card that will rotate weekly and often be seasonal, with premium baked goods to go alongside. He gave the example of a banana bread-flavored soft serve, twisted with vanilla and served with a slice of housemade banana bread and drizzled with hot fudge.
That’s not the only big plan A to Z is working on. The pints aren’t going anywhere, but their availability might soon expand. The company is testing delivery with MN Food Club, an online grocery ordering company that Vraa describes as a bridge from farmers to customers. “Kind of like a farmers market Schwann’s,” he said.