Cream Bean Berry was born of a desire to serve ice cream you can feel good about.

Hi, my name is Katie. Those two darlings below are my kids. I didn’t move to Durango to start an ice cream shop. I came because I saw it as a great place to raise a family. Imagine my surprise when I realized that, despite Durango’s thriving local food scene, there was no local ice cream shop. Sure we had five craft breweries, a soda maker and several chocolatiers, but no non-chain ice cream.

This injustice gnawed at my mind for five years before one morning I had the revelation that I needed to start one. Seriously, we’re talking burning-bush moment. The idea was audacious and foolhardy, given that I was a journalist not a chef, but the idea consumed me. And, after I began to put my idea out in the wild, the response I got from the community assured me there was no turning back.

Becoming a staple in the Durango community

I sold my first scoop of handcrafted ice cream from a bicycle cart on the Animas River Trail in May 2013. In November 2015, Cream Bean Berry finally opened at its current location on Main Avenue. 

In addition to retail sales, we wholesale ice cream to local fine-dining restaurants and natural food stores. Additionally, we cater events such as weddings, family reunions, and company parties. Everyday I am filled with humble gratitude for the support Cream Bean Berry has received from the community.

Cream Bean Berry’s founding principles

1) Use the highest quality ingredients to make the freshest, most flavorful ice cream possible. ‘Nuff said.

2) Strive for maximum environmental sustainability in every aspect of our business. This means using as many locally produced and organic ingredients as we can, as well as reducing waste through recycling and composting. The majority of our packaging is biodegradable. We also reduce our environmental impact with green cleaning products, water conversation and energy star-rated appliances.

3) Contribute to the community. Everywhere you turn in Durango, someone is doing something amazing. Each year, we make thousands of dollars worth of in-kind contributions to local non-profits and schools.

4) Promote human dignity. Making and selling ice cream from scratch takes a lot of effort. Without the dedicated work of the CBB team, this endeavor would fail. We show our appreciation by paying our workers a living wage. They in turn show our customers our appreciation by making their experience at CBB as enjoyable and memorable as possible.

The way we see it, it’s simple:

Good ice cream is good.